Carnegie Hall books a three year-old pianist
mainFrom the New York Post:
A 3-year-old piano whiz became the youngest person ever to win a prestigious international music competition — earning her a performance spot at Carnegie Hall, her dad told The Post.
Little Brigitte Xie, of Ridgefield, Conn., first started taking lessons to pass the time during the coronavirus lockdown last June, according to her proud papa, Tao Xie….
There has to be a downside to lifting the lockdown.
I predict a great future for this 3 years old artist !
– Puberty when she turns 4.
– High school prom, at 5.
– Harvard PhD at 7.
– Marries a 11 years boy at 9.
– Divorce when she turns, 12.
– Recovers from arthritis, at 14.
– Switches to viola, turning 16.
– Retires after her 18th birthday.
Switching to Viola at 16?–that’s an early grave…;-)
Thanks. I’ll mark my calendar.
Just to be clear, Carnegie Hall is not booking this 3-year-old. It would be closer to the truth to say that this 3-year-old is booking Carnegie Hall.
The truth is that whoever runs the “Elite International Music Competition” and/or the “American Protégé International Music Talent Competition” is renting Carnegie Hall and presenting a concert at which this 3-year-old will be one of the soloists performing.
Indeed. I had students compete in these new global virtual competitions. One student went all the way to the top and won such a prize as this. Not only does the prize come from the competition folks who booked the hall but, as so many haven’t realized yet after so many years, “Carnegie Hall” as stated is rarely the actual Big Hall that we associate with “Getting to Carnegie Hall” but the much smaller recital hall which is only a room within the building. Not the same, believe me. Sure, it’s semantics and should not be taken away from the talent who wins. Still sounds like a “win” for a 3 year old to have spent her pandemic “learning how to play piano”!
The “elite” competition is one of several that prey on naive parents and competition-mad teachers who think listing their students as “winners” is good for marketing.
As well as paying to enter, a “winner” then pays for the “privilege” of performing on the “winner concert”. If a player decides not to pay the second round of fees, their name is forever removed from the “winners’ list”.
No one mentions that parents or teachers can rent the hall on their own and claim the same dubious honor of “Debut in Carnegie Hall”.
High school students here (outside of Seattle, WA) every few years casually announce that they are “going to Carnegie…” What is not spoken of is that it costs about $2,000 per kid for the weekend and they don’t play in the big hall. As you say, it can all be bought.
“Too old.”– Moriz Rosenthal
And it will be in Weill Hall, which is the small hall in the Carnegie building. Yes, these poor kid’s and their gullible parents are victims of manipulative crooks.
From the Elite Competition website:
“The Winners Recitals of the first and second place honors are held at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City.”
Again I say. Anyone can rent Carnegie Hall. This is child abuse. You’re absolutely right.
2021: Who is Brigitte Xie?
2022: Get me Brigitte Xie!
2023: Get me the next Brigitte Xie!
2026: Who was Brigitte Xie?
Poor little thing! I dread to think what the rest of her childhood will be like. Talented or not (and I don’t know as I haven’t heard her) she won’t learn the meaning of fun at this rate. Life will become one long round of practice and competitions. She might well eventually become famous, fizzle out or just crack up completely. I’m worried about her.
You are so right. I have heard her play. Nothing exceptional. But she’s an infant. What is one to judge?
It’s called child abuse, of course. I hope the authorities will have the guts to stop it.
Real elites will never call themselves “elite” or even join a competition. This is more like a nouveau riche competition.
In the footsteps of Florence Foster Jenkins. Carnegie Hall sold out …thousands turned away … and destined to be remembered with affection. Says a lot about our curious times.
Anyone can rent Carnegie Hall. From Qanon to helicopter parents to the movie Amadeus, we’re obsessed with children and it’s a little bit bent. Especially disturbing is the trend of universities to treat students as children and not as adults.
You can easily find a cloying local-TV-news report on the kid, with some brief snippets of her playing, along with glowing comments from her teacher. It’s embarrassing. She plays like a 3-year-old who’s had a few lessons. Don’t bother doing a Google search.