Bronxville High School Sophomore Performs At Carnegie Hall

BRONXVILLE, NY — The answer to the question "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" hasn't changed in generations, but a Bronxville sophomore has proven that in addition to "practice, practice, practice," talent and ambition go a long way as well.

Gabriel Muraszczuk, a sophomore at Bronxville High School, earned a gold medal and diploma at the prestigious Golden Key Music Festival competition on April 27, when he performed at Carnegie Hall.

Muraszczuk, who has been playing the piano since he was 5, shared the stage with 548 other talented musicians from across the world. The competitors were judged by a panel of experts from Australia, Austria, China, Germany, Indonesia, South Korea and the United States.

The young musician entered the competition by submitting a video performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2, which resulted in a gold-level award.

Muraszczuk was praised by the judges for his "excellent work with impressively perfect exposure and lyrical essence of this dramatic canvas."

"At school, Gabriel works hard in his classes and is a dedicated student," school counselor Deana Hasandjekaj said. "I have seen a tremendous amount of growth in him as a student, and I am so proud of his amazing musical accomplishment."

The Golden Key Music Festival, which was established in 2002, is a major cultural event that attracts young instrumentalists and vocalists from across the world, according to its website. Its stated mission is to give young musicians the opportunity to display their talents. Held annually in New York and Vienna, the competition was conceived to inspire musicians to unlock their musical potentials, meet and hear other dedicated young musicians, and to perform on some of the most prestigious international stages.

This was Muraszczuk’s third time participating in the festival. He was previously the recipient of two Super Bronze awards and was invited to perform at Lincoln Center. The talented musician takes private piano lessons and has been a student of the Music Conservatory of Westchester and the Ukrainian Music Institute of America for several years. Muraszczuk has performed at local Westchester and tristate area concerts, attended piano master classes and performed in the Music in the Alps festival in Austria, and successfully completed all six levels of the New York State School Music Association.