By Diana M.

It was one of those days when the rain seemed to have signed an exclusive contract with the sky – gray, persistent, almost metaphorical.
And yet, somehow, in the midst of all those raindrops, a ray of beauty appeared: pianist Francesca Hurst’s concert at the Reston Community Center.

But let’s not rush ahead.
The story begins with three friends – Christina, Anca, and yours truly – turning a rainy April day into a scene of refined joy. Smiles, stories, a gentle kind of ease – that rare chemistry between people that feels like an improvised symphony, perfectly in tune.
The Reston Community Center is a gem of a venue: modern, elegant, and welcoming. The staff? Thoughtful, kind, and discreet.
The atmosphere? Like home – if home means grace, warmth, and good music.

And then she appeared. Francesca.
Red-haired, radiant, with a presence that captures you even before her fingers touch the keys. She came down into the audience before the performance – a rare gesture – and spoke with someone in the crowd as if they were longtime family friends. They may have been.
To me, Francesca was not just a musician – she was a character, in the most beautiful sense of the word: authentic, warm, open-hearted.

The concert? A journey.
Her introductions – brief, witty-gently guided each of us into the soul of every piece. The piano spoke, laughed, wept – it said things no words ever could.
She played classical compositions and pieces inspired by ocean waves and haiku poetry.
It was food for the mind and balm for the soul.
And if I may add one final note: one of the best-kept secrets of cultural life in Washington, D.C. and Virginia is that many concerts, exhibitions, and events are free of charge.
An elegant way to democratize beauty and nurture the spirit – a rarity in Europe, but a natural part of life here.

On a rainy day, we stepped out of the concert hall with sunshine in our hearts.
That’s what good music does: it melts clouds, lifts the soul, and teaches it how to sing.