My name is Amaira, and I am 9 years old. I live in Bedford, New Hampshire, and I am so excited and honored to be here today! I performed “He’s a Pirate” from “Pirates of the Caribbean” at the IYMC, and I am so happy and grateful to have won! First, I want to say a very special thank you to my amazing teacher, Miss Erin from Let’s Play Music. Thank you for teaching me, encouraging me, and always believing in me. You have helped me become a better pianist and helped me bring my very best to the stage. This year has been very special for me. I was also so excited to win First Prize at the New England Music Festival for piano and Third Prize at the Young Inventors competition. I was also honored to make it to the 2026 Invention Convention U.S. Nationals. I love being creative, learning new things, and challenging myself! I have many things that I love to do. Besides playing piano, I enjoy singing, swimming, gymnastics, ballet, martial arts, skiing, basketball, and soccer. I love trying new things and always learning something new. I also love performing in musical theatre. I have performed in ** Madagascar ** and ** Frog and Toad **, and I am so excited to be performing in ** Matilda the Musical **! I also want to thank my parents for always believing in me, supporting me, and encouraging me to follow my dreams. Thank you for being there for me every step of the way. Music is my passion. I absolutely love playing piano and singing and whenever I perform, I feel happy and free. One day, I hope to become a pianist, a singer and a composer and share my music with people all around the world. Winning this competition means so much to me. It inspires me to keep practicing, keep learning, and keep believing in myself. Thank you so much IYMC for this wonderful opportunity and for giving me a chance to share my love of music. And most importantly, thank you to everyone who has believed in me, supported me, and encouraged me to follow my dreams. I will keep playing piano and keep dreaming, keep creating, and keep making music! Thank you! ❤️
Watch Amaira Saxena perform Quiet- Matilda the Musical by Tim Minchin for the 2026 Autumn Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.
Watch Amaira Saxena perform “He’s a Pirate” from “Pirates of the Caribbean” on the piano for the 2026 Instrumental Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.