Last Saturday, on February 16, 2019, Gabriela McGrue performed at Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall! Together with other young musicians who achieved the highest score in RCM’s tests, she was invited by The Royal Conservatory of Music to play in 2019 New York Celebration of Excellence Recital.

It is very important when children receive support and recognition of their work and talents from such institution as Carnegie Hall. I’m talking about kids who are not going to be a professional musicians, they just play music for themselves, just for fun! The opportunity to perform in a real concert hall, with a magnificent Steinway grand, chandeliers, box office, backstage employees, ushers in red uniforms, when everything swirls around young musicians and everybody works for their success - all that creates an unforgettable artistic experience.

For Gabriela, it was like a Cinderella tale. Last spring, she worked on the RCM test, level 1 and didn’t think about anything more than passing the test for her own pleasure and development. We were happy with results and decided to go on with next levels. An invitation to participate in the celebration of high results and achievements and perform in the "small hall" of Carnegie Hall (Weil Recital Hall) came as a big surprise!

When you approach Carnegie Hall, in the moment you cross the street on the pedestrian zebra, all the routine, difficulties, and hard work left behind, and you are standing in the front of this building full of music and great names; next step, and you are in a whole new world of the arts with its own power and magic, wonderful and beautiful ... I was sure that Gabriela would play well, this stage itself raises the performer above his level. And so it happened, Gabriela grew up having walked on the stage to the piano, bowed and played gorgeously as never before at lessons.