By Nestor CASTIGLIONE

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Local 9-year-old violin prodigy Eyla Zorbas has an answer: practice!

As a 4-year-old she was captivated by music and was taken with the urge to play a musical instrument.

“But I did not have enough guidance back then,” she explained. “Then one day I saw a guy playing a violin and thought, ‘Wow, really cool instrument.’ So my mom put me in a violin class and I just kept on going from there.”

Now as a member of the CEMALA (Classical European Music Academy of Los Angeles) student orchestra, Zorbas has seen her talent take her to places far beyond Crescenta Valley. She joined the orchestra last month in a program of Dvořák, Mozart and Barber at the storied Carnegie Hall.

“I was really happy and excited deep down inside, but didn’t want to show it too much,” she recalled. “Our audience really loved what we were playing.”

She had preceded that concert with a Dec. 22 recital played at the White House. Zorbas took a solo turn on this program, playing extracts from Vivaldi concertos.

“I love those pieces because they have a lot of passion and are fun to play,” she said.

Despite her artistry on the violin, Zorbas has her eyes set on other goals.

“Yeah, I’m going to stick with the violin forever,” she said. “But I want to be a neurosurgeon when I grow up. For now I want to be the very best violinist I can be.”

She also had advice for other children eager to take up the violin:

“It’s a really hard instrument. You need to put a lot of dedication and passion into it. When you do that, you can make a beautiful sound. It’s hard work.”

  Nestor CASTIGLIONE