![]() ![]() William isn’t yet sure where he’s headed but says piano is definitely in his future. One of the youngest to play, his performance was flawless. Then came the big day when William performed at Carnegie Hall. Did I look at it wrong So I blew it up on my desktop computer screen and checked. “I didn’t want to tell them because I wanted to make sure. In January, the family found out William had won the competition. We work together,” said Guangyu Zhang William Zhang’s father.Īll that work paid off. “It’s like the best team: parents, student and teacher. Today he practices up to three hours a day. Then at four and a half he began piano lessons. So his parents, who didn’t play instruments themselves, taught him to play baby songs. He can punch the little key and make some beautiful sound and why don’t you teach him But no, nobody want to teach him,” Wang said. Zhang’s parents wanted him to start lessons at two or three but everyone told them he was too young. But they had a hunch he would take a liking to the instrument. When he was just two they bought him a $20,000 piano. ![]() “Whenever there is music in the house, he jumps and moves so we just feel he loves music,” said Julie Wang, William Zhang’s mother. William’s parents say he always responded to music. “Music brings me happiness and I want to bring the audience happiness,” Zhang said. He’s playing Mozart, one of his favorite composers along with Bach and Chopin. What got him there was this amateur video taken by his father. The 6-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia, won first prize in the American Protege International Piano and Strings Competition. In a few days, he would be playing Carnegie Hall. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.Visiting New York City for the first time is an exciting experience for many, but William Zhang – had an extra reason to smile. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. MARTIN: Brigitte's other hobbies include playing with toys and reading books.Ĭopyright © 2021 NPR. To interpret what you see and what you feel. ZHANG: It's beyond the speaking language because I have to use 10 fingers. MARTIN: But music isn't just any language. ZHANG: She read the music, and the music is a language. MARTIN: Here's her teacher on a talk show explaining why she thinks Brigitte is able to progress so quickly. That's very - for that, 3 years old, it's really amazing. ZHANG: I said, now, can you play right-hand D major, left-hand C major, right-hand G major? Then she went - boom, boom, boom, boom, boom - make all the different, right moves. Her teacher says she is still amazed how quickly Brigitte learned. Brigitte's parents have to place a stool under the piano bench to keep her feet from dangling above the ground. MARTIN: That's Brigitte's mother, Nicole Sun. NICOLE SUN: The first time I heard she - playing a piano piece, I was so deeply moved. ![]() TAO ZIE: At the beginning, I never expected she's going to be a prodigy or anything. MARTIN: Brigitte's father, Tao Zie, signed her up for Zoom classes - you know, something to do during lockdown. ZHANG: From the lessons, I observed she has a curious mind, and she loved to learn. MARTIN: That's Brigitte's piano teacher, Felicia Feng Zhang. She is only 4 years old.įELICIA FENG ZHANG: Brigitte came to me when she was just 2 months after 3 years old. A year later, she became the youngest winner of the prestigious Elite International Music Competition, which grants the winner a performance on stage at Carnegie Hall. MARTIN: Last fall, Brigitte Xie took up the piano. Some of us have even taken up a musical instrument, perhaps the piano. Some of us have even followed through, a gesture at self-improvement or just a way not to go stir-crazy in COVID times. At some point over the last 18 months, each of us has probably thought about taking up some new pastime. ![]()
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