Ethan Jordan Bortnick (born December 24, 2000)[1] is an American pianist, singer, songwriter, record producer, musician and actor. He has been featured on The Tonight Show, Oprah Winfrey Network, Good Morning America, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, and his award-winning concert specials on PBS. Ethan has had over 4 national television concert specials.[2] On October 3, 2010 (age 9), Bortnick was listed in the Guinness World Records for "The World's Youngest Solo Musician to Headline His Own Concert Tour".[3]

Ethan Bortnick
Ethan's sold-out show at the Troubadour
Ethan's sold-out show at the Troubadour
Background information
Birth nameEthan Jordan Bortnick
Born (2000-12-24) December 24, 2000 (age 23)
Pembroke Pines, Florida, US
GenresAlternative
Occupations
  • Pianist
  • Singer
  • Songwriter
  • Record producer
  • Actor
Instrument(s)Piano, Keyboard, Vocals
Years active2003–present
LabelsColumbia, Sun and Sky Records, Alternative Distribution Alliance
Websiteethanbortnick.com

Bortnick has been featured on national and international television programs.[4] He has helped raise over US$50 million for charities alongside Elton John, Beyoncé, Josh Groban, and more.[5] In 2011, AEG Network LIVE's broadcast of Ethan Bortnick's Musical Time Machine received two bronze Telly Awards and Bortnick received three bronze Telly Awards in 2014 for The Power of Music.[6][7][8][9][10]

Bortnick has headlined over 1,000 concerts across the globe.[2]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bortnick began offering daily live performances on YouTube.[11]

Early life and education

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Bortnick was born in Pembroke Pines, Florida. His parents, Hannah and Gene Bortnick, are Jewish immigrants from Ukraine.[12] He attended a Montessori pre-school.[13] At three years old, he discovered that he had a set of musical skills, including perfect pitch, on a toy keyboard that eventually led him to appearances on many television shows. He stated he has synesthesia.

Career

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PBS specials

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At 9 years old, Bortnick became the youngest artist to have his own National PBS Concert Special The Power of Music.[14] The Power of Music was rated the number-one concert pledge show on public television for 2014–2015.[15]

In 2017, Bortnick presented the third National PBS television concert "Generations of Music," with a guest appearance by Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary), Bethany Yarrow, and Rufus Cappadocia, also guided by musical director David Rosenthal, and directed by Leon Knoles.[16]

Bortnick started his own nationwide talent search called "Celebration of Music" in 2017. The show travels to various cities across the United States and allows contestants between the ages of 4 and 24 a chance to compete to win the opportunity to perform in a national television show.[17]

Concert in Las Vegas

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On July 22 and 23, 2011, at the Las Vegas Hilton, Bortnick became the youngest headliner ever in Las Vegas, at ten years of age.[18][19]

Recorded album

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In August 2011, Bortnick recorded his first album in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The album was produced by Gary Baker, and he collaborated with Matthew Craig and Rob Collier. The album is the soundtrack to the film Anything is Possible, in which Bortnick plays the leading role.[20][21]

Melody Street

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Bortnick was the host of Melody Street, a 22-minute musical-variety-show for preschoolers. Bortnick and a band of animated musical instruments (Val Violin, Febe Flute, Timmy Trumpet, Heidi Horn, and Sammy Snare) entertained kids with humor, songs, skits, interactive games, backstage dramas, and celebrity musical guests.[22]

Live performances

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2007

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2008

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2009

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2010

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2011

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We are the World – 25 for Haiti

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On February 1, 2010, Bortnick recorded with some 70 artists the song "We Are the World 25 for Haiti". This was the 25th anniversary of the original recording.[47] The song premiered Friday, February 12, 2010, during the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Radio/print

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On February 12, 2010, Bortnick was featured in Rolling Stone in an article titled "Preview the New 'We Are the World', Plus Meet Nine-Year-Old Singer Ethan Bortnick"[48]

On August 1, 2010, Bortnick was featured in the LIFE section of the USA Today.[14]

On May 1, 2011, Bortnick was featured in the Keyboard Magazine In a section entitled "MAJORminor".[49]

On July 22, 2011, Bortnick was featured in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, in the NEON Entertainment section.[50]

In October 2013, Bortnick was on the Esquire Magazine's 80th anniversary cover,[51] titled "The Life of Man"

On November 18, 2013, Bortnick was interviewed for The Flash List, an entertainment Newsletter in the article "Interview with Piano Prodigy Ethan Bortnick"[52]

On November 19, 2013, Bortnick was featured in GAP brand global celebrity ad campaign.

On November 12, 2015, Bortnick was featured in Keyboard Magazine in an article titled "Piano Men Celebrate the Power of Giving"[53] with David Rosenthal.

