The Julliard School’s Music Ad-
vancement Program when she
was 9.
Even though he’s only nine,
Gupta has been participating in
piano competitions for four years
and is a two-time first prize win-
ner at NJMTA Spring Audition.
He’s performed at Weill Recital
Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York,
Rutgers University, Rider Univer-
sity and Stockton University.
As for Milsten, this is a special
concert for him. He was diag-
nosed as being on the Autism
Spectrum at age three. He be-
gan playing the trumpet in the
4th grade and progressed well
with learning the instrument.
His parents were pleasantly sur-
prised to see how focused and
socially appropriate Andy was
during a school’s Spring Concert.
He was even able to hold things
together in the evening after his
medication had worn off.
In the 7th grade, Andy be-
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 46
came interested in the music of
John Williams. He listened to
all of Williams’ movie themes on
YouTube, and tried to play the
themes on his trumpet. His par-
ents had purchased an electronic
keyboard for Andy’s sister who
expressed an interest in taking
piano lessons. Andy started to
try to play John Williams’ mu-
sic on the keyboard and figured
out the melodies fairly quickly.
His father took him to the York
Symphony Orchestra who was
performing the works of John
Williams in concert. It was there
that his love for the symphony
was born and he now regularly
attends classical music concerts
every month.
Seldin has known the three
young performers for many
years and has watched them
progress as musicians. When he
thinks of Milsten, it reminds him
both of his early days at the pia-
no and the power of music itself.
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