After the tragic death of a 12-year-old pianist...
... musicians are deciphering his unfinished composition Kyan Pennell was a young pianist and composer. Picture: Courtesy of Amanda Brierley By Sophia Alexandra Hall, ClassicFM @sophiassocials Kyan Pennell wanted to be a concert pianist, but sadly that dream was never realised. Seven months ago, 12-year-old Kyan Pennell from Brisbane, Australia, began teaching himself music theory, performance and composition. He scrimped and saved in order to buy his first piano , and by using YouTube tutorials, he had soon learned to play 30 pieces of classical music by memory, including Chopin’s Fantaisie Impromptu , and Beethoven’s Für Elise . Kyan tragically died in a freak accident caused by a gate closure on his family’s property in Mary Valley on 31 January 2022. Kyan was neurodiverse, and his family described his diagnosis as a ‘superpower’ which helped him to focus on and achieve whatever he put his mind to. He loved classical music, and Brierley share...