On August 25, 2017, Bortnick was featured in Broward Family Life,[54] in the entertainment section.

Discography

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Albums

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DVDs/CDs

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  • Live in Concert "By Me" Ethan Bortnick (2007)
  • Ethan Bortnick and His Musical Time Machine (2010)
  • Ethan Bortnick in Concert: The Power of Music (2014)

Singles

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  • "The Champ" (2008)
  • "It's All About Music" (2011)
  • "Anything Is Possible" (2013)
  • "Reason to Believe" (2017)
  • "Be Who You Are" (2017)
  • "Leave Me Alone" (2019)
  • "Start" (2019)
  • "Closure" (2019)
  • "I Want Red" (2019)
  • "The Dino Club" (2020)
  • "100 Layers" (2020)
  • "Sink and Die" (2020)
  • "Final Boss" (2020)
  • "5 am" (2020)
  • "Soul Eater" (2021)
  • "Cut My Fingers Off" (2021)
  • "Prom" (2022)
  • "Engravings" (2022)
  • "Arsonists" (2022)
  • "Happy F***ing Birthday" (2022)
  • “Deadly Ever After” (2023)
  • “The Last Laugh” (2023)
  • “Doppelgänger" (2023)
  • "Sleep Paralysis Demon" (2023)
  • "Jumpscare In Your Garden" (2024)
  • "Hide n Seek" (2024)
  • "Rem" (2024)
  • "Sprites" (2024)
  • "Luna Park" (2024)

Tours

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  • 2015 – 2016: The Power of Music
  • 2010 – 2011: Musical Time Machine
  • 2024: Luna Park Tour

Filmography

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Television and guesting

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2015 movie "Anything is Possible" as Nathan

Reception and accolades

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By 2024, Bortnick had accumulated more than seven million followers on social media.[65] As of 2024, his Instagram account has over eight hundred thousand followers,[66] his YouTube channel has over one million subscribers,[67] and his Tiktok page has more than four million followers.[68]

Awards and nominations

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Young Artist Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
2010[69] Ethan Bortnick Outstanding Instrumentalist Won
Year Ethan Bortnick Award Result
Ethan Bortnick Bob Hope award -The Next Generation of Hope Won

Telly Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
2011[70] Ethan Bortnick TV Programs/Segments Won

