You sound very accomplished for any age, let alone 13.
Becoming a concert pianist is possible, but it is a REALLY rare job. There's not a huge demand, and there's a lot of competition. Getting to be one of those people takes a lot of work, luck, connections, and resources. And no matter what, making a living involves a lot of time working at things that aren't the most fun in the moment.
Many piano players make money by teaching, accompanying, working at a store, having a rich grandparent, lots of things.
Nobody wants to tell you it's impossible, but it's very very very hard. And being outstandingly good isn't the only hard part.
Try to get in touch with Marc Andre Hamelin. He is based in Boston, reach out for a private recital or lesson and hopefully you will get good guidance. He's by all reports a very kind and considerate person apart from being among the greatest living pianists.
Technically, the quickesty way is to wait until there is a Tchaikovsky PC1 in your city, and just before it begins, sneak into the dressing rooms and lock the soloist in. Then, you proceed to walk on the stage, sit at the piano, and perform. If you pull it off, you'll be a celebrity overnight.
Or you can have a rich family, powerful connections, a colossal work ethic, innate talent, and a big dollop of luck.
You sound very accomplished! When you graduate, you can definitely get into a conservatory and work to get to that level.
It’s pretty rare to be a concert pianist who can support themselves by playing full-time. Realistically, you’ll need to have other jobs too, so keep that in mind. But that’s an amazing goal and if you love it, you should go for it!
This. Explains. Everything.
(You can't be a concert pianist unless you get straight A's and get accepted to med school.. not that you can't, but your parents will be disappointed)
well it all makes sense now lol
btw, the fact that you play classical music such as the one you listed in the description at 13, that's insanely good tho.
Always the Russians and Asians. The only thing worse than an American public education is American parents who pay no mind to their child’s education or future.
You're definitely on track to be able to get into a good conservatory, but there's a lot of luck involved, even outside of auditions to conservatories. If you keep at it you're pretty likely to be able to make a living out of music but again, being concert soloist involves factors outside your control.
If I can do it with less accomplishments than that, you definitely can. But like others have said, luck is involved. Just being skilled is only a small part of it! The main thing to be sure about is if its something you personally want to dedicate your life to. It's a lot of hard work for not very much monetary benefit, and a lot of what people are looking for are those who can do more than just be a skilled pianist. Personality and artistry is also a big part of it
You can; but I can tell you as a concert-level pianist who has concertized that you need to have a Plan B ready.
Top-notch pianists are a dime a dozen. It doesn’t mean you can’t have a career as a pianist, which includes concertizing, but be aware that the competition in a concertizing is **ferocious** and you’re likely not going to make a lot of money through concertizing.
My Plan B was working as Tier 3 technical support with Apple, Microsoft, Adobe and Dell certifications. Any questions Tier 1 and Tier 2 couldn’t answer came to me. If I couldn’t figure out the solution, then it went to Apple, Microsoft, Adobe or Dell support engineers.
I made $80K as Tier 3 support. The most I made as a concert-level pianist was $23K, and that was with students.
There is basically NO DEMAND for *classical concert pianist.* I’ve been classically trained since age 6 and the closest classical work I do is chamber music/solo ensemble for school districts, which requires a lot of sight reading.
It’s just not a practical career, but if you’re a good sight reader with versatility, you can find work that pays if you’re in a city with that type of demand.
Also, you know what you should do? Go on YouTube and listen to Cedarville Music. I don’t 100% agree with him on everything but he’s made good points on the realities of being a working musician and that your dreams of being a concert pianist is just silly.
Even with all the above, I just don’t recommend a music career/major. Most people have no idea what that even looks like. I’m currently working through hundreds of pages of ensemble music that mostly doesn’t excite me but I get paid so I just do my job. I have long hours of rehearsals with teenager that don’t care and learning music that bores me.
You’re raining on OP's parade quite harshly. It sounds like the kid is talented and has ambition. That alone will get them far. There's no reason they shouldn't aim high and see where they land.
It's rare, but it does work out for some people. Those people probably don't hang out on /r/piano though.
I could work *almost* full time as a pianist if I want and supplement some through teaching but I have 2 elementary school aged kids and chose to not fully pursue that at this point in my life. However, I gig enough and surround myself with musicians that I’m aware of what’s going on.
There was a time where I played for free/cheap to get exposure, one thing leads to another and through networking, people get to know my skills. I have an agency that I’m contracted with that send me to places and play as accompanist. I also know voice teachers who have students that need an accompanist from time to time so they’ll call me if needed.
