Troy Shantz
Phoebe Croteau hadn’t taken many piano lessons when her mother overheard her one day tapping out an unfamiliar tune.
When Shinae Kang asked her five-year-old about it, the little girl confessed she’d picked up the song by listening to senior students practice it that week.
“That’s when I knew she had something,” Kang said with a smile.
Croteau, 16, is a gifted pianist with two upcoming concerts at the Sarnia Library. She’ll perform a solo show May 2, and on June 27 will be joined by internationally renowned pianist Anya Alexeyev - who also happens to be her teacher.
Residents are advised to hear the Northern Collegiate student perform while they can. Even the tone-deaf can appreciate she is going places, and soon.
Shinae Kang, a pianist herself, played regularly while pregnant with Phoebe and believes that planted the seed early.
At the age of two, her daughter was obsessed with a children’s video featuring a Beethoven song, her mother recalled. By seven, Croteau was playing the German composer’s music.
She started taking lessons locally after the family moved to Canada from South Korea in 2015. That year she placed first in the Lambton County Music festival and third in Ontario.
That was a turning point, said Croteau, who admits she hadn’t really applied herself.
These days she is dedicated to her craft, practising up to five hours a night and regularly attending concerts or listening to great performances.
“As a pianist, I think it’s a lifelong process,” she said. “You’re never really perfect. You can always improve and add on to that. It’s kind of a step-by-step process.”
Croteau has worked with music professors at the University of Michigan, University of Windsor, and most recently at Wilfrid Laurier University, where Alexeyev teaches.
Croteau makes the two-hour trip to Waterloo each week to work with her mentor, who herself has performed with the Royal Philharmonic and Moscow State Symphony orchestras.
A British music professor recently advised Croteau to audition for the Curtis Institute of Music. The conservatory for gifted students in Philadelphia is to music what Harvard is to law, or MIT to robotics.
Croteau said she is considering the audition, but added the thought of moving to the U.S. is daunting.
For now, she’s focused on attending school and performing. The May 2 show will feature a mix of styles, from baroque classics to modern jazz. She said she hopes to deliver something of value to those who attend.
“That’s a pianist’s job … to send a message to the audience through your music.”
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Sarnia pianist Phoebe Croteau in concert
WHERE: Sarnia Library Theatre, 124 Christina St. South
WHEN: May 2, 7:30 p.m. and June 27, 7:30 p.m.
TICKETS: Admission to the May 2 show is free. The June 27 concert, when Croteau will be joined by Anya Alexeyev, is $20 adults, $10 students. Tickets available at van Goosen Music, 115 Mitton St. S., and at the door.