At only nine-years-old, Ethan Bortnick is already achieving accomplishments that many musicians work towards for an entire career. Ethan learned to play the piano at the early age of three by mimicking any music he would hear, whether on the radio or while listening to the popular Baby Einstein series. With a talent well beyond his years and the ability to play almost any song by ear, he has developed a repertoire spanning from classical masterpieces to timeless jazz standards to current chart-toppers. This talent includes the outstanding ability to compose his own music, which he began doing at the age of five.
Ethan appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in May of 2007, making his national television debut. Since then, he has returned to the show three times as Leno's guest, including an appearance in May 2009 where he presented Jay with a special gift - a song titled "The King of Late Night" which Ethan wrote as a tribute to the talk show host. He has appeared on national shows on every major network including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, The Martha Stewart Show and Yo Gabba Gabba.
Appearing in front of audiences as large as 20,000 people, Ethan has performed in concerts and televised specials both nationally and internationally. He made his concert stage debut in May 2007 opening for Nelly Furtado in Hollywood, FL after meeting her on the set of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Ethan has taken the stage with both the Orlando and Naples Philharmonic Orchestras, making him the youngest piano soloist to ever perform with these ensembles. Through concert and charity events, he has shared the stage with legendary artists including Elton John, Natalie Cole, Smokey Robinson, Beyoncé, Reba McEntire and many more.
On February 1, 2010, Ethan joined music's biggest names as the youngest member of the all-star "We Are The World 25 For Haiti" line up. Produced by Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie, the track featured superstars including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Kanye West and Miley Cyrus and made its debut during the opening ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Ethan also recently earned the distinction of being the youngest musician to be endorsed by premier instrument manufacturer Gibson Guitar/Baldwin Piano.
Ethan has also made a name for himself as one of the world's youngest philanthropists, using his talent to express his desire to help people, especially children. By performing, inspiring and educating, he has helped raise millions of dollars for charities around the world. These charities include the Miami Children's Hospital, the Boys & Girls Club, the American Heart Association, the Starkey Hearing Foundation and many others. Ethan also made a special appearance at Muhammad Ali's "Celebrity Fight Night" in March 2009 to help raise money for the fight against Parkinson's disease and other charities. As part of the event, Ethan honored the legendary boxer with a song titled "The Champ" that he wrote especially for Ali. The song led to an impromptu on-stage sing-along featuring such high profile guests as Josh Groban, David Foster and Forrest Whitaker.
In August 2010, Ethan achieved the honor of being one of the youngest musicians with a PBS concert special when Ethan Bortnick and His Musical Time Machine aired nationally on the network. Recorded at the historic El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles, the special featured Ethan performing musical classics from all eras and included special guest appearances by legendary artists such as Arturo Sandoval and Gloria Gaynor.
Ethan has taken his show on the road through early 2011, lighting up the stage in his first national headlining tour. Like his PBS special, the tour features Ethan bringing some of music's biggest hits and classics to life for crowds both young and old in over 50 cities across the country. While on tour, Ethan will also entertain the crowd with some of his own compositions while sharing the inspirational stories behind each piece.
Unique to Ethan's performance at the Luhrs Center, The GBlues chorus from Grace B. Luhrs Elementary school in Shippensburg will accompany Ethan on two familiar compositions; The Beatle's "Hello, Goodbye" and the song that Ethan was involved in re-launching in 2010, "We Are The World." The GBlues chorus is comprised of 18 students from the elementary school that perform a variety of pop and classic standards at performances throughout the school year. The Ethan Bortnick performance will be the second time that the students have performed at the Luhrs Center, having sung with Kenny Rogers in December 2009 during his Christmas & Hits Tour performance. GBlues choral director, Jennifer Deibler, commented that "It's a great honor to have our students invited to return for a performance at the Luhrs Center. The students are similar in age to Ethan, so they're excited for the opportunity to meet him and perform with him. Learning of Ethan's accomplishments at such a young age is quite an inspiration to them."
For concert tickets and information, call the Luhrs Center Box Office at 717.477.SHOW (7469) or visit the Luhrs Center website at www.luhrscenter.com. A group discount is available for groups of 20 or more.
