At first glance, Alec Van Khajadourian seems like any other preschooler from Encino. He enjoys playing video games, exploring with cameras, and running around his parents’ house with his little brother and the family dog, Chai.
But Alec is much more than an ordinary five-year-old.
“He loves doing typical 5-year-old things,” said his father, Joe Khajadourian. “But when he sits at the piano, you realize something special is happening.”
Alec has a rare talent called “perfect pitch.” His mother, Diana Sanders, explains that he can identify any note he hears with perfect accuracy.
“He can sing or play any note he hears,” she said.
Joe and Diana first noticed this gift when Alec was a toddler. He would hear a note and instantly find the correct key on the piano.
Within a year, Alec was playing complex classical music without even reading sheet music. By age five, he had already won first prize in three international music competitions, including one held in New York City.
After attending his first symphony in New York, Alec told his parents he wanted to perform at Carnegie Hall one day. Soon, his dream will come true. He is scheduled to play at the famous venue and has been practicing every day for his debut.
Before his Carnegie Hall performance, Alec will play at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. There, he might meet Gustavo Dudamel, the director of the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. Alec admires Dudamel so much that he refuses to let his mother cut his hair short, as a tribute to the conductor.
“It makes me feel good,” Alec said when asked why he loves playing piano. “It feels calm.”
The young pianist is set to perform at Disney Concert Hall on July 1, 2025, and at Carnegie Hall on July 20, 2025.
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