'I think of her as family': Palm Springs International Piano Competition winner gains second mom

Every year, Scott Cuellar gets a Chipotle gift card from Linda Lechlitner for his birthday. The gift represents much more than a love of burrito bowls — it's a reminder of the special bond that transcends their 51-year age gap and the thousands of miles between them.

Lechlitner is an 84-year-old retired high school choral teacher, and Cuellar is a 33-year-old assistant music professor and former competitive pianist. They met in 2013 when Cuellar was competing in the Palm Springs International Piano Competition (then the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition), and Lechlitner and her late husband volunteered to host him.

Chipotle was the food he insisted on eating throughout his stay. Lechlitner never forgot.

Cueller said it's pretty common for competitions to place contestants with a local host rather than in a hotel. He's gotten along with some more than others, but he's kept in touch with several of his former hosts, including a man who hosted him in San Antonio, a family in New Orleans, and Lechlitner, the latter of whom he's developed a deep friendship with over the past decade.

"I think of her as family at this point, and it didn't take long for it to feel like that," Cueller said.

A blossoming relationship

Lechlitner met her late husband, Norm, at North Hollywood High School. They got married in 1994, and after they both retired, they moved around for a bit before permanently settling in La Quinta in 2004.

From the moment Cueller first entered their lives, the Lechlitners knew he was a special person.

"He came in and we talked and had a nice evening with him," Lechlitner said. "Everyday he kept going further and further (in the competition) and it was really exciting. And then he ended up winning."

The couple was "blown away" whenever they'd hear Cueller practice piano at their home, and they attended all of his competition performances. Lechlitner not only adored his talent, but also thought highly of his character.

"He is one-of-a-kind and is charming, kind and loving. He's got all the wonderful attributes you would want in a son, and his mom has done a wonderful job raising him," she said.

Cueller doesn't compete anymore, but he keeps busy as an assistant music professor at Syracuse University. Prior to that, he taught piano in the conservatory at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio.

But 10 years ago, when he met the Lechlitners, Cueller was attending Julliard and living in New York City. Like most people in their early 20s, Cueller described his day-to-day life at that time as "a mess."

"My life in New York was pretty chaotic," he said. "But she rolled with it from the get-go."

Although Cueller felt musically prepared coming into the competition, he said he felt disorganized about everything else. A lot of the practical things he needed to do were left unaccomplished by the time he got to the desert.

Cueller said one of the first things he did while staying with the couple was get a hair cut, and Lechlitner did not hesitate to take him to Great Clips.

"She doesn't put distance between herself and others," he said. "You feel very loved and supported right away, and that's without her really knowing who I was."

Long-distance family

Throughout the years, Cueller came back to the desert to perform, and each time, he stayed at Lechlitner's home.

Every time he was there, cranberry juice was in the fridge waiting for him.

In 2013, Linda Lechlitner emailed Cueller before he arrived to the desert about what items he would like the fridge to be stocked with. She wanted him to have necessities he was accustomed to so his stay would "feel like home."

"I didn't know what to say so I said, 'how about cranberry juice?' It sounded nice at the time and sure enough, it was there when I arrived," Cueller said. "And she's managed to have it there for me every time."

Lechlitner is also very connected with Cueller's mother, who she met in New York on a trip the competition organized. Since then, they have stayed in touch through FaceTime, messages and chats on the phone.

"I'm in constant contact with his mom," Lechlitner said. "Our relationship is such that we really don't need to be with each other. We can carry on this relationship the way we do and it can't be broken."

"I'm really close with his mom, his sister, his aunt and everybody, so it's kind of like a family," she added.

Returning to the desert

Cuellar is returning to the desert this weekend for the Mcallum Theatre's "Three Pianos-Six Hands" concert. And, expectedly, he'll be staying with Lechlitner.

Palm Springs International Piano Competition Concerts & Events first held a "Three Pianos-Six Hands" concert in 2014, and after a long break, the March 20 show will be the organization's sixth iteration of the event. The concert features solos, duets and trios performed on three concert grand pianos, with several hands playing everything from Chopin to Gershwin.

PSIPC Board of Directors President Joe Giarrusso said every performance has a new arrangement of music, suitable for three pianos, making every concert unique.

Cuellar is no stranger to "Threes Pianos-Six Hands," having performed in the show numerous times.

"It will be a lot of fun, I'm looking forward to it," he said. "And of course, I love coming back and spending time with the people in Palm Springs."

If you go

What: Palm Springs International Piano Competition Presents "Variations on Three Pianos, Six Hands"

When: 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 20

Where: McCallum Theatre, 73-000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert

How much: Starting at $45

More info: mccallumtheatre.com

Kevin Caparoso is a features intern who covers arts and life around the Coachella Valley. His internship is funded by the Coachella Vally Journalism Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @kevydean or email him at KCaparoso@gannet.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs piano competition fosters bond between host and artist