I am raising these funds on behalf of Esma Pašić-Filipovic, who recently suffered catastrophic flooding imparted by the remnants of Hurricane Ida the evening of September 1st. Flash flooding ruined and caused structural damage to the lower level of Esma's rental home that served both as living quarters and a thriving piano studio.

It destroyed her baby grand piano, her entire sheet music collection, recording equipment needed for performances and virtual piano lessons, and the efforts of over 20 years of work in Princeton, New Jersey. This campaign is to help abate the cost of this tragedy, and is a last resort to get financial assistance and support.

Esma is a pianist, performer, and teacher who's income is dependent on teaching lessons, performing, practicing, and other activities that are centrally tied to her piano studio. Funds will be used to recover anything that can be saved, but Esma is forced to purchase new technical equipment that includes microphones, speakers, cameras, mounts, and more to facilitate professional recordings, virtual classes, workshops, meetings and other professional engagements.

Most important is the replacement of her baby grand piano, which is essential for her profession. If she does not have a piano she cannot work. These funds will help cover the purchase of a new piano, essential equipment, and to soften the emotional and financial strain caused by the destruction of her piano studio.

I am the son of a childhood friend of Esma who set this up while she was dealing with flood water and damage. Funds will be directly withdrawn by Esma to cover the costs enumerated above.

In the teacher talk below, she compared the irreconcilable loss felt during the Siege of Sarajevo to that of COVID where we still have food and water and internet, the ability to practice and even play virtually together. An optimism that is no more since the destruction of her studio and piano.

Please click here for full-sized photos of the flooding and destruction as gofundme won't allow a full-sized upload.

About Esma Pašić-Filipovic:

Esma was born in the former Yugoslavia and rose to prominence as a nationally award winning soloist, chamber musician, and recording artist for the national Radio Sarajevo. She studied piano performance at the University of Novi Sad before pursuing post-graduate studies in Austria. Esma returned to Sarajevo in 1991 at the outbreak of the Balkan War, but continued to work and perform as a private teacher and faculty accompanist while Sarajevo was an active combat zone.

Due to the threat of further violence, Esma permanently left her native country and immigrated to Austria in 1992 where she commenced an active performance career, while also maintaining a private piano studio, as a soloist, chamber musician, and accompanist associated with one of the world's finest schools of music, Hochschule fur Musik in Vienna. In 1997 Esma made one final move to Princeton, NJ where she has forged a multifaceted career as a pedagogue, administrator, and performing artist. She has been teaching at the Westminster Conservatory of Music of Rider College for over 23 years now, her piano students have gone on to achieve regional and international awards and play at renown venues. She became the presiding director of the Honors Music Program in 2016. In recognition of her contribution and career, Esma was honored with membership to the prestigious Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2010.

Please read more about her here .

See her recent virtual concert as part of a Westminster Conservatory of Music series celebrating 250 years since Beethoven's birth.

And a teacher talk Esma participated in with Phyllis Lehrer on rehearsing chamber music virtually, the differences in music education between America and Europe, and using singing to teach piano: