The Liliane Questel Recital Series
Founded in 2003 by SCC board member and pianist, Liliane Questel.
Saturday, May 23, 6:00 pm
Michael Davidman
Michael Davidman started piano lessons at age five at the Greenwich House Music School, and continued piano studies with Efrem Briskin at the Manhattan School of Music. Michael completed his Bachelor of Music degree under the guidance of Robert McDonald, also with mentor and teacher Ford Mylius Lallerstedt at the Curtis Institute of Music, his Master of Music degree at the Juilliard School with renowned pianists Jerome Lowenthal and Stephen Hough. Michael earned his Artist Diploma studying with renowned pianist Stanislav Ioudenich at the International Center for Music (ICM), Kansas City, MO. In June of 2025, Michael completed his studies at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain studying with Stanislav Ioudenitch and Vadim Gladkov.
A dedicated and disciplined young musician, Michael has gone on to win numerous piano competitions. He is the winner of the 2025 American Piano Awards and the Christel DeHaan Fellowship at the University of Indianapolis, the 2022 Long-Thibaud International Piano Competition – third place and Orchestra prize, first place winner 2019 Juilliard Gina Bachauer Competition, first prize 2018 New York International Piano Competition chamber ensemble, and a four-year scholarship from the Chopin Foundation of the United States, amongst others.
He has performed at Salle Cortot, Théâtre du Châtelet, Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, Carnegie Recital Hall, Kimmel Center, Sandler Center, Symphony Space, Merkin Concert Hall, Hilbert Circle Theater, given recitals in Spain at the Burgos International Music Festival, in Italy at Teatro Alfieri, in St. Petersburg Russia with the International Academy of Music, and at numerous music festivals, including the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival (Yale), the Music Academy of the West, Kneisel Hall, Summit Music Festival, Music@Menlo, and PianoFest. Michael has also performed on WHYY “Curtis On Stage”, WQXR McGraw Hill Young Artist Showcase – “The Robert Sherman Show”, WSKG-FM radio Expressions Series, NPR’s radio program “From the Top”, “Piano Evenings with David Dubal.”
An opera enthusiast from a very young age, Michael delights in uploading historical and rare opera recordings to his YouTube channel called PucciniMD and accompanying opera singers.
Michael Davidman’s appearance is made possible through the generous support of Dr. William and Susan Kleinman and the American Piano Awards. Additional support provided by the Alphadyne Foundation.
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About The Liliane Questel Recital Series
Founded in 2002 as “The Rising Stars Piano Series” by SCC board member and pianist Liliane Questel, a graduate of the Brussels Conservatory and Baltimore’s Peabody Conservatory under the guidance of Leon Fleisher. The series’ mission focuses on performance opportunities primarily for participants and alumni of Pianofest of the Hamptons. These highly talented pianists attract a loyal following. The Tenth Anniversary Season celebrated some of those musicians who were not “Rising Stars” by then but celebrated performers. In 2024, the Series was renamed “The Liliane Questel Recital Series” in memory of its founder and to cement her legacy.
Konstantin Soukhovetski, an award-winning pianist, educator, and composer, is the Artistic Director of The Liliane Questel Recital Series.
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A Tribute to Liliane Questel
by Paul Schenly
Liliane Questel’s journey was not just about her own accomplishments as a concert pianist but about the many lives she touched, the music she brought to the world, and the legacy she leaves behind.
From her early days at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels to her studies at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore under the guidance of the legendary Leon Fleisher, Liliane’s musical journey was one of dedication and brilliance. Her performances, whether it was the Bach Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue or the formidable Liszt Sonata, captivated audiences and left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of listening to her play.
But Liliane’s impact extended far beyond the concert stage. She was a mentor, a teacher, and a friend to countless young musicians. Her support and guidance helped shape the careers of many aspiring artists, and her commitment to nurturing talent through the Rising Stars Concert Series, which is now renamed The Liliane Questel Recital Series and will continue to inspire generations to come.
Those who knew Liliane remember not only her musical prowess but also her warmth, humor, and generosity of spirit. Whether it was hosting fabulous parties with her beloved husband Arthur or sharing her insights on music interpretation, Liliane brought joy and laughter wherever she went.
Her love for her family, her husband Arthur, their son Remy, and their beloved dogs Maya and Loki, was evident to all who knew her. They were her greatest treasures, and her devotion to them knew no bounds.
Let us celebrate the legacy she leaves behind. Let us carry forward her passion for music, her commitment to nurturing young talent, and her spirit of generosity and kindness. Her music will continue to echo in our hearts, reminding us of the beauty and joy she brought into the world.
In 2005 after a recital at the Southampton Cultural Center, Fred Volkmer in the Southampton Press reviewing the concert wrote: For those in the audience who know Liliane Questel only as a presenter the evening came as a delightful surprise. We heard a pianist of rare ability, not only someone with a razor-sharp technique, but plenty of temperament and interpretive acuity, someone with a profound commitment to the music about which she has thought so long and so deeply before it emerged from her fingers as they touched the keyboard.
We will always remember Liliane.