Does it really matter how much repertoire you played in your youth?

[verkem]

Teachers always seem to be very surprised when i tell them that ive only played two Beethoven sonatas, or only two of the Chopin etudes. Does it really matter? I can always learn them in the future so i don't really see why it is such shock and horror.
Or is it necessary to do so to become a concert pianist, not necessarily to worldwide acclaim, but a few performances here and there.

[lostinidlewonder]

They may be short sighted as to what repertoire is out there in the modern age. Some are stuck in old fashioned ways, if you haven't done Bach WTC, Beethoven Sonatas, Chopin Etudes, then there's something wrong to them. I think all serious classical pianists however have studied these works or at least have the capability to do so, if you can't satisfy this then perhaps it is something to consider.

To become a concert pianist you need to know the business behind giving concerts. It has nothing to do with how well you play or what you play unfortunately. Only a very small bottle neck for pianists who can rely on fame to sell their tickets the rest need to know how to sell their business. I don't meet many pianists who are both very good at playing music and business, so you don't see many concert pianists these days because of that, way too many have fanciful dreams of winning big competitions and having it all served to them on a plate, not many want to go through the hard work to build concerting reputation from the bottom up.

[indianajo]

My teacher (1958-67) seems more marvelous the more I read on this board.  Mrs. Nikki Jelson.
I did only one piece by Chopin, which I didn't like much, and one movement of one Beethoven Sonata, the obvious one.  The other Beethoven piece  was the obvious Fur Elise.
I played two pieces by Ernesto Lecuona, Louis Gottschalk, and Claude Debussy.  Much more satisfying.  I still play those.  
I learned four pieces by JS Bach, and am still persuing his repretoire.  Call me unbalanced, I never intended to qualify for a conservatory.  I intended to learn to earn a living, which had nothing to do with hobbies like music fortunately.  
I did all 6 volumes of Edna Mae Berman exercises, and most of two volumes of Czerny School of Velocity.  With that skill set I tackle whatever I want without  a teacher.