Piano prodigy wants to be a doctor
BRYANSTON – Grace Zhao (14), a pleasing piano prodigy.
Grace Zhao (14) is a piano prodigy.
The Bryanston resident, who attends St Stithians Girl’s College, started playing piano when she was six years old, inspired by her cousin playing to her, and has since played at many classical music concerts.
She is tutored by Prof Joseph Stanford, the most senior member at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Music.
Zhao has performed in the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra Concerto Festival, the Hubert van der Spuy national music competition, the Philip H Moore music competition and others.
She was awarded the Hennie Joubert Merit Prize for her Unisa Grade 5 theory exam, and drew great attention to herself at the Rand Symphony Orchestra’s Youth Concert in Blairgowrie on 1 June, where she played Fantasy on Hungarian Folk Melodies by Franz Liszt, earning rapturous applause.
Despite her achievements at an early age, Zhao does not wish to play piano professionally.
“I just play for fun,” she said.
“I don’t want to play professionally because there is so much competition.”
Nevertheless, conductor at the Rand Symphony Orchestra’s Youth Concert Conrad Visser praised her performance, and said that she and the other young musicians could follow professional music careers if they wanted.
The only musical instrument Zhao plays is the piano, and her favourite classical music piece is Liebestraum, or dream of love, written by Franz Liszt – a 19th century Hungarian composer.
