5-Year-Old Piano Prodigy Makes His Debut at Carnegie Hall: 'Such an Amazing Time'
Alec Van Khajadourian of Los Angeles made his debut during the NY Classical Debut Awards Gala Concert on Sunday, July 20, according to ABC affiliate WABC-TV and NBC affiliate KNBC.
He was the youngest person to ever perform at the event, described by Carnegie Hall as "an international competition open to musicians of all ages" in which performers are chosen by a competition jury.
Khajadourian is also the youngest person to ever perform at the prestigious New York City concert venue, Pietro Molteni, founder and artistic director for the Gala Concert, told the New York Post.
'I can't wait to get on stage at Carnegie Hall and play for everyone,' Khajadourian told the Post prior to his performance. 'I'm so excited!'
Joe Khajadourian and Diana Sanders, Alec's parents, discovered their son's talent when the boy was a toddler, according to KNBC. In about a year, Alec began learning complicated classical music without reading sheet music.
Alec has perfect pitch, which only occurs in about 1 of every 100,000 people, according to WABC-TV. "He immediately showed some real promise,' Joe told the outlet, 'and now it's developed real fast."
Now 5 years old, Alec has already won first prize in three international musical competitions, according to KNBC.
Shortly before his performance at Carnegie Hall, Alec made his debut at L.A.'s Disney Concert Hall, where he met Gustavo Dudamel, director of the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra.
'I'm so excited and proud of Alec for all his hard work,' Joe told the Post. 'It's such an amazing time for him.'
Molteni, the Gala Concert founder, told the Post that the team at Carnegie Hall 'immediately understood the uniqueness of the situation and accommodated it with great professionalism.'
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'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,' Molteni said.
He added, '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.'
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