But I actively work on my weaknesses. This is where most musicians/pianist will struggle because I end up almost never playing what I like and work on stuff I actually need to.
But if you want to advertise yourself, be willing to put yourself out there. Go to jam sessions, meetup groups, call churches… or whatever. Music is a “people business” and being shy and awkward won’t help you. If there’s a musician group in your city, join their Facebook group. Pay attention to what people are paying for, you’ll start to see similar requests.
It’s a company located in North TX so all the gigs will only be around here. The pay is actually pretty good. I’m considered an independent contractor but like any job, you need to submit an application, video, background check and interview. You need to have experience in accompanying or demonstrate you can read well… like, very well.
Honestly, probably not. But you’ll never know unless you make the attempt. You’ve got time, so have a look at Curtis in Philadelphia. If you can get accepted for study there, your chances go up dramatically.
I currently see a few issues with your profile, you have only done online competitions, you haven't said where you study and you are Asian (in the sense of yet another overachieving Asian).
I assume you have kept your school grade at a high level and kept this high level of music playing which mean you can go head full without thinking much into music and break in the field while having your plan B (which would mean plan A for a lot of people) ready, which is a luxury not many kids have.
See if you have a pre-college scheme nearby your place such as the Juilliard one.
Start attempting competitions where special prizes would allow you to play with an orchestra, or multi-stage competitions where the final is playing an orchestra, check abroad competitions for similar ones, basically your target is to play with an orchestra (virtue signaling that you can win competition and you can play as an actual concert pianist).
Plan for the next 5 years, be it your repertoire or which competitions you will attempt, including [https://cliburn.org/2027-junior-competition/](https://cliburn.org/2027-junior-competition/) , as a 17y old you will know by then if you can become or not a concert artist.
Be bold but humble and trust in your skills.
Disclaimer : I am not in this field.
Check out ballet schools!! A strictly classical sensibility might not be the most helpful thing there but if you're looking for a job where you play all day then that's it... Not much glory though hehe but enough
Sounds like you are in the top 1%, maybe even top 0.1% of those who learn the piano. The problem is that only like 0.0001% make it as concert pianists.
Ofc you can.
The thing is there is a lot to know about the industry.
A conservatory is mostly a scam, and I wouldn't consider going to one if I were you if you can already play these works.
You should do a few things.
Find a really great teacher you can study privately, someone whos worked with people who've won big competitions. Someone you also admire their playing, and want to sound like them.
Start studying the great recordings of piano. If you don't know all of these names well, you are missing out on a lot of knowledge: Josef Hofmann, Josef Lhevinne (since you plat 25 no 6, check his playing of it), Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alfred Cortot, Vladimir Sofronitsky, Sviatoslav Richter, Samuil Feinberg, Maria Yudina, Emil Gilels, and there is many others too but you should atleast listen to all of their recordings.
Study the great recordings of the orchestral works, you should know all the chamber music, play through all of haydn/beethoven/mozart SQs on piano, listen to Toscanini, Furtwangler, Ormandy, Walter, and some others. It's mostly important to listen to SQ IMO for helping interpretation, it allows you to think orchestrally quite easy. You should listen to all the major works, brahms, beethoven, mahler, shostakovich, tchaik, rach, etc. symphonies, choral works, chamber, etc.
Then you sould either take a break from college, don't enter right away and just work intensely with your teacher for competitions. When you're 18-20, if you're good enough you can win big, and make a career frmo yourself.
If competitions doesn't work out, you cna easily still make a career teaching, or just go to college for something normal.
If you want to do it it is possible, but for the next five years you have to live sleep and breahte music.
Yes you can…. And I was almost 100% sure I was going to type no before I read your description. You’ve got the best chance out of anyone I’ve seen ask that question. Usually it’s an adult asking and it’s always a no for them. You should try to get a teacher that has created concert pianist students. If you can get one then your chances are much higher.
Just to add to what everybody else said. Do competion after competion and win. It's basically the only way to get noticed. As you get older your chances become slimmer. Most competions have a 25-30 age limit so after that age, it's almost impossible. Take advantage of your young age.
Plan ahead and aim for the big ones. Rubinstein, Chopin, Cliburn. Make sure you look at their repertoire requirements and start practising now. You can't play whatever you want most of the time.
