Melbourne piano prodigy, 13, wins over Moscow with Rachmaninoff’s ‘virtuosic’ concerto
When Charlie Wu returned to school last week, he had an incredible story to tell his classmates about what he did on vacation.
While other kids were riding bikes and playing video games during the winter holidays, 13-year-old Charlie traveled halfway around the world to compete in one of the world’s best junior piano competitions and won.
In his last performance at the Grand Piano Competition in Russia, Charlie conquered what is known as Mount Everest of the piano pieces of Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3, accompanied by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.
His mother, Ashleigh Wu, said she was proud and excited to witness Charlie’s victory at Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, where he tied for first place with 10-year-old Russian Emir Zakaria.
“I think all her hard work has paid off,” Ashleigh said.
Charlie admitted he was nervous at first, but he took a deep breath and lost himself in the music.
“I tried to put my heart out there,” he said.
Charlie started learning piano at the age of six; Within a year he was playing Beethoven’s works; This is a strong sign of his potential and innate talent.
Piano teacher Glenn Riddle, a senior lecturer at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, said he was “thrilled” by Charlie’s win and described the Year 8 Caulfield Grammar student as a world-class pianist.
“I think he’s by far the most outstanding talent I’ve seen in Australia. There’s no doubt about it,” Riddle said.
Riddle, who also traveled to Moscow for the competition, described Charlie’s chosen piece of music as “virtuoso” and said that “the technical skills required to play it are extraordinarily challenging.”
In the 1996 movie ShineAdapted from the true story of Australian pianist David Helfgott, the film triggers his mental breakdown by playing “Rach 3”, also known as Rachmaninoff’s 3rd Concerto.
“The second part is very thought-provoking, lyrical and intense,” Riddle explained. “And finally, imagine the most exciting carnival ride you’ve ever taken at Luna Park… It’s from go to wah, it’s like a giant rollercoaster ride. You don’t even get a chance to breathe.”
In addition to Charlie’s technical precision throughout his performance, Riddle said the 13-year-old showed his interest in music and was able to convey his passion for music to the audience.
“Keeping the audience on the edge of their seats throughout a 25- or 30-minute concerto—that’s a very special thing,” he said.
“And he was playing not only the most difficult but also the most passionate concerto in the piano repertoire.”
In response to his June 19 performance, Riddle said the audience “went crazy for him.” “They called him back for three encores. A lady jumped out of the audience and presented him with flowers.”
Although the winning prize was a small grand piano, Australia was thought to be too remote to ship such an item.
Instead, in addition to the cash prize of 400,000 Russian rubles ($7,273), Charlie was also awarded a cash prize of €17,000 ($27,000).
But for Charlie, traveling to Russia and being able to play “on one of the greatest stages in the world” with the Moscow Philharmonic was reward enough. He said winning the Grand Prix was “an excellent bonus”.
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