Other awards

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On April 1, 2014, Ethan was presented with the Next Generation of Hope Award by the USO.[71]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Ethan Bortnick – IMDbPro". IMDb.
  2. ^ a b "First Listen: Ethan Bortnick – Leave Me Alone".
  3. ^ "Youngest Musician to Headline a Solo Concert Tour". Guinness World Records. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  4. ^ "Oprah.com – World's Smartest Kids".
  5. ^ "Ethan Bortnick, 11-year-old piano prodigy, earns Guinness World Record". yahoo.com. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  6. ^ "tellyawards.com – Telly Awards".
  7. ^ "tellyawards.com – Telly Awards".
  8. ^ "tellyawards.com – Telly Awards".
  9. ^ "tellyawards.com – Telly Awards".
  10. ^ "tellyawards.com – Telly Awards".
  11. ^ "Live- Music Hangs with eTHAn". YouTube.
  12. ^ "Princeton Info | Princeton's Entertainment and Business Newspaper".
  13. ^ "The kid's grown up - By A.D. Amorosi". Lower Bucks Times.
  14. ^ a b "Piano prodigy Ethan Bortnick tickles his fans". USA Today.
  15. ^ "Ethan Bortnick". Fortitude PR. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  16. ^ 16-year-old-musician-ethan-bortnick-presents-third-national-pbs-television-concert-generations-of-music-supporting-critical-funding-for-pbs-stations-and-the-arts-300499050.html
  17. ^ "TV listing". wlvt.org. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  18. ^ "Photos: 10-year-old Ethan Bortnick headlines at Las Vegas Hilton". July 24, 2011.
  19. ^ "10-year-old Ethan Bortnick Headlining Show at Las Vegas Hilton – www.ktnv.com". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  20. ^ "Vision Films - Anything is Possible". visionfilms.net.
  21. ^ "MovieCentral - Anything is Possible - under license from Vision Films Inc". youtube.com. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  22. ^ "Melody Street Creates Broadcast Magic for Kids with StudioGPU". Renderosity.com.
  23. ^ "Home". alloy.com.
  24. ^ "Fort Myers Florida Weekly". Fort Myers Florida Weekly.
  25. ^ "Beyoncé Knowles Honored; Smokey Robinson, Gloria Gaynor and Ethan Bortnick Perform at "Party of the Year" @ SocialMiami". socialmiami.com.
  26. ^ "$8,092,269 in Pledges at 28th Chabad Telethon! • CrownHeights.info – Chabad News, Crown Heights News, Lubavitch News".
  27. ^ "Ethan Bortnick to Co-Host the Chabad Telethon! • CrownHeights.info – Chabad News, Crown Heights News, Lubavitch News". CrownHeights.info – Chabad News, Crown Heights News, Lubavitch News.
  28. ^ "Peter and the Wolf". Archived from the original on April 17, 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
  29. ^ "La Vie en Lingerie". Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
  30. ^ "Celebrity fight night". Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  31. ^ "18th ELLA Award to Herb Alpert and Lani Hall… Pat Boone Gets SOS Lifetime Achievement Award… Pictures galore from the '09 ELLA…" (PDF). singers.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 2, 2009.
  32. ^ "9th Annual So the World May Hear Awards Gala!". Archived from the original on May 10, 2009. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  33. ^ "COL חב"ד און-ליין – מפגש הפסגה בוושינגטון הניב תוצאות ● מיוחד". col.org.il.
  34. ^ "2009 Annual Meeting and Home Care & Hospice Exposition".
  35. ^ "Charlize Theron Kisses For Charity Cash". October 26, 2009.
  36. ^ "blog.davidcabrera.info".
  37. ^ "Getty Images". itnsource.com.
  38. ^ "GALA FUNDRAISER – April 2010". Archived from the original on June 20, 2010. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
  39. ^ "Celebrity – Children's Miracle Network Hospitals".
  40. ^ "ETHAN BORTNICK AND HIS MUSICAL TIME MACHINE". Archived from the original on February 10, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
  41. ^ "Ben Folds is serious about rebuilding the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, even if he does like goofing around on the Internet".
  42. ^ "Haim Saban, Andrea Bocelli add up to $9 million-dollar-night for FIDF – Jewish Journal".
  43. ^ "RE/MAX Alliance Group". facebook.com.
  44. ^ "Child Prodigy Ethan Bortnick to Open 27th National Space Symposium | 27th National Space Symposium". Archived from the original on September 15, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  45. ^ "Full 2011 Jacksonville Jazz Festival lineup released – jacksonville.com".
  46. ^ "Hope & Cope fêtes 30 years". Archived from the original on June 2, 2012. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  47. ^ "Breaking Celeb News, Entertainment News, and Celebrity Gossip". E!.
  48. ^ "Preview the New "We Are the World," Plus Meet Nine-Year-Old Singer Ethan Bortnick". February 12, 2010. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  49. ^ "Keyboard Magazine – May 2011".
  50. ^ "Las Vegas Review-Journal". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
  51. ^ "Esquire: October 2013". Esquire. September 16, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  52. ^ "Ethan Bortnick | Interview by Sherri Tilley | Piano Prodigy | The Power of Music | Anything is Possible | The Flash List Entertainment Guide". go.shr.lc. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  53. ^ "Ethan Bortnick and David Rosenthal: Piano Men Celebrate the Power of Giving". KeyboardMag. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  54. ^ BrowardFamilyLife.com. "Family fun events throughout Broward, kids' camps, schools, activities, parties and more | Broward Family Life". browardfamilylife.com. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  55. ^ a b [1] Archived April 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  56. ^ "The Wendy Williams Show: Season 3 Episode 58 – LocateTV". Archived from the original on September 13, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
  57. ^ [2] Archived April 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  58. ^ "Memorable Mini Musicians".
  59. ^ ""The Oprah Winfrey Show" Oprah Presents the World's Smartest Kids (TV Episode 2008) – IMDbPro". IMDb.
  60. ^ TV Guide Little Einsteins hosts piano prodigy Archived September 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  61. ^ Inc., Slacker. "Slacker Radio Featured". Slacker Radio. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  62. ^ ""The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" Episode #15.88 (TV Episode 2007) – IMDbPro". IMDb.
  63. ^ ""The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" Episode #16.44 (TV Episode 2008) – IMDbPro". IMDb.
  64. ^ ""The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" Episode #16.146 (TV Episode 2008) – IMDbPro". IMDb.
  65. ^ "Ethan Bortnick: Overview", Soundcharts. Retrieved July 16, 2024
  66. ^ Bortnick, Ethan. "ethanbortnick", Instagram.Retrieved July 16, 2024
  67. ^ Bortnick, Ethan. "Ethan Bortnick", YouTube. Retrieved July 16, 2024
  68. ^ Bortnick, Ethan. "Ethan", Tiktok. Retrieved July 16, 2024
  69. ^ "32nd Annual Young Artist Awards - Nominations / Special Awards". Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
  70. ^ "Many Screens – One Award". tellyawards.com.
  71. ^ "Winnefeld, Celebrities, Honor the Military at USO Dinner | Joint Chiefs of Staff". jcs.mil. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
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