NYC's Carnegie Hall welcomes youngest piano prodigy ever to take stage

New York Post

6 days ago

Alec Van Khajadourian plays to his strengths.
And the five-year-old, a piano prodigy from Los Angeles, is poised to show off his strong suit — on one of NYC's most storied stages this Sunday.
'I can't wait to get on stage at Carnegie Hall and play for everyone,' little Alec enthused to The Post. 'I'm so excited!.'
5 Alec will shine as the youngest performer for the NY Classical Debut Awards Gala Concert at Carnegie Hall Sunday.
@alecvanmusic/Instagram
The ivory-tickling tot will be the youngest virtuoso performing at the NY Classical Debut Awards Gala Concert this weekend, when elementary and middle school age children from 10 countries — including Turkey, Macedonia, Macau and Poland — will show off their skills at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall.
'Alec is our youngest performer ever,' said Pietro Molteni, the founder and artistic director for the Gala Concert. 'And, according to my records, the youngest performer in the history of Carnegie Hall.'
Representatives for Carnegie Hall, however, told The Post they could not 'confirm anyone to be the youngest person to perform here since we don't have complete records of the Hall's earliest days.'
In the summer of 2021, at age 3, pint-size pianist Brigitte Xie, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, was invited to perform at the world-famous venue after after winning a prestigious international music competition — but the top-of-her-game Tri-Stater reportedly wasn't able to make it due to a COVID-19-era snag.
5 Following his impressive winning streak, Alec was invited to perform at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in July.
@alecvanmusic/Instagram
Alec's triumphant journey to Carnegie started on a similar note — besting his pint-sized peers at not one, but three major events.
Armed with perfect pitch — the ability to correctly identify or produce a musical note, a rarity found in only one in 10,000, or .01% of people, per reports — the bitty Beethoven buff began running his fingers across the piano keys shortly after taking his first steps.
'He would walk over to the piano when he first started walking, punching a few notes,' dad Joe Khajadourian, previously told ABC7. 'You could just see the huge grin on his face.'
At age four, the talented tyke began fine-tuning his innate knack with piano lessons last year.
5 The tiny hotshot, a fan of Beethoven, began playing the piano while he was still in diapers, say his parents. .
@alecvanmusic/Instagram
In March 2025, he won first prize at the Charleston International Music Competition in South Carolina. He then dominated in the Big Apple, securing top honors at the 2025 NY Classical Debut Awards International Competition in April.
And while most kids were busy dreaming about summer vacation, Alec was taking the gold at the 2025 Los Angeles Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition.
The win earned him an exclusive invitation to perform at Walt Disney Concert Hall in the City of Angels on July 1.
The mini maestro will continue his success streak at Gotham's acclaimed concert venue, where artists, from composers such as Antonín Dvořák and Gustav Mahler, to modern-day hitmakers like Jay Z, have, too, made their mark.
'I'm so excited and proud of Alec for all his hard work,' Joe tells The Post. 'It's such an amazing time for him.'
5 The five-year-old giddly tells The Post he's 'excited' to take one of NYC's most hallowed stages.
@alecvanmusic/Instagram
Both he and Alec's mother, Diana Sanders, have been granted permission to accompany the little luminary behind the curtains ahead of his W. 57th St. showcase, says Molteni.
'[The NY Classical Debut Awards] and the Carnegie Hall staff made a few exceptions to the venue's strict rules — for instance, the policy prohibiting parents backstage,' Molteni explained, citing Alec's young age.
'The incredible Carnegie Hall team, including our amazing concert manager, Lorella Bergamo, immediately understood the uniqueness of the situation and accommodated it with great professionalism,' he added before emphasizing the importance of spotlighting gifted go-getters like Alec.
5 The boy's mother and father, Diana Sanders and Joe Khajadourian, expressed their abiding pride in Alec to The Post.
@alecvanmusic/Instagram
'Taking the stage at such a prestigious venue allows these young musicians to see themselves as capable of achieving the highest levels of their craft,' he said.
'It's an extraordinary motivational boost for a young artist, who devotes countless hours to studying music in their room and pursuing one of the most demanding careers in the world.'
Mom Diana agrees.
'It's beautiful to watch Alec share his love for the piano with so many people,' she gushed, 'and to inspire young kids to pursue music.'