For the second time in two years, 12-year-old Haddonfield resident Timothy O’Donnell placed first in the 9-to-12-year age group at the annual Elite International Music Competition in New York on Feb. 27.
The young pianist first competed at the Carnegie Hall contest in 2020, at the suggestion of his teacher Anna Sakoian, who owns a home studio in Cherry Hill.
“For the students who are more serious at making progress, (competitions) are more motivation for them,” Sakoian explained. “It’s nice to play some competitions or recitals that have a special preparation for performing.”
O’Donnell was first introduced to piano six years ago, when he attended a week-long Introduction to Piano program with Haddonfield’s Summer Academy at his elementary school. After taking lessons, he was convinced by Sakoian to try the 2020 Elite competition, a move his parents, Bill and Christine, approved of – though neither fully knew what to expect.
“We just figured it would be a good experience for him, getting out there and competing with people for the first time,” Christine said. “When they emailed us his score and his place, I was shocked.”
Timothy placed first, and was invited to play at New York’s fabled Carnegie Hall along with other winners from around the country.
Although Christine had played piano when she was younger, she never made it to the level of competitions given the work involved.
“We made the decision we weren’t going to fight with him to make him practice or continue; it had to be something he wanted to do,” she explained. “We’re very careful not to push him; we hope that he’ll kind of pick up and run with it.”
While Timothy did not compete in 2021, he auditioned for the contest again this year by playing Bach’s Little Prelude in D Minor BWV 926, a quickly paced, minute-long work that Sakoian said shows a high level of play for someone of Timothy’s age. After placing first in his age group, Timothy was once again invited to perform at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 27.
“The pieces I’m playing, I think they’re continuously becoming more advanced,” he noted. . “They have more dynamics, like tweaks you have to make to make it sound better.”
During the pandemic, piano lessons were a constant for the O’Donnells, whose home was filled with their son’s playing. Sakoian worked with Timothy over FaceTime once a week for an hour, and in the months leading up to the competition, the teacher held his lessons in person with two pianos that stood opposite each other to keep a safe distance.
To choose the piece, Sakoian played a few compositions and looked for the one that made her student happiest.
“You can see how much he’s amazed (by the song),” she said, “and I know that piece will be perfect to learn.”
