Students from the Jewish Day School, Allentown, recently met world renowned, Grammy award-winning pianist, Emanuel Ax, at Miller Symphony Hall.

This was the second time students from the school met musicians during a brown bag lunch program offered by the Allentown Symphony Association.

The program provides enrichment to students by exposing them to the world of music on a personal level with accomplished musicians.

“Meeting Mr. Ax is a perfect fit for our middle school students who are introduced through their studies to outstanding Jewish individuals from history who serve as inspirational role models,” commented Carolyn Katwan, director of communications at the school.

Ax, who began playing the piano at age 6, was born to a Polish-Jewish family in 1949 in Lvov, Poland.

Both his parents were Holocaust survivors.

Ax provided a preview of selected pieces, after which he answered questions from students and others from the community.

The JDS Middle School students were accompanied by their music teacher, Nellie Gershtein, who taught the students about Ax and introduced them to the music he would be performing during the Allentown Symphony Orchestra season opening event, the weekend of Sept. 25.

“The students really enjoyed meeting Mr. Ax,” Gershtein said. “They wanted to hear him play more.”