There’s something about music and children that is uplifting, positive, and hopeful. To start this day on a positive note, the Night Owl presents child prodigies from around the world performing inspiriting music for you.
First up is Konstantina Andritsou playing at the Megaro, in Athens, Greece. She was 7-years-old when this video was recorded. She plays beautifully, although the guitar seems a touch too big for her little hands. Even so, to her credit, she doesn’t appear to have any problem reaching every string on the wide neck of the guitar.
Next, Anna JiEun Lee at 6-years-old, playing Paganini’s Violin Concerto with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. This tiny virtuoso could easily be mistaken for a 3-year-old, because she’s just so tiny. Her performance is nonetheless that of a giant.
Alma Deutcher, who comes across as a very mature young lady, is given four musical notes at random with which she creates a piano sonata right there on the spot. Absolutely brilliant, incredible savant!
Angelina Jordan, also 7-years-old at the time, sings Gloomy Sunday while competing on Norway’s Got Talent. This performance is remarkable because if you close your eyes, you might think you’re listening to Billie Holiday singing the international hit she recorded in 1941.
Cole Lam, a classical piano prodigy, joins adult Brendan Kavanagh to play a public street duet improv featuring boogie woogie and Mary Poppins. Fun!
These two sisters are a little older than the other kids here. But wow, can they play “Sultans of Swing”. The most impressive part is how they take turns playing lead and rhythm. Grace Constable was 13-years-old at time of recording. Grace is accompanied by her older sister Chelsea Constable, who appears to be a young adult. Rock those guitars!
Sujari Britt is exceptional, even among prodigies. She first started learning music at age two, and began playing the cello at age four. Sujari has been compared to Yo-Yo Ma, and not just because both have performed at the White House for presidents. It was impossible to choose just one video of her, so you get three and they are well worth watching if you appreciate truly great and gifted musicianship.
Sujari (age 9) Saint Saens Concerto No 1 in a minor.
JoSunJari Strings (the Britt family trio): Sujari (age~10) on cello with her older siblings Joelle and Sunnaj playing violins, rehearsing prior to a performance.
A synopsis of her young career, with interviews of Sujari interspersed with outtakes of her playing.
The best (as in cutest and most heartwarming) was saved for last. This is 6-year-old Miumiu, from Nanjing, China, playing guitar and singing “I Wish You Love”. That says it all.
Most, if not all of these prodigies have multiple videos out there, so if you want to hear more from any one of them in particular, a quick search using their name should lead you to more gold. There are many, many, other talented kids as well. The hardest part was deciding who to include.
Question of the night: What instrument did you learn to play? Alternatively, which instrument do you wish you had learned to play?
