Pianofest in the Hamptons has become a staple of our summer for the past three years. Pianofest is an outstanding festival for a number of reasons: there is a tight-knit, family-like atmosphere due to the small number of participants; we have the opportunity to study with several superb musicians; and we spend most of our down-time at the gorgeous beaches. If there is anything we have contributed to the daily life of Pianofest, it has been our infamous “chore boards” – elaborate calendars that designate the cleaning and practice schedules! We will always remember Pianofest for its home cooked meals, marathon Mafia games, enthusiastic audiences, fabulous parties, and countless moments of joyful music making.
London, England with MTV (May, 2004)
Three days after they graduated from The Juilliard School,
Greg and Liz appeared as wizards partaking in a Harry
Potter game show on MTV's Total Request Live. Alongside
of movie stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, the two
completed physical and trivia challenges to win an
all-expense paid trip to London.
Wow! What a trip! MTV spared no expense. During
our five-day trip we:
- Took a personalized Harry Potter tour around London
- Appeared on the UK’s edition of MTV’s Total Request Live. Greg won yet another trip to England to intern on the sets of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!
- Spent a day at the historic and inspiring University of Oxford
- Toured Blenheim Castle – the piano in the library was seriously begging for some Mozart
- Attended a steamy rendition of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure at the National Theatre
- Walked the “red-carpet” with the likes of Michael Gambon, J.K. Rowling, Daniel Radcliffe, and Gary Oldman
- Attended the European premiere of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Leicester Square
- We stayed in Knightsbridge, the equivalent of New York City’s Fifth Avenue, and realized that London is VERY expensive. A simple Chinese meal cost close to $50 US!
- The English were remarkably amiable, and it was apparent that they enjoy their bars. Every night before the sun even set, the "pubs" were overflowing with workers jovially enjoying the pleasures of alcohol.
We will never forget the absolute insanity of the Harry Potter fans at the premiere. There were thousands - many who waited overnight to get a glimpse of their favorite stars! ...And people thought we acted insane on MTV....
Home Recital at the Millers (April 15, 2004)
Al and Joan Miller are wonderful, lovely, kind, amazing, and talented. It’s people like these that demonstrate just how cool "Hampton-ites" can be. They invited some friends, rearranged the furniture, tuned the piano, and we were in business. It was great fun. See the paintings on the walls? Joan is a fantastic professional artist and those are her works.