21-Year-Old University Student Steps In To Rescue ‘La La Land’ Concert After Pianist Suddenly Falls Ill

A 21-year-old university student went from spectator to performer in a matter of minutes after being thrust onto a Sydney concert stage in front of 2,500 people when a pianist suddenly fell ill during a live show over the weekend.

Oscar-winning composer Justin Hurwitz, renowned for scoring the 2016 blockbuster ‘La La Land’, was forced to pause the ‘La La Land’ in Concert show midway through the performance at Darling Harbour Theatre on Saturday, May 30, to appeal to the crowd for an emergency replacement.

“Is there somebody in the audience who is an amazing sight reader?” Hurwitz called out, referring to the rare ability to play a piece of sheet music accurately at first glance, a skill demanded by the complexity of a live orchestral production.

Politics and international studies student Sterling Nasa was seated near the back of the auditorium when his friend volunteered him from the crowd. Moments later, Nasa found himself under the spotlight, face to face with the very composer he had long admired, staring down a complex score of pieces he had never previously played.

Despite the pressure, Nasa delivered. “I’m more just glad that I managed to contribute in a very small way to what was an incredible orchestra,” he told Australian outlet 7NEWS with characteristic modesty.

Hurwitz admitted he had been bracing for the worst. “Until he started playing, I didn’t know how it was going to go…I was very nervous,” the composer said. “But as soon as he started playing, I was impressed.”

For Nasa, it was an unforgettable evening that began with a concert ticket and ended with a standing ovation.