Piano prodigy shows off his grown-up talent with Hilton gig

By Delen Goldberg

Friday, July 22, 2011 | 2 a.m.

Ethan Bortnick is too young to attend most Strip shows, but he’s old enough to headline one.

The 10-year-old piano prodigy will play a two-night set tonight and Saturday at the Hilton.

Ethan, a Florida native, became an international sensation in 2007, benefiting from appearances on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “The Martha Stewart Show,” “Good Morning America,” “Inside Edition,” “Access Hollywood” and “The Early Show.” He opened concerts for big-name stars such as Nelly Furtado and set out on a path that would lead him to become a nationally touring musician, television host, philanthropist and now, Vegas headliner. In addition to playing piano professionally, Ethan hosts a musical variety show for preschoolers and has raised nearly $30 million by performing at charity benefits.

But while he is a seasoned pro at show business, he is decidedly still a kid at heart.

As he explored a VIP suite at the Las Vegas Hilton on Thursday, Ethan marveled at statues that stood taller than him, worried aloud that he’d get lost in the 15,000-square-foot spread and described the opulent décor as “cool.” He explained that when he’s not playing piano, he is most often found playing Pokemon video games and admits that he doesn’t always want to practice his craft. He also noted that he’s too young for a girlfriend.

But plunk him down in front of a piano, and his hands can’t help but find the keys. For his shows this weekend, Ethan will play an all-new set of classical, jazz and rock tunes, with a few compositions of his own thrown in.

“I’m just going to put on a great show,” he says.

Ethan appears to genuinely enjoy performing. He is a natural ham who smiles easily for cameras and deftly navigates interviews.

But fame comes with a price. Ethan says he rarely plays basketball for fear of injuring his fingers. He has to tread carefully around fireworks and other loud noises to minimize the risk to his ears. And while he is too polite to say it, he seems to have grown tired of his friends bugging him for Justin Bieber autographs.

Still, there are clearly benefits to being an internationally recognized prodigy. Ethan gets to share his music with audiences around the world. He gets to help children less fortunate through charity work. And he gets to stay up late.

Most nights, Ethan’s bedtime is 9 p.m. But his Hilton shows don’t start until 8 p.m. So on concert nights, his parents let him stay up until 11.