Baron Lobstein, who studied piano with me as a college student in the early 1990s, kept up his piano skills while building a career in the US Department of State. One day when he was supporting a visit by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to Beijing, he was helping out at the Ambassador's residence with some colleagues, preparing for a press conference that was delayed for several hours. The residence happened to have a lovely concert grand in the living room, so Baron spent some of that down time treating everyone to his performances of Chopin nocturnes and waltzes, the B-flat-minor scherzo, selections from Debussy's "Children's Corner", a couple of Rachmaninoff preludes, a little Satie, a selection from Tchaikovsky's "Seasons", the three Gershwin preludes, and a couple of Joplin rags. He was told afterwards that his music helped dial down the stress level during the long wait. He reported that it really is satisfying after so many years to still be able to keep all that repertoire in his fingers.

Listen to alumnus Baron Lobstein playing Rachmaninov's Prelude in g-sharp minor, Op. 32, No. 12. Baron studied this prelude with Deborah in the early 1990s, and played it for this recording in 2011.