ALISA, HARPISTA, 11 ANOS.

When Olga Shevelevich heard five-year-old Alisa Sadikova play the harp six years ago, she knew she was in front of something extraordinary.

It was the first time  the young girl had ever held a musical instrument and she was playing a piece that Shevelevich, a harpist and family friend, had taught her on the spot.

Something extraordinary: harpist Alisa Sadikova, 11, will perform at City Recital Hall with three other internationally renowned harpists. 

“I was struck with awe,” says Shevelevich who is now one of Sadikova’s music teachers. “I’m still struck with awe every time I hear her play. Only a genius can do what she does.”

Sadikova, now 11, trains at the St Petersburg’s State Conservatory in Russia. At the age of seven, she performed at Carnegie Hall.

When asked what she likes most about the harp, Sadikova says: “Everything. It’s the softest, most beautiful instrument.”

She prefers lyrical and emotional pieces such as those of Russian composer Mikhail Glinka.