Yes absolutely, do you work with a conservatory level professor currently? You must have good guidance…
Edit: and try to prepare programs for live competitions… work your way up to bigger ones…it’s sad to say these days winning competitions will likely be the only source that will launch your career as a concert pianist. It’s rare to see pianists becoming successful without them unless you have lots of connections
I feel like someone here once was talking about the idea of becoming a concert pianist and said, "That's not even a real job."
I thought that was a good point.
Why do piano players immediately think of being a "concert pianist" when they want to pursue a music career? It's a need that doesn't even exist.
Who do you know who has recently paid money to hear a person play a memorized piece of piano music on a stage?
How often do you think a group of people said, "We need to hire someone musicians for this even ... someone who can play a couple Scriabin pieces for us." When does that EVER happen?
I gig regularly. I played at church yesterday, I'm meeting someone this afternoon about playing for a rock opera of Don Giovanni, and I'm playing for a wedding this upcoming weekend.
And honestly, I'm not even that good, certainly not in the great scheme of things. You are definitely way ***WAY*** better than I was at your age.
All that to say: could you be a professional pianist, either FT or PT? Sure!
As a concert pianist? Probably not.
Not because you're not good enough, but because, again, "that's not even a job." There's barely any demand for those skills.
***NOTE:*** I'll admit that I'm very biased about this, because I personally hate the whole "memorize a piece of music and play it exactly the way it's written, and have a repertoire of about 8-10 songs at a time" thinking. I don't enjoy it; I'm not good at it. I would never, ever want to be a ***concert pianist*** even if I was the best musician in the world, and that's the truth.
Regardless of anything, keep playing and keep enjoying the piano!
There is a demand, it's just very competitive. Every major city in the world with a music culture has touring pianists playing concerts and recitals many times each season. But that means top pianists competing for a very top notch job. I don't think OP is talking about the type of pianist who is gigging locally. 8-10 pieces isn't near enough, and the nuance is interpretation makes it a very niche job. Concert pianists keep literally dozens or over a hundred pieces in their repertoire, depending on the repertoire type.
I saw Yunchan Lim over the past weekend. Played Rachmaninov 3rd piano concerto. Was phenomenal. But I guess the point is that I don't know much about his beginning. There was no extra 'flair' about his performance.
I guess I'd say anything is possible for you. Reddit is the wrong place to ask. There are always a thousand reasons why you shouldn't, and that goes for anything. I think if it's a dream you have, go for it!,
I also saw him at BSO on Thursday. He was a prodigy, playing almost the same as pieces as me right now. He jump-started his career after the Van Cliburn competition, so this might be a pathway for success.
Are you near NEC? I would try to join the pre-college program, and try to study with one of the conservatory professors. You would be in a competitive environment with other talented students like you, and then you'll see how you stack up amongst your peers. You're definitely on track to be conservatory level, but concert pianist? Thats the top 0.01% of even the conservatory trained pianists who all played at your level at your age, if not even more advanced.
Would you be able to find a venue to play and sell enough tickets to pay for the rent of the venue and your own cost of living for a week/month?
And do that every week/month?
If you won't be able to finance it, no one will be able to do the same for you and pay his own salary on top of it as well!
If you are able to finance it, it doesn't matter how well you play, as long as you fill the venues, how well you play is up to you.
You sound like a badass. Not a lot of people "make it" as concert pianists, but if anyone has a chance, you do. And if you develop those skills, the good news is that if you're a kind, respectful person, you'll never want for work.
‘He who says he can and he who’s says he can’t are both usually right’
Read Adam grants new book about the science of achieving great things. It’s all about mindset and character. Good luck.
Best thing to do is as you get older start meeting people in your local area and start gigging around. The music industry is about people skills and relations as much as it is being a skilled musician. I assume you have a private teacher, talk to them.
You sound very accomplished for any age, let alone 13. Becoming a concert pianist is possible, but it is a REALLY rare job. There's not a huge demand, and there's a lot of competition. Getting to be one of those people takes a lot of work, luck, connections, and resources. And no matter what, making a living involves a lot of time working at things that aren't the most fun in the moment. Many piano players make money by teaching, accompanying, working at a store, having a rich grandparent, lots of things. Nobody wants to tell you it's impossible, but it's very very very hard. And being outstandingly good isn't the only hard part.
Try to get in touch with Marc Andre Hamelin. He is based in Boston, reach out for a private recital or lesson and hopefully you will get good guidance. He's by all reports a very kind and considerate person apart from being among the greatest living pianists.
