till how old is one called a 'young virtuoso'?

[whitepiano91]

my guess - 30? wat u guys think?

[henrah]

I'd say mid-20's

[rc]

Exactly 23.

[pianistimo]

i'd say 44 - but christopher o-riley rarely has any older than 16-17 (maybe 18 is getting too old) on his show 'from the top.' 

at my age the show would be called 'from the bottom' - but it doesn't mean you can't still have fun.  it's just that you have to relax and not take yourself as seriously as you did then.  otherwise - you just make yourself into a clown.  there are thousands of really good pianists - and you have to take your place (beside that wretched 13 year old).  200 places to the right.  you don't get any prize - and you still beat yourself up.  it's just love of music for me.  i can't stop.  no one can make me stop. 

[rc]

at my age the show would be called 'from the bottom' - but it doesn't mean you can't still have fun.  it's just that you have to relax and not take yourself as seriously as you did then.  otherwise - you just make yourself into a clown.  there are thousands of really good pianists - and you have to take your place (beside that wretched 13 year old).  200 places to the right.  you don't get any prize - and you still beat yourself up.  it's just love of music for me.  i can't stop.  no one can make me stop. 

heheh, that's why they have student recitals and adult student recitals... I know my ego could never take being utterly shamed by an8 year old .

But your love of music doesn't end at that. Even if us late bloomers might not have the fluency to pull off the virtuoso feats, we can still make less challenging pieces sound beautiful... and maybe inspire others to take up the cause. Somewhere down the road, my hacking could result in some little kid who becomes incredible.

[pianistimo]

exactly!  and my hopes are that at maybe 50 i'll climb onto the stage somewhere and blow people away.  i especially want to shock my piano teachers.  not that they don't think i can play - it's just that noone has particularly said that i will have a successful career as a concert pianist.  but, i never take 'no' from anyone  - even teachers.  so, i will forge ahead!  i will be a concert pianist if it kills me (perhaps the only that would kill me is breaking my leg again).  i particularly want to champion leroy anderson's music.  i recently heard his (? irish medley?) orchestral version of some irish tunes and want to arrange it for piano.  unless of course, it's already arranged.   

it is something i have wanted since i first played a piano concerto my third year of getting the bachelor's in piano performance.  it was so thrilling and addictive.  prokofiev on a bosendorfer.  it was so much fun. 

now, i am returning to music after a hiatus of having three children, so of course i retrogressed a bit.  but, my recent teacher 'microwaved' me.  so i'm biting at the bit so-to-speak to get some 'gig's' going and start playing anywhere and everywhere.  hoping to play for a wedding soon, and also possibly accompany again.  i love to accompany - but, slightly more soloing.  you can express more of your personality by choosing your own repertoire and playing solo.  accompanying - you can show technical prowess and rhythmic mastery - but untimately, you are the background and should not overshadow the soloist or choir.  there's a thrill to being a good accompanist - but i get a bigger kick out of just walking on stage (and hopefully) remembering at least 1/2 the music i practiced for a year.

? what if you got a cell phone that had a digital photo image of your music and you just used it in case of memory slips?  does anyone do this?

[rc]

I'm the same way. Even though the conventional wisdom is that you can only reach virtuosity if you begin young, I just can't accept that. Maybe when I get to 50 I'll wind up saying "they were right, I just can't get those darned etudes down", but will never know unless I try. I seriously doubt that certain things will be off limit for me having started later. I also want to be one of those who will say "see? it IS possible!".

...I hope my teacher never microwaves me.

 

[pianistimo]

it's just a term they use on old people.  you're not old!  you're very young.  you see, for me, i needed to hear other people play again (being out of circuit so long - in the solo area).  that's what gets me motivated to say 'i can do that, too.'  otherwise, i'm in my own world and just diddling around.  (though i did learn the waldstein on my own - and am attempting the goldberg variations now).  i sorely miss not having piano lessons the past six months and want at least one per month - because the microwave aspect is that he gives SO much information in one lesson.  it's not bad if you take notes. 

[rimv2]

I'm the same way. Even though the conventional wisdom is that you can only reach virtuosity if you begin young, I just can't accept that. Maybe when I get to 50 I'll wind up saying "they were right, I just can't get those darned etudes down", but will never know unless I try. I seriously doubt that certain things will be off limit for me having started later. I also want to be one of those who will say "see? it IS possible!".

...I hope my teacher never microwaves me.

 

Two vurds

Gulf Vunder

[cherrysoda]

I recently saw a 40 year old pianist being marketed as "young talent".