????William Zhang, a 13-year-old piano virtuoso, held a concert at the Shenzhen Concert Hall on Saturday night. ????Zhang, who started his piano journey when he was 7, performed more than 10 pieces of famed pianoludes, including the music of Gallupi, Chopin and several Chinese composers, during the 90-minute concert. ????“It was my dream to hold such a concert, and today was the second time for me to play in public,” said Zhang, adding that his first piano concert was held three years ago at InterContinental Shenzhen. ????Zhang said that although he started to learn the piano a bit later than his peers, he mastered the skill with the help of his instructor, many days of hard practice and, most of all, a driven love of piano. ????Zhang said he still has a long way to go to become a professional pianist, but he has enjoyed the time he has spent performing. ????“I forget myself when I play the piano,” he said. “I think the piano has a soul just like us; so, when you play it, you need to show it respect.” ????Zhang added that his inspiration came from renowned Chinese pianists Lang Lang and Li Yundi. ????Talking to young students who are interested in playing the piano, Zhang said, “You have to love to play the piano. If you choose the piano, be good at it.” ????Born in the United States, Zhang is a junior student at Shen Wai International School. He started to receive systematical piano lessons from famed Chinese pianist Chiu Yinghong in 2009. Chiu said of Zhang, “He is a gifted boy with both passion and rational management.” ????Besides playing the piano, Zhang is also good at swimming, golf and soccer. ????(Tan Yifan) | 