A 16-year-old cellist and a 15-year-old pianist are set to appear on "From the Top - Hosted by Christopher O'Riley," a popular NPR program that showcases the talents and stories of young musicians.
Esther Liao, a freshman at Bellaire High School, and Charles Seo, a sophomore at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, have been devoted to classical music since they were very young children.
They both practice four to five hours a day and participate in 10 to 15 competitions and recitals each year. Now they can add "From the Top" to their list of accomplishments.
Esther was just 9 when she first performed with the Houston Symphony, and over the years local residents have heard her perform at Miller Outdoor Theatre and Rice University. She was 10 when she won the Rochelle Liebling Kahan Memorial Scholarship for Child Piano Prodigies competition along with a Judge's Special Award at the Kingsville International Piano Competition.
Charles has also performed with the Houston Symphony and the Houston Baptist University Symphony. Growing up, he won both the Houston Symphony Concerto Competition and the Civic Symphony Competition.
In YouTube videos, Esther's intensity shows as she strikes the piano keys, her hands rapidly flickering, popping up and down as her eyes are fixed on the keyboard. The long, complex pieces she plays call for precision from players as young as 10.
The same goes for Charles, who uses his bow to echo off the soft sounds of the cello strings. The shy and quiet teen quickly turns into a confident and skilled performer as his left hand treads the fingerboard and his right hand guides the bow across the strings. The intensity of the pieces that he plays mirrors the bravado and intensity in his facial expressions throughout his performances.
The two will tape their "From the Top" appearance Saturday at the Wortham Center, but the show won't be broadcast until September on KUHA-FM 91.7. The show will include interviews with host Christopher O'Riley, as well as performances by Esther and Charles, the Houston Youth Symphony and two other youths from Illinois and New York.
Esther will perform "La Campanella" by Franz Liszt; Charles will perform Pablo de Sarasate's "Zigenunerweisen."
"It's a really difficult piece to play, and I have to work really hard and take little breaks in between when I'm practicing it," Charles said of the work he'll perform.
Still, he hopes his pre-performance rituals will calm the butterflies.
"I'm a little nervous," he said, "but I usually pray before I go out and play, so that will help. Recently one of my teachers suggested that I eat bananas because it has potassium and that it helps you relax, so I've been doing that for a while as well."
Charles said he's been playing the cello since he was 9. His mother hoped that it would channel his stress. "My mom said when I was young that I was really sensitive, and since the cello has a deep, low sound, she thought that it would help me get rid of the stress, and it worked," he said.
Esther's mother urged her into music as well. Her mother is a pianist and taught her daughter to play. When Esther's skills grew, Scott Holshouser, principal keyboardist of the Houston Symphony, became her primary piano instructor."The piano was the first instrument that we put in the house, and "(Mom) started me on that when I was 4. I learned all the basic techniques and learned how to read music from her until I was 6," Esther said. "I think the thing that calms me down the most before I perform is the prayer that I have between me and my mom. I'm grateful to have her by my side."
Though it may seem that these two prodigies are flawless in their craft, both say there's always room for improvement. For Charles, every performance is a learning experience. In addition, he uses his music to spread his Christian faith to the world.
"I'm always striving to get a better sound, a better technique, and to become a better musician," he said. "But my main goal is to share music with other people. My Korean name is 'Chen Yung,' which means 'Praise the Lord with music.' I'm very religious, and I want to share the Gospel with my music and the talent God gave me."
Esther says she loves performing and is looking forward to being on "From the Top."
"I like performing because it gives a sense of not only accomplishment for me but also the satisfaction from the audience when they can enjoy the music that I'm playing," she said. "I've never done a national performance before. I think it'll be really fun to tell people what I like about music and how so many more people will know what I do, more than before."
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