New Delhi: 13-Year-old teen piano prodigy Lydian Nadhaswaram from Chennai won USD 1 million for his performance on the American reality show ‘The World’s Best’.
Hosted by James Corden, the judges panel included some of the most popular figures in entertainment including Drew Barrymore and Faith Hill. The teenager from Chennai regaled everyone with two medleys in the final that fetched him 84 points.
“It was really good performing in a huge international platform. I practiced a lot for the competition,” said Lydian.
Lydian is a student of the AR Rahman run KM Music Conservatory in Chennai. Overjoyed by his student’s success the music maestro waxed lyrical on how Lydian’s success has ushered in a ray of happiness in a world filled with negativity.
“Lydian’s success is India’s success, in a world with so much negativity and restlessness, this has brought hope, love and happiness to our lives,” Rahman said. “Who knew that KMMC, a seed sown 11 years ago, would bring such inspiration to so many, such is the extraordinary power of music.”
Earlier on the show, Lydian shocked everyone with his rendition of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s interlude ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ that he played at an unbelievably high tempo.
Lydian’s unprecedented victory also landed him on Ellen DeGeneres’ show where he stunned the audience by playing the piano blindfolded.
Lydian is only 13 years old, and he can play Mozart blindfolded. I’m 61 and I can’t spell Mozart blindfolded. #WorldsBest pic.twitter.com/xXK2NCbjEP
— Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) February 27, 2019