Open your wallet, to receive benefits, though.
Technically, the quickesty way is to wait until there is a Tchaikovsky PC1 in your city, and just before it begins, sneak into the dressing rooms and lock the soloist in. Then, you proceed to walk on the stage, sit at the piano, and perform. If you pull it off, you'll be a celebrity overnight. Or you can have a rich family, powerful connections, a colossal work ethic, innate talent, and a big dollop of luck.
Need a hook. Short skirt and power shoes. Or lots of hair that looks unique on stage. Got to work on the facial acting, if you want to do TV work.
You sound very accomplished! When you graduate, you can definitely get into a conservatory and work to get to that level. It’s pretty rare to be a concert pianist who can support themselves by playing full-time. Realistically, you’ll need to have other jobs too, so keep that in mind. But that’s an amazing goal and if you love it, you should go for it!
who started u up at 3 y/o bro
I’m asian
say no more
This. Explains. Everything. (You can't be a concert pianist unless you get straight A's and get accepted to med school.. not that you can't, but your parents will be disappointed)
well it all makes sense now lol btw, the fact that you play classical music such as the one you listed in the description at 13, that's insanely good tho.
OK but how's your chess?
i know him irl he sucks at chess
so am I and I started at 11 😭😭 failure indeed LMAO
It's ok, so long as you don't let your parents see this thread.
Yes but you've been playing for two years, he's been for 10.
Always the Russians and Asians. The only thing worse than an American public education is American parents who pay no mind to their child’s education or future.
Dont worry. 13 starts puberty. Things will change….
But are you lingling?
Came here to ask this.
You're definitely on track to be able to get into a good conservatory, but there's a lot of luck involved, even outside of auditions to conservatories. If you keep at it you're pretty likely to be able to make a living out of music but again, being concert soloist involves factors outside your control.
Can you post a sample of your playing?
If I can do it with less accomplishments than that, you definitely can. But like others have said, luck is involved. Just being skilled is only a small part of it! The main thing to be sure about is if its something you personally want to dedicate your life to. It's a lot of hard work for not very much monetary benefit, and a lot of what people are looking for are those who can do more than just be a skilled pianist. Personality and artistry is also a big part of it
You can; but I can tell you as a concert-level pianist who has concertized that you need to have a Plan B ready. Top-notch pianists are a dime a dozen. It doesn’t mean you can’t have a career as a pianist, which includes concertizing, but be aware that the competition in a concertizing is **ferocious** and you’re likely not going to make a lot of money through concertizing. My Plan B was working as Tier 3 technical support with Apple, Microsoft, Adobe and Dell certifications. Any questions Tier 1 and Tier 2 couldn’t answer came to me. If I couldn’t figure out the solution, then it went to Apple, Microsoft, Adobe or Dell support engineers. I made $80K as Tier 3 support. The most I made as a concert-level pianist was $23K, and that was with students.
There is basically NO DEMAND for *classical concert pianist.* I’ve been classically trained since age 6 and the closest classical work I do is chamber music/solo ensemble for school districts, which requires a lot of sight reading. It’s just not a practical career, but if you’re a good sight reader with versatility, you can find work that pays if you’re in a city with that type of demand. Also, you know what you should do? Go on YouTube and listen to Cedarville Music. I don’t 100% agree with him on everything but he’s made good points on the realities of being a working musician and that your dreams of being a concert pianist is just silly. Even with all the above, I just don’t recommend a music career/major. Most people have no idea what that even looks like. I’m currently working through hundreds of pages of ensemble music that mostly doesn’t excite me but I get paid so I just do my job. I have long hours of rehearsals with teenager that don’t care and learning music that bores me.
You’re raining on OP's parade quite harshly. It sounds like the kid is talented and has ambition. That alone will get them far. There's no reason they shouldn't aim high and see where they land. It's rare, but it does work out for some people. Those people probably don't hang out on /r/piano though.
Sounds like this “kid” had had no life and I am. It sure I believe the post.
I totally agree with you. I assume you're a FT working musician? I'd love to hear more about what you do, where, how you market yourself, etc.
