Last night, following more than two weeks of fierce competition, the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea officially came to an end with an extravagant closing ceremony at Pyeongchang Stadium. The lavish production featured countless talented performers showcasing various aspects of South Korean music and culture. However, one person, in particular, has won the affection of the Internet in the hours since last night’s production: 13-year old guitar prodigy Yang Tae-Hwan.
At the climax of the multi-sensory celebration, the teenage guitarist led the massive ensemble through a stirringly appropriate rendition of the Vivaldi concerto “Winter”. The kid transformed the Four Seasons violin melody into a shred-hot barrage of electric guitar fire and ice, wailing away with perfectly-honed rock star swagger and charisma. As the announcer remarked at the end of the number, “They’re all good, but that 13-year-old can flat-out play.”
The young guitarist was one of many talented people who contributed the best of themselves to the 2018 Winter Olympics. Hundreds of dancers, musicians, and other performers participated in the spectacles that were the opening and closing ceremonies and, of course, nearly 3,000 athletes competed to bring glory to themselves and their countries throughout the duration of the Olympics. But with one short performance on the very last day of the event, young Yang Tae-Hwan cemented his place among the biggest breakthrough stars at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
You can watch a clip of 13-year-old Yang Tae-Hwan’s incredible performance at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics below via NBC:
WE CAME TO ROCK AND/OR ROLL. #ClosingCeremony pic.twitter.com/U38RtRVOnt
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 26, 2018
200 NOTE STREAK #ClosingCeremony pic.twitter.com/bJh90eu9ks
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 26, 2018
If, like us, you can’t get enough of this little rock star, you can head to his YouTube channel and check out more of his videos. We hope to hear more from this very talented young musician in the near future.
[H/T Billboard]