Two world-famous Russian pianists tickled the ivories recently in a special private concert for 50 Bermudian guests.

Olga Roumchevitch-Molgilevsky and husband Yevegenii put on the top-class show Sunday at "Olympic Gardens'' in Fairylands, Pembroke, where they are staying with friends.

But they are planning to go public when they return to the Island next year for a bigger concert.

The couple will perform alongside their two sons in a fundraising concert for the Dunbarton School of Music.

Both Olga and Yevegenii began playing the piano as young children and now they teach master classes together at the Conservatoire Royal in Brussels, Belgium.

Yevegenii received Belgium's Queen Elisabeth Award in Brussels in 1964 at the age of 18 -- which gave him a springboard to perform on the world stage with famous orchestras and conductors.

"After the competition I was invited to many countries as an international pianist and I started my career,'' Yevegenii explained.

And he played at the Belgian Queen's palace three times after winning the prestigious music award that is only presented once every four years.

He also worked as a professor at music schools in Moscow, Poland and France.

Music was in the family for Olga, whose father was the leader and conductor of the Philharmony and the Kirov Opera in Lenigrad, now known as St. Petersburg.

And their sons Maxim, 30, and Alexander, 20, are on way to their own fame having won a string of top musical honours.

Maxim won the Angel Award in the 1997 Edinburgh Festival and Alexander won the Tchaikowsky Award in 1992 and the Davidoff Price prize.

And their parents' love for music even brought about their love for each other.

Yevegenii said: "I was invited to give a recital in St. Petersburg and after the concert there was one girl who came to me to congratulate me.

"She made such an impression on me I wrote her a letter. This was the beginning of our life.'' The young Yevegenii, from Odessa, and Olga, from St. Petersburg, had only spent an-hour-and-a-half together.

Then Olga went to watch Yevegenii play at another concert with the St.

Petersberg Philharmonic Orchestra -- and he proposed to her after the show.