8-YEAR-OLD VIOLINIST & PHILANTHROPIST HAILED A "PRODIGY"

As she walks across the stage, there are no discernable differences between Brianna Kahane and the rest of her second-grade classmates. She is eager, happy and diminutive. Of course, it’s always easy to point Brianna out once she has her violin in hand. The piece de resistance occurs the moment she begins to play and her undeniable talent takes over. Eyes closed, foot tapping, fingers deftly dancing up and down the violin’s neck, she makes the bow glide across the strings. The resulting sound pours forth, with unyielding grace and energy, music which seems incapable of coming from an 8-year-old who is playing only a 1/4-size violin (one year earlier, at seven years of age, she was performing using a petite -- almost toy-looking -- 1/8-size instrument).

"I love playing the violin because it makes me feel happy inside, and it makes people listening to me feel happy, too," explains the ebullient Brianna. "It lifts my soul."

A born performer, Brianna relishes playing for audiences – the larger the better. "I like playing when there are lots of people," she says, "because they give me energy and make me want to play my very best." And anyone who has ever seen Brianna perform will attest that she doesn’t just play a piece; she performs it, bringing both passion and emotion to her music so it becomes vibrant and alive for her audiences.

After seeing Brianna perform for the first time, Former President Bill Clinton rubbed his forehead in disbelief and announced to an admiring crowd, "Wow.... If I could have played saxophone the way Brianna plays violin, I'd have gone into a different line of work."

Hailed a "prodigy" by The Washington Post, Brianna often brings tears to people’s eyes with her brilliant performances and her audiences revel in sheer delight. Within twenty-four hours of a video post on YouTube of just one of Brianna’s classical violin performances at the tender age of six, a viral explosion of video shares and views ensued. Within 48 hours of the YouTube posting, Brianna was discovered by The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and soon after performed on the show for a live studio audience and millions of viewers. Hailed as a "violin prodigy" by Ellen, who was blown away by her performance, the young Florida native was featured thereafter in several television shows in less than a week, including both evening and morning newscasts on NBC’s Palm Beach county affiliate WPTV and an interview with Kelly Craig and a live performance on NBC6’s South Florida Today Show. Since then, she has appeared in countless news features, most recently on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric and in the NY Daily News.

Brianna continues to wow audiences and countless other famous musicians and celebrities, including Reba McEntire, Steve Martin, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, Kris Kristofferson, Glenn Frey, Jordin Sparks, David Archuleta, Chris Botti, Clarence Clemons, Chris Tucker, Donald Trump, Kyle and Christopher Massey, Run DMC, Paul Williams, Charice, Lucia Micarelli, Magic Johnson, Dwyane Wade, Larry Fitzgerald, Leonard Marshall and Regis Philbin, as well as many dignitaries including Admiral Michael G. "Mike" Mullen, USN, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Barry R. McCaffrey, USA (Ret.) and General Richard B. Myers, USAF, 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to just name a few.

At only eight years old, Brianna’s performances exemplify extraordinary talent, boundless imagination and rigorous commitment. The impetus leading to her passion for music and the violin began when Brianna was only eighteen months old. As a baby, she loved to watch Disney’s "Baby Einstein" videos and was mesmerized by the images, vibrant colors and beautiful classical music that played throughout all of the videos in the series. When she was only one-and-a-half, Brianna displayed an uncanny ability to recall with incredible detail the exact music and images featured at any given point in any particular video.

From there, Brianna’s parents, Karen and Robert Kahane, began taking Brianna to various musical events to encourage her love of music. One evening, when Brianna was two-and-a-half, they took her to a concert where she became demonstrably enthralled by the concertmaster, Karen Briggs, an extremely talented violinist known for her improvisational skills and cross-genre appeal. After seeing that performance, Brianna declared, "I want to play the violin like that."

So, at the age of three, she was given her first violin – a 1/16 size instrument – and began exploring the fullness of her talent as a student at a local conservatory of music. Classically-trained using modified Suzuki methodology, Brianna stunned her audience by flawlessly performing her pieces with perfect intonation at her very first recital. She had only just turned four years old.

Her instructors quickly discovered that Brianna embodies the elements required for greatness. Not only does she have a photographic memory, an amazing ear and finger dexterity far beyond her years, but she is also blessed with "perfect pitch" – the ability to identify a musical note without the benefit of a known reference -- possessed by only a small percentage of the population, but by most all of the world’s greatest musicians. As a result, Brianna devours music, memorizing complex selections in just days.

How does she do what she does? A good question; but difficult to answer. When first picking up violin and bow, Brianna used to say, "I take a picture of the notes in my mind and play them as they go past." Three years later, the responses are more complex. Some music is felt. Some is heard. At other times, it is pure imagination.

Although classically-trained, Brianna enjoys and plays a wide range of music. Her repertoire is extensive, ranging from classical pieces by Vivaldi and Bach, to popular songs performed by a variety of artists. When speaking with her, it’s readily apparent that she possesses a maturity in regard to her music: "When I play, I usually see bees, butterflies, things of nature…especially when I’m playing the concertos."

Unsurprisingly, in May 2009, as the youngest participant in her category at the Florida Federation of Music Clubs State Final Competition, Brianna won "Best in the State of Florida for Violin Solo." Shortly thereafter, Brianna was hailed as the "next-next generation of young talent" in an article about her in the "Best of Boca" edition of Boca Raton Magazine.

All the success and attention has not changed Brianna. She still loves school, riding her scooter, playing the Wii, watching Disney Channel and playdates with her friends. Asked what things she really likes other than playing the violin, she’ll tell you -- pizza and McDonald’s, rollercoasters, the playground, her dog and swimming.

Brianna’s intense passion for performing the violin is matched only by her passion for giving back. Hesitant to use the word "prodigy" to describe herself, this modest, altruistic little girl much prefers a different "p" word -- "philanthropy." Brianna has attached her musical gifts to acts of kindness and performances at fundraisers to help raise millions of dollars for charities that have touched her heart, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, American Heart Association, Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, Starkey Hearing Foundation and the Miami Children's Hospital Foundation, to just name a few.

Considered one of the world's youngest philanthropists, Brianna is trying to heal the world one song at a time. She continues her unprecedented philanthropic efforts for a child her age with the aid of her parents in establishing a
501(c)(3) charitable foundation, so that any money she earns from her blossoming career can be designated to her foundation in order to provide donations and grants to charities and worthy individuals. In Brianna’s own words, "I love to play the violin because music touches the soul and can make the world a better place."

In 2010, Brianna was named "Best Musical Child Prodigy" by both Gold Coast Magazine and Boca Life Magazine. She is presently finalizing plans to record an "unplugged" album with Sam Moore which will also feature other famous musical artists. This summer, Brianna will study under renowned violin teacher, Mimi Zweig – virtuoso Joshua Bell’s former teacher.

To envision where Brianna ultimately expects to be, look to her inspirations. Itzhak Perlman. Joshua Bell. Lucia Micarelli. Karen Briggs. Iconic violinists, all.

Make way for one more.