I first met Mario Feninger in 1969 in NYC. He had recently made his Town Hall debut in New York, from which resulted the NY Times quote - "a powerhouse virtuoso in the grand manner".  He was artistic in the fine old world sense -- and hot as a pistol.

At that time, he told me many details about his teacher in Paris, Prof. La Montagne, a brilliant developer of new secrets of violin technique. Mario had taken La Montagne's principles and applied them to the piano. This is part of the secret that allows him to play with such power and refinement to this day. This ability, combined with Mario's decades of interpreting classical music, performing to diverse audiences, and teaching a wide range of pianists from beginners to virtuosos - this all adds up to a unique viewpoint on art, knowledge of lost technique of the piano and the magic of relating unusual anecdotes about great composers that can spark new innovations in creators today.

Mario had his 90th birthday last year. He is in the years of life when a master passes on his knowledge, so that others don't have to 'reinvent the wheel' and can readily walk in the steps of the greats.

Mario is still performing, having given successful recitals in recent months. He is still regaling delighted groups with his tales of the greats, and then demonstrating his points with the remarkable light touch of a man of 30, rather than 90.

However, the group of people who are benefiting from this illumination is much too small. Since he must continue his teaching and recitals to support himself, the time and wherewithal to have his legacy and techniques documented on film keep drifting away. And his energy to do so is at times lacking, due to advancing years.

Director Tom Solari and the non-profit Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE) have developed a plan to capture on video all that Mario knows about music, and make it available broadly to the world.

The plan requires a start-up amount of 15K to create a teaser video that will spark a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise the rest of the funds from the broad public.

Throughout this process, Mario will receive a grant from FASE, enabling the wherewithal to devote his full attention to this Legacy Project. The resulting video product on DVD will help provide Mario with additional income in the future.

I am planning to donate to this initial fund. Are you interested in helping get this off the ground?

I think if enough of us provide even a little bit of support, this idea will see the light of day.

Please click here for the Mario Legacy page and find simple instructions for your donations.

Much love,

David