Hi.
I started late around 20 y/o. But, before this I did something that required a lot of technical/fine motor skills (more than piano arguably, and was top class in that) I am 22 now.
The hardest piece I can play well is Op 11 no 2 by scriabin, which took me around a month to learn. Which is henle level 5.
Or maybe Bach C minor prelude, but it's like 90% done.
Currently I'm learning Promenade from pictures at an exhibition, and it's going quite well, only 2 days in and have read through the whole page hands separate, and played it in octaves hands together.
I also can play a lot of stuff excerpts decently well, and I'm a decent sightreader, I would say it would take me like a week or two to learn a piece like Minuet in G by Beethoven.
I think my progress is pretty fast for my age, despite not being able to practice 6+ hours a day everyday. Some days I practice nothing, most on average though I practice 1-2 hours since I've started. Some days I will practice 8+ and I love those days, I really love practicing, and I know I can do it 8+ hours a day for months, then take a break for a few days (only doing 1-2 hours, chilling listen to music, etc.) then go back at it.
I'm going to have a good job when I am 24 as a programmer, I plan to work for 3 years while balacing piano, then going to quit my job to dedicate the next 3 yeras solely to piano with a great teacher. I want to practice for 8+ hours a day from ages 27-30, and if I am good enough by then I want to enter the 2030 chopin competition, I think it is possible to prepare the rep that is required by then, and i've also herad a lot of pianists at chopin competition who make it past the first rounds who are honestly quite bad. They can play the pieces, but they miss out on important elements in terms of dynamic, phrasing, etc. I listen very closely to others playing, and my own, but, I still am pretty bad at the moment.
I would do anything to just at any point in my life sound like Cortot, when I'm 30-50, I don't care how long it takes. The style of a pianist like Cortot or Hambourg is really what is the exact aesthetic vision I am after, and I will do anything it takes and sacrifice anything for this. I don't care, I want to set up my life in a way where I can just dedicate my life to music, and put in the time.
I read some threads though, where people say its impossible to be a concert pianist if you start late... COOL, iDC about being a concert pianist... I CARE ABOUT ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY...
SOUND WORLD, I WANT TO CREATE THE SOUND WORLD that is iny m head, I KNOW WHAT I WNAT TO SOUND LIKE, and I am willing to put in the work,but I am NOT skilled enough to do so now, and I want to achieve this.
So I am curious on what you guys think if this goal is possible, is it possible to have some recordings or interpretaions as beautiful as someone like Cortot or Sofronitsky if you dedicate the next 20 years to it?
edit: I also have expressed it is my dream to play like Cortot or Sofronitsky one day to a teacher who I know via telegram (they study at moscow conservatory), and they told me that it is possible. I do not know if they are lying or not, but, it just. makes me sad that I feel like theres a chance I can never acheive this ideal. I love musc so much and enjoy every moment, but, I am just afraid I wont be able to live in the sound world that is in my head.