Shy 15-year-old Christian Blandford, Stuns Airport
Witness the moment a shy teenage boy showed off his extraordinary talent to fellow passengers at the airport. It begins as just an ordinary scene you’d see at any airport around the world, with tired and bored passengers waiting for their flights.
But little do the passengers at Geneva airport know they’re in for a real treat. Peter Blandford is waiting in the lounge with his son, Christian, and only they know what a talented pianist he is. The piano draws Christian’s attention, and while he wants to play, he seems nervous and sits fidgeting with a bottle of water.
Luckily for everyone in the lounge, Peter decided his son needed a little encouragement. He tells him, “They’re bored; it’s some free entertainment, okay, trust me. Go and do it.”
All this would be impressive enough, but Christian has also survived cancer not once but twice in his relatively short life. He has now helped set up a fund in his name, which raises money to support children and their families during long stays in NHS hospitals.
This gentle prod was all Christian needed, and he moves slowly towards the piano and takes a seat. After taking a moment to calm any nerves, he begins to play, and the room stops. Christian’s joy in the music is evident as he lets it take over. He plays Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 (‘Moonlight’), which is far from an easy piece of music. It seems to flow effortlessly from this young pianist’s fingers, though. The clarity and precision of his playing, as well as his musicality, are incredibly impressive for such a young man.
Every person in the lounge, including passengers and waiters, seemed blown away by this surprise recital. As they so often are, Dad was right. Everyone wanted to hear Christian play and loved his performance. Not just the people in the airport, either; the video has been viewed over 5 million times on YouTube.