Classical rock star: Canadian piano prodigy Jan Lisiecki

At 15-years-old he graduated high school. Five years later, he made his Carnegie Hall debut and two years after that he won his first Juno Award.

Classical pianist Jan Lisiecki has been touring the world since he was 9 years old, performing with some of the world’s top orchestras. He is being credited with bringing a younger audience to a genre that is sometimes considered out of date.

“I’m glad when I see the audience is younger and when people are genuinely excited about classical music because that’s what it should be,” Lisiecki told CityNews. “I mean, it is not old boring music.It is fun, it is invigorating, it takes you on adventures and it can be something that is very special.”

The 23-year-old is one of the busiest classical pianists in the world, playing 106 shows in 2018.

“There are all sorts of things that will go through your head when you’re in concert. The ideal concert is when you’re sort of in your own space where you don’t think about anything, but what you are doing there,” he says. “But there are other concerts where you are thinking about what you have to do and what you have to do the next day. However, the ideal concert is when you don’t have that.”

Before and after his shows, eager fans of all ages line-up to meet the young star for a selfie and he could easily be classified a rock star in the classical music world.

So what does the Mozart of today’s generation listen to when he isn’t in concert?

“Honestly, I have to admit, with 106 concerts a year ­I don’t listen to a lot of music, but when I do it most likely isn’t classical – it will be everything from Pink Floyd to King Crimson.”

Lisiecki will make his return to Carnegie Hall this year when he performs with the Philadelphia Orchestra on March 8.