Calvin Dyck presents The Prodigy Kevin Chen with guest artists:

鈥� LCMS Cello Ensemble

鈥� Joel Stobbe, director

鈥� Abbotsford Youth Orchestra

鈥� Colleen Athparia, pianist

Sunday, Oct. 14, 3 p.m. at Rose Gellert Hall 4899 207 St.

Tickets: adults $22; seniors $20; students $10. Call: 604-534-2848

There are child prodigies, and then there is Kevin Chen of Calgary. At age five Kevin began music studies; at six he was the youngest person in Canada to pass the Grade 9 Royal Conservatory of Music exams, and this summer, at age seven, he passed his Grade 10 鈥� both with first-class honours.

This past spring he performed an 80-minute debut recital featuring works by Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Debussy and achieved national recognition after his performance at the Calgary Kiwanis Music Festival. He can easily learn three Grade 10 pieces a week and has transposed Bach while sight-reading. And that鈥檚 just the beginning.

This fall, Kevin, the youngest member of the Mount Royal Conservatory of Music Academy, will be making his first concert appearance with an orchestra as guest soloist with the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra as they present The Prodigy on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 3 p.m. at the 91原创 Community Music School.

It all began last year, when AYO director Calvin Dyck met Kevin鈥檚 teacher, Colleen Athparia, while adjudicating a music competition in Winnipeg. 鈥淐olleen told me she was having a challenge staying ahead of her youngest student.鈥�

鈥淎fter playing his first recital this spring he said to her: 鈥楾hat was fun, let鈥檚 do it again.鈥�

鈥淲e respect his tender age, yet because he likes to play we are encouraging him by giving him this opportunity.

鈥淜evin will be performing Mozart鈥檚 Piano Concerto No. 17 and because he is not very big, under 40 pounds in weight, we have to be sure the piano has a 鈥榣ight鈥� touch.鈥�

While Kevin is exceedingly shy, he is also playful, loves to stand on one foot, and be 鈥榖ig brother鈥� to his three younger siblings. He is creative; he is an artistic genius.

鈥淥nce every century somebody comes along who is so gifted they are like a Mozart,鈥� said Dyck. 鈥淭hey assimilate music so quickly like it鈥檚 already a part of them, as natural as breathing. Whereas most normal people take weeks and months to learn a piece and understand the intricacies, for Kevin it is obvious.鈥�

Remember Amadeus (the movie) and Mozart writing music directly to paper with no changes, no alterations?

Young Kevin does something similar. He hears the music in his head but instead of writing on paper he composes directly to his computer.

鈥淲e will be doing one of his pieces, but because he can鈥檛 play it himself (the chords are too big for his little hands) Colleen is coming and will play it for him.鈥�

To fill out the program the AYO will perform Mozart鈥檚 Symphony No. 17, and Handel鈥檚 Passacaglia. The performance will also feature the 91原创 Community Music School Cello Ensemble performing Death of an Angel.

It鈥檚 a high-energy piece written by Astor Piazzolla, the great Argentine composer and father of the modern jazz-tango.

鈥淭he piece is written as a three-voice fugue, which has been expanded to a cello octet. It鈥檚 a lot of fun.鈥�

This is 91原创鈥檚 chance to not only hear a fantastic program of enjoyable, relaxing and yet exciting music but to also see a real prodigy perform, a youngster who is inescapably an inspiration for all existing and future musicians.

Rose Gellert Hall is located at 4899 207 St.Tickets ($22/$20/$10) are available at LCMS or by calling 604-534-2848.