Wow! Just been to a piano recital by Jan Hugo - a 22-year-old South African musical genius who has been winning international awards and scholarships since the age of 11. At the age of 13 he was invited to study in Italy under a number of distinguished tutors, passing all his exams cum laude. He is now only 22 and studying in Italy and Germany at the same time, commuting for lessons. It seems remarkable that there can be anyone who could teach him anything, but perhaps to an untrained ear every pianist is perfect.
What a privilege to hear this incredibly talented young man play the piano. He made the instrument do things I didn't know a piano could do. Although I am not a fundi on classical music, I love to see live recitals so that I can watch the hands fly over the keys, sometimes in a complete blur. It never fails to amaze me how someone can remember all those notes and complicated tempo changes, not to mention how the composer thought it up in the first place! It makes today's pop music seem terribly trivial.
After the recital, he came to mingle with the audience and I shook his hand (not very firmly - wouldn't do to damage those fingers!) and told him how marvellously he had entertained us. I asked how long he practised each day - 6 to 7 hours, he said. I don't know if he ever sees the light of day, but music must be his life or he would not be so accomplished and I doubt that he cares about much else. I think the life of a concert pianist must be rather solitary, but how lucky the rest of the world is to have the opportunity to listen to such talent.
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