A 5-year-old piano player from Encino will soon grace the stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Alec Van Khajadourian has already accomplished a lot. He received the first prize trophy for ages 6 and under in the 2025 Winter Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition. Earlier this month, he performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown LA.
But on July 20, Alec will achieve his dream of playing the iconic stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
His parents told KNX News’ Margaret Carrero that he first showed an interest in the piano from the time he was in a walker. When he was a little over 3 1/2, his mother, Diana, reached out to a piano teacher.
“[The teacher’s] like, ‘We don't really start kids that young. It just never really is a thing,’” Alec’s dad, Joe, recalled. “And Diana kind of twisted her arm and said, ‘Listen, come do one.Sit with him one time and just see, cause we think he really has some talent.’ And then after one or two times, she was like, ‘Oh yeah.’”
Joe said his son, who has perfect pitch, is quite self-determined too.
“Every morning we wake up, and he's already practicing,” he said. “You hear the music down the hall. He's very proficient at reading sheet music, so he'll teach himself slowly, measure by measure.”
Diana added that Alec plays every morning.
“He goes to play the piano and to practice his pieces before his brother is up, before Joe and I are up, and it's like his time, and then he practices,” she said. “He wakes us all up with the piano, and then he is so happy to tell us about how far he got.”
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But when Alec is not playing piano, he’s just like any other 5-year-old.
“Play with Legos, play with my brother,” he said. “Watch a little bit of TV. Play outside.”
You can follow his musical journey on Instagram at @alecvanmusic.
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