Contemporary witnesses

Ricci Horenstein found in Leo Kestenberg a teacher who fostered her through piano lessons and, beyond this, supported her career as a budding pianist and piano educator. He gave her up to five lessons per week, without asking for any remuneration.

As Kestenberg's pupil, she also gave many public concerts, with Kestenberg himself providing the introductory lectures. And she gave his youngest pupils piano lessons.

During his piano lessons, Kestenberg always went beyond the music, opening for her new horizons in philosophy, literature and the fine arts. These lessons became an inspiring adventure for Ricci, who was full of ambitious intentions vis à vis the piano, but also full of open questions. She may well have been equally inspiring for Leo Kestenberg. At any rate, he dedicated the first version of his poem on teaching, "My Piano Lesson" to Ricci Horenstein.

Today Ricci lives in London and enjoys an international reputation as a piano teacher. In her interview, she sums up her years studying with Kestenberg in spirited and trenchant recollections.