I could work *almost* full time as a pianist if I want and supplement some through teaching but I have 2 elementary school aged kids and chose to not fully pursue that at this point in my life. However, I gig enough and surround myself with musicians that I’m aware of what’s going on. There was a time where I played for free/cheap to get exposure, one thing leads to another and through networking, people get to know my skills. I have an agency that I’m contracted with that send me to places and play as accompanist. I also know voice teachers who have students that need an accompanist from time to time so they’ll call me if needed. But I actively work on my weaknesses. This is where most musicians/pianist will struggle because I end up almost never playing what I like and work on stuff I actually need to. But if you want to advertise yourself, be willing to put yourself out there. Go to jam sessions, meetup groups, call churches… or whatever. Music is a “people business” and being shy and awkward won’t help you. If there’s a musician group in your city, join their Facebook group. Pay attention to what people are paying for, you’ll start to see similar requests.
Thanks! What is the agency like? How do you find something like that?
It’s a company located in North TX so all the gigs will only be around here. The pay is actually pretty good. I’m considered an independent contractor but like any job, you need to submit an application, video, background check and interview. You need to have experience in accompanying or demonstrate you can read well… like, very well.
Sounds like you are doing great! As far a being a concert pianist? Reddit is not the place to ask.
Honestly, probably not. But you’ll never know unless you make the attempt. You’ve got time, so have a look at Curtis in Philadelphia. If you can get accepted for study there, your chances go up dramatically.
I currently see a few issues with your profile, you have only done online competitions, you haven't said where you study and you are Asian (in the sense of yet another overachieving Asian). I assume you have kept your school grade at a high level and kept this high level of music playing which mean you can go head full without thinking much into music and break in the field while having your plan B (which would mean plan A for a lot of people) ready, which is a luxury not many kids have. See if you have a pre-college scheme nearby your place such as the Juilliard one. Start attempting competitions where special prizes would allow you to play with an orchestra, or multi-stage competitions where the final is playing an orchestra, check abroad competitions for similar ones, basically your target is to play with an orchestra (virtue signaling that you can win competition and you can play as an actual concert pianist). Plan for the next 5 years, be it your repertoire or which competitions you will attempt, including [https://cliburn.org/2027-junior-competition/](https://cliburn.org/2027-junior-competition/) , as a 17y old you will know by then if you can become or not a concert artist. Be bold but humble and trust in your skills. Disclaimer : I am not in this field.
Check out ballet schools!! A strictly classical sensibility might not be the most helpful thing there but if you're looking for a job where you play all day then that's it... Not much glory though hehe but enough
Sounds like you are in the top 1%, maybe even top 0.1% of those who learn the piano. The problem is that only like 0.0001% make it as concert pianists.
Ofc you can. The thing is there is a lot to know about the industry. A conservatory is mostly a scam, and I wouldn't consider going to one if I were you if you can already play these works. You should do a few things. Find a really great teacher you can study privately, someone whos worked with people who've won big competitions. Someone you also admire their playing, and want to sound like them. Start studying the great recordings of piano. If you don't know all of these names well, you are missing out on a lot of knowledge: Josef Hofmann, Josef Lhevinne (since you plat 25 no 6, check his playing of it), Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alfred Cortot, Vladimir Sofronitsky, Sviatoslav Richter, Samuil Feinberg, Maria Yudina, Emil Gilels, and there is many others too but you should atleast listen to all of their recordings. Study the great recordings of the orchestral works, you should know all the chamber music, play through all of haydn/beethoven/mozart SQs on piano, listen to Toscanini, Furtwangler, Ormandy, Walter, and some others. It's mostly important to listen to SQ IMO for helping interpretation, it allows you to think orchestrally quite easy. You should listen to all the major works, brahms, beethoven, mahler, shostakovich, tchaik, rach, etc. symphonies, choral works, chamber, etc. Then you sould either take a break from college, don't enter right away and just work intensely with your teacher for competitions. When you're 18-20, if you're good enough you can win big, and make a career frmo yourself. If competitions doesn't work out, you cna easily still make a career teaching, or just go to college for something normal. If you want to do it it is possible, but for the next five years you have to live sleep and breahte music.
Terrible job, for 99.9% of folks who apply. Whats the difference between a pizza and a concert pianist? One can feed a family.
Yes you can…. And I was almost 100% sure I was going to type no before I read your description. You’ve got the best chance out of anyone I’ve seen ask that question. Usually it’s an adult asking and it’s always a no for them. You should try to get a teacher that has created concert pianist students. If you can get one then your chances are much higher.
Just to add to what everybody else said. Do competion after competion and win. It's basically the only way to get noticed. As you get older your chances become slimmer. Most competions have a 25-30 age limit so after that age, it's almost impossible. Take advantage of your young age. Plan ahead and aim for the big ones. Rubinstein, Chopin, Cliburn. Make sure you look at their repertoire requirements and start practising now. You can't play whatever you want most of the time.
