Poland, 1918. He's a piano super virtuoso. Arrested with his family and sent to a compound, death appears inevitable. Chosen by his father to carry on the family legacy, miraculously he escapes and finds himself alone in a war-ravaged country. Will he survive and fulfil his destiny? 

Aleksander is the oldest son of the Steinfeld family and a child prodigy. Exceptionally gifted at the piano, his father grooms him to become a world-class concert pianist in the family tradition. Making a name for himself in Europe and the US, everything seems to be on track for the Steinfelds' continuing international acclaim. Tragically, during a pogrom in Lwów, Poland, in 1918, the Steinfelds are arrested, and their home burned to the ground. Taken to a camp, they know they don't have long to live. When the opportunity for one of them to escape arises, Aleksander is designated by the family to be their chosen survivor. In an emotional farewell, his father charges him with the commission to pass on the uniqueness of the Steinfeld name and teaching to future generations. 

After escaping the compound, Aleksander marries Leah, and together they leave Poland and make their home in London. To their delight, their child Daniyal is born. Daniyal follows in his father's footsteps and fulfils the Steinfeld legacy as an internationally celebrated super virtuoso pianist. But why is his adult life so full of emotional pain and trauma? And as a childless couple, how will Daniyal and Mariah fulfil the solemn Steinfeld commission for a fourth generation? 

In the end, will the sacrifices of the Steinfeld family be all for nought? 

Narrated by Michael Kowalski, a psychotherapist, Daniyal’s friend, and future biographer, International Acclaim is the fictional story of the Steinfeld family. Spanning four generations of brilliant Polish Jewish Concert Pianists—from 1850 to 1965—it connects the listener with the international classical music scene, real people, places, and historical events. Set in Poland, Moscow, the US, and London, it is an emotionally charged story of family, tradition, and survival. Michael Lawson began his professional life as a concert pianist, studied composition with Nadia Boulanger in France, and works as a psychotherapist in private practice.