Sewickley Teen to Perform at Carnegie Music Hall

A Sewickley teenager is among three young classical musicians who will be featured in nationwide radio broadcasts of "From the Top," a pre-eminent showcase for young classical musicians heard weekly by 700,000 listeners on nearly 250 National Public Radio stations. 

Aleksandr Voinov, 14, is a pianist and composer enrolled in the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School along with PA Cyber students Daniel Orsen, 17, a violist, and Gordon Neidinger, 17, both from Pittsburgh, according to a news release.

Voinov and Orsen will be among rising teenage musicians on stage at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, in Pittsburgh's Carnegie Music Hall.

In Tuesday's concert at Carnegie Music Hall, Voinov is to perform Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53 by Frederic Chopin. Orsen is to play the fourth movement from Sonata in F-minor by Johannes Brahms, accompanied on the piano by "From the Top" host and Pittsburgh's own Christopher O'Riley.

Neidinger recently traveled to Boston and played the mandolin in a Feb. 4 episode of "From the Top" before a live audience at New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall. In the Boston show taped on Feb. 4, Neidinger played mandolin, accompanied by host O'Riley on the piano. Neidinger performed Doina and Variations on the E-flat Sirba, an original composition of his mandolin teacher, Charley Rappaport.

The Pittsburgh episode, presented locally by the School of Music at Carnegie Mellon University, will air nationally the week of March 5 and on local media sponsor Classical WQED-FM 89.3 at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 10.

The Boston episode will air nationally the week of Feb. 20,and locally on WQED 89.3 FM at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25.

The three PA Cyber students, all of whom are training for high-level careers in music, are acquainted with each other, but applied and auditioned completely independently for the chance to perform on the nationally broadcast show.

"From the Top" public relations officials said the three were chosen on their merits.

PA Cyber officials point to the fact that all three attend the same school as both unusual and coincidental.

Nick Trombetta, CEO of PA Cyber, said in a news release that PA Cyber has talented, self-motivated students who are achieving at elite levels in music, performing arts and athletics. He said students choose the cyber school because it gives them scheduling flexibility to pursue their passions and begin their careers while still in high school.

Parents of the three young musicians said their sons practice music four to six hours daily, with frequent intense periods of preparation for performances and competitions – a life schedule hampered by daily attendance requirements of a traditional classroom school.

All three have won numerous musical honors, and perform and compete across the country at major events, according to a news release. PA cyber has an enrollment of 11,000 students in grades K-12, according to the school.

If you plan to go:

To purchase tickets to the Pittsburgh show click here or call 1-888-71-TICKETS. Tickets range from $12 to $30 for adults and $6 to $15 for students and senior citizens.