Accidental Encore unveils the life of the young Soviet piano prodigy, Alexei Sultanov—his upbringing behind the Iron Curtain, studying at the Moscow Conservatory, and his wild romance to his beloved, Dace Abele. When nineteen-year-old Alexei found his opportunity to leave the Soviet Union for the United States to compete in the 1989 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas, he shocked the world and won. The ensuing chaos of Alexei’s instant fame coupled with his immaturity culminated in a sudden series of strokes, leaving him severely crippled and no longer able to play the piano. Arduous rehabilitation with tremendous support from his wife led to a return to the keyboard, though no longer on the world stage. This book casts a spotlight on one of brightest stars in the classical music world whose untimely death and legacy carry on today.