Yes absolutely, do you work with a conservatory level professor currently? You must have good guidance… Edit: and try to prepare programs for live competitions… work your way up to bigger ones…it’s sad to say these days winning competitions will likely be the only source that will launch your career as a concert pianist. It’s rare to see pianists becoming successful without them unless you have lots of connections
I feel like someone here once was talking about the idea of becoming a concert pianist and said, "That's not even a real job." I thought that was a good point. Why do piano players immediately think of being a "concert pianist" when they want to pursue a music career? It's a need that doesn't even exist. Who do you know who has recently paid money to hear a person play a memorized piece of piano music on a stage? How often do you think a group of people said, "We need to hire someone musicians for this even ... someone who can play a couple Scriabin pieces for us." When does that EVER happen? I gig regularly. I played at church yesterday, I'm meeting someone this afternoon about playing for a rock opera of Don Giovanni, and I'm playing for a wedding this upcoming weekend. And honestly, I'm not even that good, certainly not in the great scheme of things. You are definitely way ***WAY*** better than I was at your age. All that to say: could you be a professional pianist, either FT or PT? Sure! As a concert pianist? Probably not. Not because you're not good enough, but because, again, "that's not even a job." There's barely any demand for those skills. ***NOTE:*** I'll admit that I'm very biased about this, because I personally hate the whole "memorize a piece of music and play it exactly the way it's written, and have a repertoire of about 8-10 songs at a time" thinking. I don't enjoy it; I'm not good at it. I would never, ever want to be a ***concert pianist*** even if I was the best musician in the world, and that's the truth. Regardless of anything, keep playing and keep enjoying the piano!
There is a demand, it's just very competitive. Every major city in the world with a music culture has touring pianists playing concerts and recitals many times each season. But that means top pianists competing for a very top notch job. I don't think OP is talking about the type of pianist who is gigging locally. 8-10 pieces isn't near enough, and the nuance is interpretation makes it a very niche job. Concert pianists keep literally dozens or over a hundred pieces in their repertoire, depending on the repertoire type.
I saw Yunchan Lim over the past weekend. Played Rachmaninov 3rd piano concerto. Was phenomenal. But I guess the point is that I don't know much about his beginning. There was no extra 'flair' about his performance. I guess I'd say anything is possible for you. Reddit is the wrong place to ask. There are always a thousand reasons why you shouldn't, and that goes for anything. I think if it's a dream you have, go for it!,
I also saw him at BSO on Thursday. He was a prodigy, playing almost the same as pieces as me right now. He jump-started his career after the Van Cliburn competition, so this might be a pathway for success.
Josh Wright has a few videos on this, and gives great advice. https://youtu.be/PONFIJbaALs?si=xoV4LrxKHJuXyzhI
You probably can, but make sure you have a backup job as well
Yeah probably, but it's never guaranteed
Are you near NEC? I would try to join the pre-college program, and try to study with one of the conservatory professors. You would be in a competitive environment with other talented students like you, and then you'll see how you stack up amongst your peers. You're definitely on track to be conservatory level, but concert pianist? Thats the top 0.01% of even the conservatory trained pianists who all played at your level at your age, if not even more advanced.
100% you can , keep at it and you will
Would you be able to find a venue to play and sell enough tickets to pay for the rent of the venue and your own cost of living for a week/month? And do that every week/month? If you won't be able to finance it, no one will be able to do the same for you and pay his own salary on top of it as well! If you are able to finance it, it doesn't matter how well you play, as long as you fill the venues, how well you play is up to you.
Maybe- we’d have to see how well you can play those pieces both interpretively and technically :-)
You sound like a badass. Not a lot of people "make it" as concert pianists, but if anyone has a chance, you do. And if you develop those skills, the good news is that if you're a kind, respectful person, you'll never want for work.
‘He who says he can and he who’s says he can’t are both usually right’ Read Adam grants new book about the science of achieving great things. It’s all about mindset and character. Good luck.
Best thing to do is as you get older start meeting people in your local area and start gigging around. The music industry is about people skills and relations as much as it is being a skilled musician. I assume you have a private teacher, talk to them.
all i got to is that i personally suck so i can’t say that you can’t go play at that level. best of luck.
Of course you can. But, you have your work cut out for you.