Lincoln Park pianist to perform at Carnegie Hall for the second time

A Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School eighth-grader will perform for the second year in a row at one of the world’s most prestigious concert venues – Carnegie Hall in New York.

Jackson Hunt, 14, won second place in the Pittsburgh International Piano Competition held in April. He’ll take the stage at Carnegie Hall for the Winners’ Concert at 1 p.m. July 28 at Weill Recital Hall.

Hunt, a music major, performed in the age 13-15 Youth A category, which required him to perform a repertoire of two pieces with contrasting styles. He chose Concert Etude No 3, “Un Sospiro” by Franz Liszt, and “Diabolical Suggestion,” by Sergei Prokofiev.

Hunt said he likes performing and isn’t nervous to take the stage at Carnegie Hall again.

“I get nervous before competitions, but I don’t really get nervous before recitals. I just focus on the music,” he said.

Hunt has been playing the piano since he was 3 years old. His mother, Courtney Hunt, said it started with baby musical toys, such as a toy xylophone. He would press notes and play along to the songs. One of the first songs he remembers learning to play is “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”

Realizing he adored music, his parents bought him a small keyboard and were amazed when he learned to play all the pre-recorded songs.

“I know nothing about music or keyboards or anything,” Courtney Hunt said. “Everyone that I called was very reluctant to give a 3 ½-year-old piano lessons. They would say, ‘call me back when he’s 7 or call me when he’s older.’ We didn’t know what to do so we ended up buying a used piano very dirt cheap. It was the most beat up, honky-tonk piano, but it was very affordable for us because who’s going to buy their 3-year-old a big grand piano.”

They also invested in a CD with 101 piano songs. Within a month, he was playing all the songs. When he turned 5, they finally found someone to get him started on lessons.

“Every time he accomplishes something, I’m blown away at his amazing natural talent,” his mother said. “It truly is a gift from God. This was not anything that we had ever thought about with our children. We never said ‘oh, we’re going to start them on piano when they’re 3 years old,’ or anything. Every time he accomplishes something, it just makes us very thankful for the gift that he has.”

Hunt also enjoys writing his own music and has earned some first-place awards for composition. He now practices on his Steinway piano.

Musical talent runs in the family. His sister, Haley, has perfect pitch and enjoys singing. She will attend Lincoln Park in the fall for musical theater.

Hunt won second place in the Inaugural Pittsburgh International Piano Competition last year, earning his first spot at Carnegie Hall, where he performed Ravel’s “Sonati