Award-Winning Pianist Israela Margalit & ILann Margalit Maazel Release Ilann (Son) Debut Album On June 16, 2009

NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/ Doreen D'Agostino Media) - The award-winning recording artist, television writer, playwright and internationally renowned concert pianist Israela Margalit releases two albums through Decca. Her career thus far has encompassed not only critically-acclaimed performances and recordings with fifty of the world's leading orchestras but also provocative and insightful scripts and plays.

It is no surprise then that the first release, Schnittke - Shostakovich, should cover such rarified and fascinating musical territory.
Israela Margalit has always had a special connection with Russia - both her parents were of Russian origins and she grew up studying Russian music, literature and poetry. Margalit takes the listener on a journey with stops at Shostakovich's Piano Concerto no. 1, op. 35, a selection of the composer's miniature works for solo piano and also the challenging Concerto for piano and strings by Alfred Schnittke.
Schnittke's early music shows the strong influence of Shostakovich, thus giving this musically rewarding album strong thematic appeal. This album, recorded in 1992, is now available again and a valuable addition to any library.

The second release, Brahms - Works for 4 Hands, is an all-new recording of charming miniatures. The album is a rather personal project for Israela as she is joined by her son, Ilann Margalit Maazel, for the entire recording. The two bring a welcome amount of joy and familiarity to these ever-popular compositions. Indeed, the 21 Hungarian Dances are perhaps the most famous and popular works Brahms ever composed. The disc is completed with the Waltzes, op. 39 - 16 of the most delightful compositions two people can share playing. In fact, waltz No 15 is so popular that it has been transcribed and used endlessly. Israela and Ilann present these works in their original, intimate format in performances bursting with elegance and delight.