December 24: The Prodigy

Ethan Bortnick, a musical prodigy who has raised nearly $30 million for charity since his first appearance on The Tonight Show in 2007, was born in Pembroke Pines, Florida on this date in 2000. Bortnick began playing piano at 3 and composing music at 5, and has a “photographic” musical memory that enables him to play what he has heard note for note. He has made appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart Show, and numerous other television talk shows, and at the age of 9 became the youngest person ever to have a National PBS Concert Special and to headline his own national concert tour. In 2009 he performed at a dinner hosted by Nancy Pelosi to honor the swearing in of the 111th United States Congress. His parents are Russian-born, and his younger brother has endured three heart surgeries, which Bortnick says has greatly motivated his own philanthropy.
“I usually play video games and as soon as they say Ladies and gentlemen please welcome Ethan Bortnick I give the video game to my dad and run onstage.” —Ethan Bortnick