He has been nicknamed Little Mozart and, at nine-spot years old, has only recently grownup tall enough to turn over the foot pedals of a grand piano.
On Sunday, Marc Yu, from Los Angeles, will make his debut at the Royal Albert Hall as one of the youngest-ever performers to play at the 114-year-old Proms.
"Of form I'm not nervous," said Marc, with a confidence beyond his years. "The bigger the audience, the better I play. I will feel nervous if I'm not well prepared but that's not common. It's exciting and stimulating to be on microscope stage. When I go on the level there's nix more exciting than spirit that yourself, the orchestra and the audience are in total harmony."
Marc practises the pianoforte for up to eight hours a day, merely says he still has time to play in the park with his friends. He dismisses the idea that his pattern schedule is overly demanding. "I like ping-pong, relation jokes, swimming and playing with my friends. Because I am home-schooled I have more time to play when I am at home because I do not have to go to school � unlike other children world Health Organization are confined in shoal for seven-spot hours a day. That's a lot of do work for them."
Marc made his concert debut, on the piano and the cello, at six-spot � the same age as Mozart when he gave his first operation in 1762.
At the Proms, Marc will perform a duo, Schubert's Fantasia in F Minor, with the showy Chinese piano player Lang Lang, who played at the opening observance of the Beijing Olympics. "Lang Lang has forever been my idol," aforementioned Marc. "He is perfect musically and also perfect at getting the audience into the music."
Marc began playing the piano at a friend's birthday party in Los Angeles when he was two. As children american ginseng "Mary Had a Little Lamb", he toddled over to the piano and started tapping out the tune with two fingers. This amazed his Chinese-born mother, Chloe, because it was the first time Marc had ever been near a piano.
Six months later, he gave his number one public recital, playing Beethoven. When he was three, Marc realized he was thinking nigh music more than anyone else his age. Because he could concentrate and hear the logic behind the music, he excelled and apace won interior piano prizes after two years of lessons.
An only child, he credits his 34-year-old female parent for nurturing his talent because she played Beethoven CDs to him when he was in the womb and now acts as his tutor, handler and traveling companion. "If I make a talent from God, it is my mummy who is my angel," he said.
"I try non to think about what a immense responsibility it is," aforesaid Mrs Yu. "I never expected when I was pregnant with Marc that he would be a prodigy. I played music to him before he was born just because I hoped it would help him develop a love of music.
"I am no technical but I believe that it is more parent than nature so children should not be demoralised because they are not born with an obvious talent. It is non easy to become a virtuoso � it takes a lot of operate and dedication." "And sacrifice," interrupts her son cheerfully.
Marc is educated at home by his mother and a tutor to give him the flexibility to move and perform, while allowing him to learn at his have pace. Mrs Yu aforementioned: "What other children learn in eight hours a day he can squeeze into 30 minutes or an hour. This way, he can learn any he is interested in at that moment."
Marc studies music composition at the Colburn School Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, and flies to China for lessons at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Marc aforesaid: "I like playing music because it has a lot of different feelings � expressive, sad, excited and happy. Music is just full of emotions � that's what I love virtually it. I like acting difficult pieces, especially those that my teacher says no to. Practice truly does make perfect."
Marc's performance is at 4pm tomorrow. The concert is sold out but will be live on BBC Radio 3 and BBC4 at 7.30pm.
Other child geniuses from the domain of music
Yehudi Menuhin
The American-born violinist, wHO died in 1999 at 82, was a child prodigy wHO went on to turn one of the 20th century's finest musicians. He debuted in San Francisco at the age of seven and, by 13, had performed in London, Paris and Berlin. Albert Einstein said after earreach him: "Now I know there is a God in heaven."
Jacqueline du Pr�
The English violoncellist who died of multiple sclerosis in 1987 at the age of 42, is i of the greatest-ever players of the instrument. Aged four, du Pr� is said to have heard a violoncello on the radio and asked her mother for "one of those". She had lessons from her mother before studying at the London Violoncello School from the age of five.
Daniel Barenboim
The Israeli pianist and conductor started piano lessons at cinque with his mother, continuing to study with his father Enrique, who remained his but teacher. In 1950, when he was seven, he gave his first formal concert in Buenos Aires.
Lang Lang
The flamboyant piano player, 26, is treated like a stone star in his native China. He began having lessons at the age of trey and just two years later won the Shenyang Piano Competition.
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