Benjamin Bedford, Kifa Privedenyuk, Sebastian Rodriguez, Isabella Pohorylo and Clara Choi, piano students at The Music Cellar in West Springfield, recently performed at New York City’s Carnegie Hall.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo
WEST SPRINGFIELD — Five local music students recently earned a chance to have the experience of a lifetime: playing piano on stage at the famed Carnegie Hall concert venue in New York City.
The students, all of whom study under Ellen Buoniconti, teacher and owner of The Music Cellar in West Springfield, took part in the Crescendo International Music Competition in November 2024. Hundreds of music students from around the world between the ages of 3 and 24 enter the competition each year. Students can enter the competition as an instrumentalist, vocalist, duet and chamber ensemble.
Competitors choose a piece of baroque, classical, romantic or contemporary music to audition with and play again should they make it to the second round “Winner’s Recital.” The first- and second-place Winner’s Recitals are hosted at Carnegie Hall.
Buoniconti’s students, all teens except 11-year-old Kifa Privedenyuk, placed first.
On its website, Crescendo International Music Competitions states, “Our objective is not simply to select the best musicians, but to reward those who demonstrate a passion for music and show considerable progress, talent and unwavering dedication.”
Sebastian Rodriguez of Longmeadow chose to play Mozart’s Sonata in C Major. “I liked the way it sounded,” he said. “It’s elegant.” He began learning the piano about six years ago, but his father said his previous teachers instilled some “bad habits.” He started studying at the Music Cellar about two years ago, around the same time as Privedenyuk and Isabella Pohorylo of Agawam and East Longmeadow’s Clara Choi began at the school. Benjamin Bedford of East Longmeadow was the Music Cellar’s fifth student to place first in the competition.
For Pohorylo, the path to the piano began with her father. “My dad’s a really good musician,” she said. She added that piano is the easiest instrument to start learning, even though it is not necessarily the easiest to master. She chose to play Prelude Op. 12, No 7, by Prokofiev in the competition. The piece is also known as “The Harp.” She said, “It really shows off my strength. We were trying to make me articulate my notes better,” adding that it varies between serious and elegant.
“Lamentations of the Heart” by Philip Wesley was played by Privedenyuk, while Choi played “Arabesques #1” by Claude Debussy. She said she likes to play songs that are complex but have “really beautiful and soft” melodies.
Choi started playing because her siblings played piano. She said her brothers are not as serious about it as she is, while her older sister left for college and no longer has time to devote to music. When she goes to college in a few years, she said that she is hoping to continue playing piano.
Each of the students spoke about the ways learning piano has impacted them in their daily lives.
“Sometimes, I get to play for my dad, when he’s working on the computer,” Privedenyuk said, adding that it is special that they share that time together.
Pohorylo said, “I just made music synonymous with my identity.”
Studying music has also helped them in school, particularly with memorization. Pohorylo said that she will listen to a composition while studying and connect the subject matter to various musical phrases. Choi finds that music helps her remain calm and focused.
Ellen is helping Choi and Pohorylo create portfolios of their performances for college applications. The teacher said that even if the students do not pursue music at the post-secondary level, colleges prefer students who are “well-rounded.”
Becoming skilled enough to place first in the Crescendo International Music Competition required the students to devote time and dedication to the instrument, choosing it over other pastimes. When he began studying music, Sebastian said he was not disciplined. As his skills have developed, however, he has become more dedicated, even when practicing is “a grind.”
“Sometimes, I find I don’t want to do it,” Choi said of practicing. She said she must make the conditions right — not be hungry, tired or uncomfortable. “If I’m happy and not stressed it is easier to play well,” she said.
Playing at Carnegie Hall was different than the young musicians thought it would be. “You tend to build it up in your head but it’s important to remember, it’s just a room you play in,” Pohorylo said of the storied venue.
Choi said, “I was definitely excited and nervous.” She expected there to be pressure from everyone watching. Ellen explained that people from all over the world compete and several of the people who place in the event play at the hall on the same day.
“You think people are going to be vicious, but everyone was helping to calm the other people down,” Pohorylo said.
Choi added, “And when you’re waiting, I didn’t really think about performing. I was just listening to everyone play.” Privedenyuk said his nervousness went away once he arrived at the concert hall and then the excitement took over.
Now that the milestone has passed for the students, they have their sights set on their next goals. Sebastian said he wanted to go back and play Carnegie Hall again. Choi is looking forward to accompanying a violinist or playing a duet with another pianist. She also said she would like to perform a concerto, a solo played in front of an orchestra.
To learn more about Crescendo International Music Competitions, visit crescendocompetition.org. More about The Music Cellar can be found at themusiccellar.net.
