Fountain of Youth: Curtis Piano Teacher Embraces Social Media | PRIVATELESSONS.com Articles

Fountain of Youth: Curtis Piano Teacher Embraces Social Media

Ghenady Meirson

Submitted: Sunday, February 17, 2013 - 9:12am

Eleonor Sokoloff, center, during recent Wednesday tea at Curtis (Photo Credit: Curtis Alumni Association)

At age 98, Eleonor Sokoloff, piano pedagogue at the Curtis Institute of Music, is a major fan of Facebook and iPad.

I have known Mrs. Sokoloff since I was a teenager auditioning to Curtis. I have never studied with her. Vladimir Sokoloff, her husband, was my accompanying teacher at the same time as I studied piano with Mieczyslaw Horszowski.

I have always felt that I had a great supporter in Mrs. Sokoloff, as if I were one of her own students. Her opinion matters and I am always grateful.

Mrs. Sokoloff maintains a full class of piano students, shares some younger students with Gary Graffman, and sometimes takes over students for faculty that goes on concert tour. That is an amazing work load at any age.

The other day, after the traditional Wednesday tea at Curtis, Mrs. Sokoloff was telling me with great enthusiasm about Kindle application on her iPad. The ability to adjust font size is helping her to see better and read books again. She is so happy about that.

We are also Facebook friends. She keeps in touch with colleagues and former students across the world. Once in a while I post some of my YouTube recordings of short pieces and she just loves finding them on her Facebook feed.

It is now clear that an open mind and endless curiosity is the fountain of youth.

Instruments: 

Piano

Music Genres: 

Classical