LOS ANGELES--Ethan Bortnick can't decide which of the 200 songs he plays from memory is most difficult.
“They're all easy," the 9-year-old prodigy finally concludes during a break at rehearsals for two concerts at the El Rey Theater. Those were filmed for Ethan Bortnick and His Musical Time Machine, airing on PBS through August (times may vary). It showcases his classical, pop and jazz repertoire, including Let It Be, originals Arctic Jazz and The PBS Song (composed for the network) and performances of I Will Survive with Gloria Gaynor and What a Wonderful Worldwith trumpeter Arturo Sandoval.
For Ethan, the youngest artist to score a PBS special, it's just another day's work. Fresh off his fifth appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and gearing up for a fall tour, Ethan is as comfortable playing before a live TV audience in Hollywood, Calif., as he is noodling on his piano at home in Hollywood, Fla.
“I never get nervous, ever," he says. “I just look out there and think that everyone in the audience is an animal, and I like animals, especially the orangutan because I can do an imitation. Wanna see?"
“They're all easy," the 9-year-old prodigy finally concludes during a break at rehearsals for two concerts at the El Rey Theater. Those were filmed for Ethan Bortnick and His Musical Time Machine, airing on PBS through August (times may vary). It showcases his classical, pop and jazz repertoire, including Let It Be, originals Arctic Jazz and The PBS Song (composed for the network) and performances of I Will Survive with Gloria Gaynor and What a Wonderful Worldwith trumpeter Arturo Sandoval.
For Ethan, the youngest artist to score a PBS special, it's just another day's work. Fresh off his fifth appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and gearing up for a fall tour, Ethan is as comfortable playing before a live TV audience in Hollywood, Calif., as he is noodling on his piano at home in Hollywood, Fla.
“I never get nervous, ever," he says. “I just look out there and think that everyone in the audience is an animal, and I like animals, especially the orangutan because I can do an imitation. Wanna see?"
