A Piano Prodigy

>> LAST WEEKEND, A 17 YEAR-OLD PIANO PRODIGY PERFORMED. AND CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS PERFORMANCE WITH THE GULF COAST SYMPHONY? >> YEAH, HIS NAME IS WILLIAM. WOO. AND HIS PERFORMANCE OF RACHMANINOFF'S PIANO CONCERTO NUMBER 2, JUST WOWED THE AUDIENCE. NOW WHAT WOULD AMAZE MAY IS THAT WHILE THE ORCHESTRA AND MAESTRO AND HER COURAGE, WE'RE FOLLOWING SHEET MUSIC WELL PLAYED ENTIRELY FROM MEMORY. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. IN FACT, LET'S TAKE A LOOK. PERFORMER, KIWANIS PIANO CONCERTO NUMBER 2 AT THE GULF COAST SYMPHONY THIS PAST SATURDAY AT THE MUSIC AND ARTS COMMUNITY CENTER. IN A WORD WILL WAS BRILLIANT. THAT'S NOT EASY. SAID MAESTRO ANDREW CURTAINS, INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BECAUSE THE PIECE IS SO DAUNTING. >> IT IS A VERY GOOD TO US. DIFFICULT TECHNICALLY PART SHARE. THAT'S PIERS AND KEPT IN ADMITTED TO FEELING A LITTLE SCARED. >> IT'S LIKE IT'S THE FEAR THAT COMES WITH LIKE THE REVERENCE OF A PIECE SO WELL-KNOWN AND SO GRANDIOSE AND I LIKE. ON INSPIRING. >> THE 17 YEAR-OLD DOESN'T YOU SHEET MUSIC. HE PERFORMS FOR MEMORY. IT'S WHAT ENABLES HIM TO CONNECT WITH THE EMOTION EMBEDDED IN THE MUSIC. >> YOU HAVE TO KNOW TO PEACE LIKE. >> BY MEMORY, BY MEMORY, LIKE YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ENVISION THE SHEET MUSIC WHILE YOU'RE PLAYING. >> AND IN ORDER FOR YOU TO >> I MEAN, THAT'S HOW I AT LEAST LIKE TO SORT OF MUSICALITY. I OFTEN JUST LIKE ENVISION THE SHEET MUSIC IN MY HEAD. AND I SEE LIKE THE MELODIES GOING UP HERE BACK AND THEN MAYBE I GET LADDER THERE. MAYBE IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPRESSIVE WHO WENT ON. BUT YOU THAT'S HOW I AM SORT OF MAKE MY PIECES FLOWE, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY BECAUSE WITHOUT IT THE MUSICALITY WITHOUT LIKE THE PHRASING, WHAT NIGHTS WOULD'VE JUST BECOMES FOR BUCK. >> THE APPROACH CLEARLY WORKS. IN APPEARED ON THE VERGE OF TEARS AS HE PLAYED THE END OF THE COUNTRY. THE SECOND MOVEMENT. >> I'M ON THE VERGE OF CRIME WHEN I'M PLAYING THIS PART AND IT NEVER GOES AWAY, ESPECIALLY WITH AN ORCHESTRA NOW WHICH, YOU KNOW, THE STRINGS REALLY ADD SOMETHING TO IT THAT YOU CAN'T REPLICATE WITHOUT WITHOUT AN ORCHESTRA. IT'S THE NEWS THAT THE CONDORS DEMOTIONS, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT'S SO WELL WRITTEN. >> ROCK ON AND OFF COMPOSED CONCERTO NUMBER 2 AFTER A PERIOD OF DEEP DEPRESSION AND CREATIVE SILENCE THAT FOLLOWED THE DISASTROUS PREMIERED HIS FIRST SYMPHONY 4 YEARS EARLIER, MANY DOUBTED HE'D EVER COMPOSED AGAIN. YOU MAY DOES COME BACK. WE CAN SURE. NUMBER 2. >> I START OFF REALLY QUIET. IT SORT OF BUILDS BUILDS, BUILDS MORE AND MORE AND MORE. >> IT MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW WHAT RUCKMAN OFF WAS THINKING AS HE COMPOSED THE FINALE. THE PIANO CONCERTO NUMBER 2. BUT WHO KNOWS? WHATS GOING THROUGH HIS MIND AS HE PLAYS? WILL CAN ALSO BE SOMETHING OF A SHOW. THAT'S WHY YOU CHOSE SERGEI PROKOFIEV'S PIANO SONATA NUMBER 7 FOR HIS ENCORE NUMBER ONE OF THE COMPOSER'S 3 WERE SYNONYMOUS. IT'S CELEBRATED FOR HIS TURBULENT MACHINE GUN LIKE FINALE. >> THE IT >> HAS NO HAS NO PRETENSIONS TO GET. IT IS OBVIOUSLY SUPPOSED TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S LIKE GRIP ASK ALMOST AT. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT SHOWS IN THE PIECE LIKE THERE'S THIS AUSTIN AUTO AND THE BASE THAT GOES BY AND IT'S. IT'S ALMOST LIKE REMINDING YOU OF LIKE AN IMPENDING DO, WHICH IS LIKE THE ENDING, WHICH IS SORT OF THE CULMINATION OF ALL OF THIS SORT OF PROTESTS. CAN US? I ENJOY PLAYING THE PIECE LIKE IT'S ONE OF THOSE PIECES THAT'S LIKE. YOU CAN LIKE. IT'S ALMOST LIKE MISS SO YOU COULD SMILE WHILE PLAYING IT BECAUSE IT'S LIKE IT'S FUN TO PLAY LIKE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. LIKE THE TECHNIQUE THAT'S INVOLVED WITH THE IS REALLY FUN TO PLAY. SO THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SHOW UP. JUST. >> WU HAS ALREADY PLAYED CARNEGIE HALL IN THE KENNEDY CENTER. LAST YEAR. HE ALSO WON THE ARTHUR FRAZIER PIANO COMPETITION AT THE SOUTHEASTERN PIANO FESTIVAL. STILL, HE'S NOT SURE WHETHER HE HAS THE QUALIFICATIONS TO GET INTO JUILLIARD FOR HARVARD'S NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY PROGRAM. NO MATTER. THERE'S ALWAYS THIS OTHER LOVE PHYSICS. PLUS, HE'LL ALWAYS KNOW THAT HE WOWED FORT MYERS DURING HIS BRIEF VISIT TO MAKE MUSIC WITH MAESTRO AND RIP CURRENTS AND THE GULF COAST. FOR WGCU NEWS I'M TOM HALL