The Piano Player of Budapest

A True Story of Holocaust Survival, Music and Hope

Roxanne de Bastion

$34.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

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English

Robinson Publishing
11 June 2024

Individual composers & musicians, bands & groups; Biography; Biography: historical, political & military; True stories of heroism, endurance & survival; The Holocaust

This is a story about a piano and its most prodigious player - how it, along with him, survived.

When her father died, singer songwriter Roxanne de Bastion inherited a piano she knew had been in her family for over a hundred years. But it is only when she finds a cassette recording of her grandfather, Stephen, playing one of his compositions, the true and almost unbelievable history of the piano, this man and her family begins to unravel.

Stephen was a man who enjoyed great fame, a man who suffered the horrors of concentration camps in WWII, a man who ultimately survives - along with his piano. By piecing together his cassette recordings, unpublished memoirs, letters and documents, Roxanne sings out her grandfather's story of music and hope, lost and found, and explores the power of what can echo down through generations.

By: Roxanne de Bastion
Imprint: Robinson Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 22mm
ISBN: 9781472147851
ISBN 10: 1472147855
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 11 June 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Roxanne de Bastion is a singer-songwriter and artist advocate. She has released two critically acclaimed albums that have been championed by the likes of Iggy Pop and Steve Lamacq. Her music has garnered praise in the Observer, NME, Record Collector and Rolling Stone Germany, and her pioneering DYI artistry and activism have been featured in the Metro, Huffington Post, LBC and Sky News. Roxanne has toured opening for Katie Melua, Howard Jones, Lambchop and Martha Wainwright and has performed at Latitude, Glastonbury and Cambridge Folk Festival. In 2018, she self-published her tour diaries Tales from the Rails and in 2021, she was the first artist to embark on a virtual UK tour when the pandemic hit. Roxanne sits on the board of the Featured Artist Coalition (alongside artists such as Dave Rowntree of Blur and Imogen Heap) and the PPL Performer Board, where she represents artists' rights. She is the founder of the independent artist conference FM2U (From Me to You). Roxanne has held talks at Brunel University, Reeperbahn Festival and re:publica on topics such as 'Designing your Own Future' and 'Female is not a Genre' and has been invited to speak on panel discussions at international music industry conferences such as The Great Escape, Folk Alliance and the English Folk Expo. Roxanne also hosts a radio show on North London's Boogaloo Radio. The Piano Player of Budapest is her first book.

Reviews for The Piano Player of Budapest: A True Story of Holocaust Survival, Music and Hope

I loved this [book]. I expected it to be a more gruelling read, but actually it was very emotional but also very approachable. One can hear Istvan/Stephen's voice and his grand-daughter has done him proud. An extraordinary story, and one that lingers in the mind... -- Baroness Julia Neuberger A remarkable story of survival... told with such humanity and lyricism -- Kevin Brennan MP Stunning. A beautiful blend of action, poetry, thought-provoking comment and music... just brilliant -- James Ainscough OBE Painfully moving * Kirkus Reviews * A gripping narrative of suffering, loss and survival, with music at its heart -- Fiona Maddocks (Observer’s classical music critic and author of Goodbye Russia Rachmaninoff in Exile) Deeply moving... triumphant -- Greg Dawson Truly remarkable ... beautifully written and completely addictive. Roxanne de Bastion finely balances her grandfather's gripping and traumatic story of survival with the vivid legacy of her family's history. The words dance off the page and it moved me to tears -- Ed Harcourt Resonates for our times -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller, *Editor's Choice* * One of 2024's most anticipated books * BBC Culture *