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Chinese piano prodigy, 5, wows TV audience in the US

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Chen Anke performing on the TV show. Photo: Handout
Sarah Zhengin Beijing

A five-year-old Chinese piano prodigy wowed audiences with a colourful performance on US television on Sunday.

Chen Anke, who comes from Tianjin, was all smiles as she showcased her piano playing skills on the variety show Little Big Shots, which features young talent. The piano virtuoso began learning how to play when she was just three and had previously gained fame in China from online videos of her performances.

“This little star takes music to a whole new level of genius,” the show’s host Steve Harvey said when introducing her. “We’ve never seen anything like this before in the history of Little Big Shots.”

Chen, sporting pigtails and a pink dress, also won over fans with her cute personality as she turned to smile at the audience periodically during her performance.

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In an interview afterwards, she shared that she began playing the piano because her dad wanted her to.

“I practise every day - there’s never a day when I don’t practise,” she said. “I want to be a piano master!”

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During the interview, she clambered all over the couch and asked the interpreter, 12-year-old Grace Liu, to repeat the English translations of her responses.

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