Our founder
HomeOrchestra was founded by Lola Smolokowski Rasulova, born in the USSR in 1977. Her first encounter with the piano was at the age of 4, with self-taught tunes, which later appeared to have been her own compositions, and her arrangements of classical material.
However, it was not until the age of 7, when she started to learn professionally, first in her native Uzbekistan, then in Europe, Asia, and Africa, due to extensive relocations relating to her parents’ diplomatic missions. Her craft, as a pianist, was shaped under the influence of the great Soviet School of pianism. Her first years of piano studying were in Uspensky Music School for Gifted Children, in Tashkent. At 17, in Moscow, Lola graduated from the notorious Gnessin Specialized School for Gifted Children – an alma-mater for today’s greatest names in piano. Upon graduation, she continued studying in Geneva State Conservatory, where she discovered a new passion – helping young children make their first steps at piano playing, and getting them acquainted with classical music in general.
It became obvious to Lola, that lack of interesting material for beginners often leads to them losing interest quickly. She started a research on adaptation techniques that would allow even a 6-year old complete beginner to play classical music masterpieces. She realised that this music is already familiar to most everybody. It is often imprinted into people’s consciousness from a very young age, whether they heard it in toys or crib mobiles, cartoons, movies, ringtones, commercials, elevators or supermarkets.
Our Mission
Here in HomeOrchestra we strongly believe that the ultimate experience of playing solo with an orchestra should not be reserved for professionals, and Lola has been determined to find a way to make it accesible to everyone.
As with most professional musicians, Lola’s favourite musical activity is performing with an orchestra. Since her first performances as a soloist, at the age of 14, until the present day, she has been captivated by the process of the onstage collaboration of nearly 70 people, each contributing to the perfect harmony, and led by the soloist.
What first started as student-teacher four hands adaptations of Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, has now evolved into an extensive catalogue of orchestral soundtracks, recorded in a way that any beginner can use them as accompaniment for their home music-making, or even family performances.
Lola’s 20-year long career as a music teacher has proven that a captivating, quality material is one of the main keys to a successful relationship between beginners and classical music.
OUR ORCHESTRA
All audio accompaniment tracks are recorded by one of best Spanish symphonic orchestras, Orquesta Reino de Aragon, under baton of Maestro Ricardo Casero.