In just seven levels, ‘Twinkle twinkle little star’ turns into ‘Blinding cosmic explosion’. Prepare for some truly excellent pianism.

A musician has uploaded seven variants of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’, with each variation rising in virtuosity.

Hayato Sumino, a 28-year-old Japanese classical pianist, is currently an enormous hit on the concert stage, with a first album set to be released in the autumn, but a few years ago, he was better known as ‘Cateen’ on YouTube.

The pianist began playing at the age of three and has since won various awards, including the Gold Prize in Asia’s Chopin International Piano Competition in 2017.

Which helps to explain why this video is so amazing…

In this viral video from a few years ago, Sumino begins at Level 0, and he’s already a step ahead of us, beginning his musical adventure with the nursery rhyme’s basic melody and a simple walking bass line and tossing in a few graceful twists in the right hand for good measure.

At Level 1, the no-frills melody begins to incorporate Mozartian embellishments. Moving on to Level 2, the lullaby gains some nice scrunchy harmonies underneath.

Level 3 includes ragtime keyboard work. Moving up to Levels 4 and 5, ‘Twinkle twinkle’ is given a fresh coat of paint, with virtuoso flourishes, Liszt-esque bravura sections, and dazzling arpeggios.

Level 6 is essentially a Chopin Etude, with complete, unrestricted use of the keyboard’s 88 keys and endless chromatic lines when the melody enters the left hand for the first time.

If you’ve made it this far, Level 7 is a feast of superb pianism, dizzying speeds, and a vibrant tapestry of colors and dynamics worthy of a Carnegie Hall standing ovation.