FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Alexei Sultanov, the youngest pianist ever to win a gold prize at the prestigious Van Cliburn competition, is recovering from several strokes he suffered after a head injury.
It's too early in Sultanov's recovery to know whether he will be able to play again, Dr. Edward Kramer said Tuesday. Kramer is a close friend of Sultanov and his wife and has been involved in his treatment.
Sultanov, 31, was hospitalized at the Osteopathic Medical Center of Texas in Fort Worth, Kramer said. The pianist fell Feb. 19, striking his forehead in the bathroom of his Fort Worth residence. A week later, he began to have difficulty speaking.
At 19, Sultanov took first place at the 8th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1989. In 1995, he won top prize at the 13th Frederic Chopin International Competition in Warsaw, Poland.
Sultanov's left side is paralyzed. He has spoken a few words in Russian to his wife as well as a few English words.
"He's made some remarkable gains in the time that he's had to deal with this," Kramer said.
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