On the teachers forum there has been a discussion that all great pianists have started on or before the age of 5. Now this is probably nothing new, but I would like to mention a few Dutch pianists that started later but have become performing artists / international competition winners.

Wibi Soerjadi started at age 11, prize winner in Liszt piano competition at age 18 (7 years after starting for the first time - amazing) graduating from Amsterdam conservatoire with a 10 (highest mark) with distinction at 19. He is now in his late 30s.

Thomas Beijer: I read an interview recently: he started at 8, from the John Thompson easiest piano course level 1, 2, 3 etc. He won the Young Pianist Foundation competition.
Website: http://www.thomasbeijer.com/

Martin Oei: 13 years old. Started at age 9 with general music lessons combined with piano. A year later a family friend noticed how talented he was, he auditioned in the young talent class of the conservatoire. He won a youth competition recently. His repertoire is impressive, this is a young boy with hardly 4 years of piano lessons.
Website: http://www.martinoei.nl/

Of course they all started as children, but they were average age beginners, not 5 year olds.
I wanted to share because I heard about the last 2 (Beijer & Oei) only recently and I am impressed.

Not all ... but certainly many

So starting between 8 and 11 is not too late, whatever Nadia Boulanger may have thought! This is useful and welcome information.

From a completely selfish perspective what I would really like to hear about are the successes of those that may have started young but pursued other careers and returned to the piano with renewed enthusiasm and committment (fanatacism?) in their 40's and 50's. (do they exist?)

And as there is a world of difference between adult returners, and adult beginners then for the benefit of the truly late starters on this forum, are there any examples of successful performers that genuinely began in their late teens, or their twenties (or even later in their thirties, forties or later?)

Their stories would be really inspiring - but to date I cannot find any .

Thea King? ok, she was a pianist from an early age but



Chris

[/quote]

From a completely selfish perspective what I would really like to hear about are the successes of those that may have started young but pursued other careers and returned to the piano with renewed enthusiasm and committment (fanatacism?) in their 40's and 50's. (do they exist?)
[/quote]

Well, you exist!
What if you are the first. Let your story be an inspiration then ...

Maybe these stories are there in jazz or other styles (I do not know for sure though)

Didn't Harold Bauer only start playing piano at about 19? Ok he was trained as a violinist beforehand but still quite an achievement I think

' From a completely selfish perspective what I would really like to hear about are the successes of those that may have started young but pursued other careers and returned to the piano with renewed enthusiasm and committment (fanatacism?) in their 40's and 50's. (do they exist?) '


Mad Tom: Have you heard of Hans Oudenaarden, he is a performing pianist as well as a notary public at Nauta Dutilh in Rotterdam. So he has two simultaneous carreers.


'Didn't Harold Bauer only start playing piano at about 19? Ok he was trained as a violinist beforehand but still quite an achievement I think'


I checked that yesterday, but he had already performed on piano at age 15. I think it meant that he made a definite choice for piano at that age.

No. He studied piano alongside violin from an early age, certainly 9 or younger. At 19 nhe had a year of piano lessons with Paderewski. (Paderewski was impressed). He switched to piano as main instrument because he could get work as a pianist, but not as a violinist.

To become an internationally renowned pianist is always quite an achievement - however young or old you might be when you start.

I agree. Sorry I didn't mean to imply otherwise My mistake about when he started piano.

No need for any apology. I am sorry if you thought I was "having a go" at you. I did not mean it to sound that way.

Not at all

I guess I am an adult returner. I played piano at every chance I got when I was primary school age while my mum was cleaning the school. I had no lessons though. I eventually got a 62 key keyboard which I played loads, but many pieces were beyond the keyboards range.

I started playing a proper piano about 3-4 years ago (I'm 30) and I've barely been able to get reliable lessons from people but hey, I'm doing my intermediate certificate soon and I'm hoping to do the advanced afterwards. I think its quite an achievement. I'm not mrs concert pianist by far but I'm just pointing out that, if you want to do something, you will, whether you have lessons at the age of 5 or not. I was lucky that I had access to a piano, I am very grateful for that.