The Diane Rehm Show

From the beginning, classical pianist Simone Dinnerstein broke all the rules: she didn’t start playing piano until the age of 7, and dropped out of Juilliard briefly to study in London. Nearing her thirtieth birthday, Dinnerstein hadn’t achieved the musical career she’d hoped for: auditions led nowhere and she was playing at schools and community centers. Then, Dinnerstein self-funded a recording of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg variations, which leaked to the internet, and led to a debut album that rocketed to the top of the classical charts. American concert pianist Simone Dinnerstein joins Diane to talk about her forthcoming album, “Something Almost Being Said: The Music of Bach and Schubert,” and her unlikely rise to the top of the classical music charts.