Viewers were amazed in 2013 when they saw a youngster from Hong Kong named Andy Lee put on a virtuoso display at the piano. Lee, who is better known as Tsung Tsung, was only five years old when this video hit the internet, and he quickly caused quite a stir with his performance.
When he took to the piano and performed the legendary Rimsky-Korsakov piano piece Flight of the Bumblebee better than most players who have been practicing for their entire lives, it quickly grabbed some major attention. Tsung Tsung’s performance is noteworthy for its quality, but other aspects drew in the attention of viewers around the world as well.
Though there are many renditions of Flight of the Bumblebee on the internet, Tsung Tsung’s performance stands out. The fact that he was only five when he performed it was one notable point, but he took things a step further by performing the notoriously difficult piece at a faster tempo than the original. This unique take from such a young performer was what made an impact on the hearts of so many that viewed it.
It is important to avoid being underwhelmed by this legendary Rimsky-Korsakov piece simply by looking at its appearance on the sheet music. When the piece is brought to life on the piano, its intricacy shines through and Tsung Tsung did such a great job with his performance that it was hard to believe what one was seeing. This is an example of looks often being quite deceiving in more ways than one, as few would have expected such a young musician to be able to put on this performance.
Though Tsung Tsung’s performance stunned many who viewed it, there were others who simply did not believe what they were seeing. Their doubts were shut down when the five-year-old piano aficionado took his talents to the Ellen show and performed it on television. Viewers around the world have truly been captivated by the amount of joy that Tsung Tsung clearly has when he is behind the piano.
During the now well-known video of Tsung Tsung’s performance, his father can be heard speaking to him in the background. He asks him if he knows the piece and jokingly notes that he is wearing a yellow shirt that is the perfect outfit for this particular occasion
A big part of the delight of watching young Tsung Tsung in his Flight of the Bumblebee performance is the clear enjoyment that he is having. He seems calm at the piano and he smiles while he performs. It is clear that he has a natural gift for the art of music and that his practice has really paid off for him.
This now well-known video is a prime example of how people’s assumptions are often proven to be inaccurate. One would not expect a child as young as the age of five to be able to execute such a technically difficult musical work, but that is exactly what Tsung Tsung does and he does it with a smile on his face.
What do you think about Tsung Tsung’s impressive performance? If you think it was as noteworthy as so many others have, then spread the word so that more people can enjoy the pleasure of watching his heartfelt rendition of a classic piano work.