The opulent Steinway Hall in Midtown had its grand pianos' ivories tickled recently by a mother and son duo for the release of their new CD, "Brahms - Works For Four Hands."
Award-winning pianist Israela Margalit who shared the piano bench with her son, Ilann Margalit Maazel, was delighted to be in Steinway Hall.
George Whipple: What is it like working with your son?
Margalit: Ilaan is a fantastic pianist. He chose to make a living as a civil rights lawyer, which he is doing a great job in it. But he also played the piano magnificently, so it was a wonderful opportunity to make music with it.
Maazel, besides being a musician, also has a day job.
Maazel: I'm a partner at a law firm in Rockefeller Center and we do lots of civil rights cases, and keeps me busy in the day. Lot of fun, civil rights cases of all kinds. Right now, we're trying to save the New York State Senate. Actually, that's what I was doing last week.
Whipple: How do you reconcile being a lawyer and a musician?
Maazel: I do my best thinking when I'm playing. The music is really food for my soul.
Maazel's father, former New York Philharmonic conductor Lorin Maazel, told NY1 on a previous occasion how he is proud of his son's dual talents.
"To have music as a hobby and to be able to pursue that hobby at a professional level is a luxury indeed, and few people have that opportunity. He seems to be one of them," says Lorin Maazel.
Ilann Maazel is not the only one with a day job. Yours truly practices law during the day and reports at night, and to tell you the truth, I love both jobs equally!