It can take even the most seasoned pianists their entire lives to reach the Carnegie Hall stage, but in early March Lior Schwartz graced the hallowed venue at just nine years old.
Lior, of East Hills, received a Certificate of Excellence for his top mark in the state on the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program’s Level 1 Piano Assessment.
“It was fun, a little scary, but it’s not the easiest thing to achieve, so it was very rewarding,” said Schwartz, who performed Beethoven during the March 1 recital and awards ceremony.
To be considered eligible for the Certificate of Excellence, students must receive a score of at least 80 percent and complete the required musical theory courses within their level and discipline.
Lior, who has played for about four years and trains privately with teacher Elena Kudmenko, said he had attended a concert at Carnegie Hall once before and was relieved he was able to practice at the venue prior to the recital.
“Carnegie Hall is very famous,” he said.
Lior’s mother, also named Elena, said she is proud of her son for taking pride in his work at such a young age and being so dedicated to his craft.
“He went into [playing music] not knowing he would achieve this, so that was a great thing,” she said, adding that Lior is also active in the music program at Temple Sinai of Roslyn Heights.
Elena Schwartz said that learning piano has given her son the chance to develop a solid work ethic in addition to a variety of musical skills.
“We definitely saw that he had some musical talent [at a young age], but at the same time it’s a great opportunity for children to develop as a whole person,” she said. “Music helps with that.”
