Born in Tashkent (former USSR), Lola began learning the piano at the age of six with Professor Tamara Popovich. In 1989 Ms. Astanova entered the elite V. Uspensky Specialized School of Music, and became the finest student of the school that has previously given the music world a winner of the Van Cliburn and Chopin competitions Alexei Sultanov. Throughout her student years, Ms. Astanova constantly visited Moscow for private classes with the "Godfather of the Russian piano school" - Professor Lev Naumov of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. It was Dr. Naumov who said: “When it comes to classical music, Lola Astanova possesses a truly ingenious intuitive ability.“
Ms. Astanova began appearing as a performer at the age of eight. She has played concerts in Germany, France, Austria, Italy and Russia both as a soloist and with orchestras. Lola’s effortless power, speed and precision, combined with emotional depth and lyricism have won her the hearts of every audience. In 1996 Ms. Astanova became a Laureate of the Second International Chopin Competition for Young Pianists in Moscow. Her performances at the Big & Small Hall of the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory were featured in a Chopin Compilation album released by Zvuk Records. The same year Lola played at the UNESCO event in Paris, France, and her performance was featured in a UNESCO documentary Prodigies of the 20th Century.
After the initial success, Ms. Astanova’s young career was confronted with several personal and bureaucratic challenges, which precluded her from performing for nearly 2 years. Fighting to break the barriers and overcome the emotional burden of professional isolation, Lola made a decision to move to the United States and start everything anew. She arrived to Houston, TX, and after playing an audition at Rice University was invited into the Master’s Program with a full scholarship and Presidential stipend. Lola completed her Master’s Degree, and graduated summa cum laude in May of 2005.
While at Rice University, Ms. Astanova started charting a new path for her professional career in the United States. She quickly became a sensation among the local music aficionados, and in May of 2004, made her major American debut at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC. She has worked tirelessly expanding her repertoire, which presently includes some of the most virtuoso compositions of Rachmaninoff, Chopin and Liszt.
In 2007 Ms. Astanova was invited to star in a $1.6 million Classical Superstars Fantasy Concert alongside maestro Valery Gergiev and Regis Philbin. The concert was featured in the 100th anniversary edition of the famed Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. As a result of this project Lola was discovered and embraced by the mainstream American media, earning a nickname “the million dollar pianist” in the process. The success of this project became a testament to Lola’s unique entertainment appeal and her ability to capture the imagination of a wider and younger audience with her charisma and virtuosity. It also highlighted Lola’s lifelong interest in fashion.
Currently, Ms. Astanova resides in New York City, and works on several musical projects that promise to surprise and excite all music lovers.
