Winnipeg piano prodigy performing at Carnegie Hall in international competition
When 13-year-old Winnipeg piano prodigy Angela Suet Kee Ng steps out on stage at Carnegie Hall this Saturday, she'll walk the same floor as Canadian classical music legends like Glenn Gould and Marc-André Hamelin.
But the weight of history in that hallowed musical space doesn't hang too heavily on her young shoulders.
"I feel like it will be really exciting. I'm not nervous at all," she says.
Ng was chosen to perform at the American Protégé International Music Competitions in New York City after submitting a recording of her playing Mozart's piano sonata in C Major at the Winnipeg Music Festival. She says the news that she'd been selected came as a surprise.
"I never thought I'd win. Especially just so many age groups, and there's so many different instruments. I was like, in shock," she said.
Ng was first drawn to the piano at age four when she saw one for sale at Costco.
"I walked over and sat down and started playing random keys. And I was compelled to buy the piano and from then, I knew that I wanted the piano to be part of my life," she said.
She started formal lessons at eight years old, and started competing in local music contests. When she started winning them, she began to realize she had real talent.
"We just started music for fun. We just wanted it to be part of my life. But we didn't think that it would go this far," she said.
For the five to six minutes she's on stage at Carnegie, Ng says she wants to communicate to the audience how much joy she feels when playing her instrument.
"I can feel my heart and soul just rushing into the music. I feel like I'm part of the piano," she said. "I feel like I'm painting a story. Because I have this white canvas and as me the performer, I have to paint the canvas. I have to show the audience what I'm playing."
In addition to piano, Ng plays violin, flute and percussion. Despite practising up to two hours every day, Ng still feels the joy of playing the piano.
"Piano's sort of like a stress reliever to me. I can just sit down and play and put my heart out there."
Ng takes the stage at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, Dec. 16.
