Age-defying mystery pianist stuns crowd with virtuosic Liszt on street piano

19 October 2021, 15:23

Old Lady in Russia stuns crowd with amazing piano performance

A display of youthful vigour and virtuosity, to prove that the power of music knows no age.

An ever-youthful pianist has stormed the Internet with a viral performance on a humble street piano.

YouTuber Life Goes On In Iran captured this affirming footage during a trip to Russia. In the video, an older pianist proves that music-making is the fountain of youth, as she performs for the crowd with flair and passion.

Read more: This 19-foot piano has the longest bass strings in the world – and it sounds huge

The condition of the piano itself might leave a bit to be desired, but that only adds to the astonishment of the moment as our pianist leaves onlookers utterly spellbound with her effortless virtuosity.

She plays Franz Liszt’s famously fiendish Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. Watch the incredible moment above.

After the video went viral, the name of our mystery pianist was discovered. She is Eleonora Arkadevya Breslav, from Kazan, Russia. She graduated from the music college of Kazan in 1953 and worked as an accompanist there for five years afterwards.

Eleonora also worked as an accompanist at one of the great opera and ballet houses of the world, the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.

The amazing footage was captured in the pianist’s home city, during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. We think it’s such a wonderful demonstration of the love and joy of music.

“If her fingers are so nimble at this age, you can just imagine what she was like when she was young,” remarked one YouTube viewer.

“I love her smile at the end of the video,” says the filmer. And so do we.