Imagine a 10-day Fall festival of Shakespearean plays. In the theatre and in the park. With college and local talent partnering with professional actors. Like the idea? 
Micah Mania
THE EVENING of Wednesday, Feb. 10 started with a buzz of of anticipation. Outside, the sidewalk was overflowing. Inside, the Sottile Theatre was filling to the brim—a first for the International Piano Series this season. On the stage, a solitary grand piano stood passively in front of a large sound board. The much awaited solo debut of Micah McLaurin was about to begin.
It ended with a series of rousing standing ovations. As soon as Micah sounded the last note of a Rachmaninoff sonata, the audience was onto its feet. He smiled widely. Then came the Liszt encore, followed by more standing, clapping, whooping fans as Micah smiled again before disappearing off stage.
Right after the first piece—J.S. Bach’s French Suite No. 5—began, you could see audience members looking at each other, nodding, and shaking their heads. They were impressed. And they were proud to see such a virtuosic display by one of their own; in this case, a 15-year-old Charleston native who has been dubbed a piano prodigy.
Micah chose a broad and technically demanding program that he presented with great clarity, efficiency, and strength. His poise at the keyboard is impressive, and he plays with a quiet demeanor that lets his playing do the talking. No physical antics, no strained facial expressions. Just the steely concentration of fabulous fingers finding their way effortlessly up and down and across the keys. His pristine, almost crystalline technique seems to reflect a focused intent and genuine purity. (And in all these things you can see the influence of his teacher, Enrique Graf.)
Of course, unique talent, high praise, and heightened anticipation always bring out the deriders; those just looking for weaknesses, mishaps, and an opportunity to have their critical say. One gentleman I spoke to at intermission stated authoritatively that Micah’s rendition of Bach “did not touch me tonight,” that Micah needs a lesson in Chopin from someone who really understands the composer, and that it was unfortunate such high expectations should accompany such a young and still maturing pianist.
I could relate to all of these comments; they all contain some truth. I was only disappointed to see that the gentleman had nothing else to say; that he had missed all the wonderful things about this special evening—or else was unable to see and appreciate them.
I asked several other people the same question: what stands out for you about Micah’s performance tonight? They mentioned things like: “fabulous chops” (his large hands). “He is definitely a prodigy.” “I notice that his left hand is unusually strong.” “He plays with great clarity and uses very little pedal, particularly when playing Chopin—unlike so many pianists.” In general, there was a pulse of appreciation and a tone of acknowledgment.
I am far from a musical expert, but I can endorse two of the points just mentioned. First, that Micah plays with great clarity. He articulates each note in a way that makes him very easy to listen to. The sound is enjoyable and the phrases comprehensible. Nothing is muddy. Secondly, that his left hand is so strong. Typically, you hear the melody in the right hand, supported—very much secondarily—by the left hand. But with Micah, never have I had such a good time listening to the left hand, too. Especially when he had to manage two voices, one in each hand, as you have to do with Bach and Haydn, for example. Micah simply brought the left hand alive in a way that I have not heard nor been able to appreciate before.
Congratulations to this fine young man and superb talent, and to Enrique Graf for putting him on the solo stage. Equal congratulations to the Charleston audience for turning out in large numbers to see and support Micah’s debut. It clearly meant a lot to him, and we will be lucky to see him for awhile—until he gets swooped away by larger musical circles, as he surely will. •
Great review. I enjoy your writing so much. I am sorry that I missed his concert.