It’s amazing how some people, against all odds, spread their wings and make their mark on this world. Whatever hurdles life may throw at them, be it a bad financial situation or terminal illness, there’s always a ray of hope that will lead them to success. One such inspiring person is going viral online for a girl’s exemplary musical prowess. Emil Reinert, a popular pianist–who goes on TikTok by @emiliopiano–shared the video of a disabled girl’s beautiful cello performance that broke the onlookers into tears.
Reinert is renowned for his impromptu gigs in public locations like airports, restaurants and train stations in various European countries. In one such random gig at an airport in Rome, he was approached by a wheelchair-bound 17-year-old Italian cellist, Valentina Irlando (@valentinairlando), who asked if they could play something together. While a large audience had already gathered for Reinert, they were curious as to how the duo’s performance was going to be. Irlando, accompanied by her cello teacher, joined in this gig and the musicians started playing the prelude from “The Gadfly” composed by Dmitri Shostakovich.
As Irland started playing her Cello, the entire audience was in awe. Reinert mentioned in his video that the teen had a rare muscular disease that required her to rely on a ventilator and wheelchair. The pianist said, “She told me, ‘Music is my medicine.'” Indeed, playing with Reinert in the airport with a great audience excited Irlando. Her impeccable edition not only gave ‘goosebumps’ to the pianist but also the audience, some of whom were moved to tears. “This is so inspiring,” Reinert said about Irlando’s musical proficiency and the teacher too seemed quite happy with the student’s performance.
The Italian cellist lets nothing stop her from achieving her dreams. With inhibited mobility, she tries her best to stand out from the crowd with her musical genius. Irlando’s Instagram page showcases several of her amazing cello performances on stage. Recently, the teen rendered a performance of her favorite piece with her favorite cellist, Valentin Radutiu, who is also a Professor at the University of Music Dresden, Germany. Irlando’s heartwarming airport performance with Reinert gained over 17 million views, but since the pianist posted only half of the video, people were curious about the rest of it.
The full video of Reinert and Irlando’s gig was posted by the pianist on his YouTube channel. Their heartwarming melody was lauded by the people at the airport and the viral video received some heartfelt comments from all over the world. “If you noticed, the crowd around them was so silent to hear her play with him. No one was speaking over the music. Her playing was so inspirational,” wrote @lilagonzales1145. “I can’t believe that I’m crying while watching this video. She’s truly inspiring and this shows that a person with physical impairment can do anything if they put their mind to it,” commented @familyyoutube5560. “Music is the key. It brings us together. Both student and teacher are playing so beautifully thank you for sharing this awesome experience with all of us here,” commented @hestergreen2031.