Pianist Medel, 14, helps Haiti earthquake victims

Erratum: Re. my piece on FilFest, Vicente Ayllon is chairman of Insular Life, Inc.; Mayo Ongsingco, its president.

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Over a month ago, pianist Lorenzo “Enzo” Medel, 14, was invited to join a collaborative video to aid victims of Haiti’s earthquake. Lorenzo would be one of ten distinguished young pianists from seven countries and four continents.

The effort to help was unique because it was totally organized through the internet. The pianists would play Chopin’s Nocturne No. 20 in C Sharp Minor, for video release on the composer’s 200th birth anniversary.

Lorenzo’s parents, Stephen and Ruth Medel, are immensely and justifiably proud of their son’s part in the “Young Artists for Haiti” video. Lorenzo aptly puts his mission of mercy thus: “Mahirap man ang atin bayan, may puso tayong matulungin.”

Lorenzo is first prize winner in the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA), the tri-annual premier competition in the Philippines. He also won first prize in the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Competitions of the country’s Piano Teachers Guild, and was first prize winner in the 2008 UP College of Music Piano Competition. Astonishingly, he will be rendering Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto in public after less than three years of piano study.

For the video, Lorenzo is in extraordinary company. For instance, Canadian Anastasia Rizikov, 11, was first prize winner in the Vladimir Horowitz International Young Pianists Competition. She performed in Kremlin at the International Festival “Moscow Meets Friends”. Anastasia placed first in the 2009 Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition as well as in the American Protege 2010 International Piano and Strings Competition. She performed in NY’s Carnegie Hall, Oprah Winfrey Show, Toronto Centre for the Arts.

For another instance, Tommy Jing Yu Leo, 9, of Hong Kong (born in Singapore) learned music by himself at two. He recently memorized the first movement of the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 in just an hour! He won the gold prize in the 2009 International Competition and the silver prize in the 8th International Piano Competition in Japan. The youngest winner in the multiple composer classes in the 2009 Asia Piano Open Competition, he has been invited to perform in Tokyo’s Music Festival and the Ongaky concert.

I dare presume Lorenzo would have won international awards had he been given the opportunity for wider exposure.

How did the “Young Artists for Haiti” project come about?

Charlie Liu, a well-known nine-year old pianist from New Jersey, USA, had been working on benefit events for children. After hearing of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, he and his family immediately donated to its victims and called for more help through YouTube channel and Twitter.

Then the Lius began tapping the vast talent pool they had become acquainted with through its performances and through the internet. But how to get pianists from different countries involved? Having performed on the YouTube Symphony Orchestra Carnegie Hall debut event in 2009, Charlie became aware of the global collaboration of musicians. He found out that a virtual gathering of top pianists, all willing to help, could be hosted.

Within a day, Charlie and his family invited distinguished pianists who could play Chopin’s Nocturne. They would mobilize the people helping Charlie on his “Children for Children” benefit quest to do the video. The group of talents would help spread the word through their collective influence and language.

Charlie invited, among others, his buddy, 11-year old Marc Yu who immediately joined. George Li, 14, second place winner in the prestigious Gina Bachauer International Competition, also joined in the instant. So did Lorenzo Medel, fresh from his triumphs. Thank the Lord for young, gifted pianists!