11-Year-old Bronx student performs at Carnegie Hall to help music community
The performance was during a benefit called "Pianistically Speaking," an event to raise money for the organization Education Through Music, which supports music education in under-resourced schools in the city.
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Jason Afovi, a young pianist and student, performed at Carnegie Hall for the first time at just 11 years old.
Afovi told News 12 his love for playing the piano started when he was around 5 years old. He shared that around that age he saw a TV show where one of the characters played the piano. From there, he said his father noticed his fascination with playing the instrument.
"My dad decided to bring me into piano class and help me achieve my dream of becoming a well-known pianist," said Afovi.
Afovi played two pieces on Oct. 24, one of them alongside the acclaimed concert pianist Richard Atkins at the Music Hall.
"Debussy's 'Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum' and then, with the help of another pianist called Richard Atkins, I played Shostakovich 'Waltz No.2,'" shared Afovi.
The performance was during a benefit called "Pianistically Speaking," an event to raise money for the organization Education Through Music, which supports music education in under-resourced schools in the city.
Marlon Williams, the principal of Afovi's school, M.S 180, spoke about having one of their very own perform at the music hall for the great cause
"It's so exciting. You know we are a school of the arts and so we get super talented kids, but this has to be the first time we've had this," Williams expressed.
Afovi hopes his performance and his story will encourage other kids to continue to dream big.
"I actually want to become a piano composer and make my own music. Like when it's to that point where I'm, like, actually really good at piano. And then if I can, I can, like, make music for myself and maybe for some other people too. I just want to encourage people that music is for everybody," said Afovi.
