Concertos Light the Spark of Musical Protégés

New York Concerti Sinfonietta triple-header performances highlight young soloists

Joe O’Grady, 9-year-old pianist studying at the Royal Irish Academy of Music with Prof. John O’Conor and Prof. Réamonn Keary. O’Grady started playing the piano at age 3 and his first piano competition when was 5. He was selected as on of ten top talented artists to perform at the Royal Irish Academy of Music Higher Achiever Awards 2013 Gala Concerts. He has also been a first prizewinner in the Under-9 and -11 Piano Solo at the Irish national competition Feis Ceoil. He made his first public broadcast appearance on Irish national television’s “Kindspeak” and “Beo Show.”

NEW YORK­—There are musicians, and then there are musicians. Yet, musicians with innate talent are not always known to the world. That spark of genius, which cannot be explained by hard work alone, must be discovered by someone who knows how to recognize it.

Dr. Julie Jordan, a Steinway piano artist, a master teacher, and an impresario, has a talent for recognizing that spark of genius. She is the founder and artistic director of the New York Concerti Sinfonietta, a series of performances that showcase the winners of the International Shining Stars Competition that she organizes.

Recognizing the Spark

Music is a means to connect, inspire, and uplift, and Jordan herself is a part of that. “Everywhere I go, I feel connected,” she said.

Julie Jordan, founder and artistic director of New York Concerti Sinfonietta, plays her Steinway grand piano in her Upper West Side studio in Manhattan on April 23, 2015. Benjamin Chasteen/Epoch Times