Olga Kern's gold medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano competition was presented to her, along with other medalists, by Fort Worth billionaires Mercedes and Sid Bass, who are music lovers of the first water and friends of Van Cliburn.
Suzy of "W" Magazine reported that after Olga's triumph at competition, the Basses gave an after-dinner party at the Trattoria Dell 'Arte and a sumptuous buffet at Le Cirque for them.
"Mercedes filled Le Cirque with so many cherry blossoms that after a couple of glasses of champagne, some guests thought they were in Washington," Suzy wrote.
Voice-Tribune food columnist and restaurant and wine critic Jack Roby, who is with the University of Louisville's music department, met and made friends with the lovely Olga at the competition. She urged him to come to see her in Russia and he made travel plans. Olga was called away to New York but arranged for Jack to have an exciting time in Russia. Her mother met him and gave him fabulous tickets to events. Jack said he saw where Olga got her beauty.
I called Jack to see what happened on his recent trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg, where he attended stellar events thoughtfully arranged by Olga.
Olga had captivated audiences everywhere, and she had begun a major international career. All four winners of the Cliburn Competition played last May in New York's Zankel Hall, the new hall underneath the hallowed floors of Carnegie Hall. When a major pianist canceled his Carnegie Hall recital just after the Cliburn winners played, Olga was asked to make her Carnegie Hall debut on just a few days notice.
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