Aleksey Igudesman, a violinist, instructor, director, and comedian, started Music Traveler in Vienna in 2017. Julia Rhee Music Traveler, a former classical pianist who later worked in asset management and venture capital, also co-founded the company. Music Traveler has drawn musicians and artists from the start, including the percussionist Lucy Landmore, Sabina Hasanova, the pianist of Trio Klavis, and film director and editor Diana Aminova. These individuals immediately recognized the importance of Music Traveler in the global lives of performing artists. The inspiration for the initiative came from personal experience with the issue, as with so many other brilliant ideas.
Igudesman says, "Visiting musicians have frequently asked me whether they may use my house to practice or if I know of a place where they can locate a decent piano. Naturally, I was pleased to satisfy as many requests as I could, but I soon came to see that there is a true market for many local and visiting musicians who are eager to be matched with hosts. There are 250.000 musicians and 400.000 musical instrument-owning families in Vienna alone. Through Music Traveler, we hope to forge connections and make music accessible to all.
Celebrities including Billy Joel, John Malkovich, Adrian Brody, Sean Ono Lennon, Hans Zimmer, and Yuja Wang have joined Music Traveler as ambassadors in an effort to spread the word. There are over 5000 tourists and hosts who have signed up as of July 2019, and there are typically 150 new members added each month. A global network called Music Traveler is expanding as it seeks out a musical home away from home. Music Traveler already has a presence in Germany and Switzerland in addition to Austria. The following launches are scheduled for the US, the UK (London), Japan (Tokyo), and Italy (Rome and Milan) (New York, San Francisco, Austin Nashville)
