Amarillo College faculty pianist to perform Dec. 14 in London’s famed Royal Albert Hall

Caetano will be cast into the London limelight just two weeks after a cast was placed on his left wrist, an injury he sustained during a traffic accident on Dec. 1. Thankfully the treatment was largely precautionary; he wore the cast only for two days.

I'm just thankful to be back to 100 percent and ready to play,” said Caetano, who was driving near AC when his car was broadsided by another. He suffered wrist and neck injuries that initially jeopardized his hard-earned appearance at Royal Albert Hall in the United Kingdom, which is akin to Carnegie Hall.

Fortunately, nothing was broken. Both the stiffness in his neck and the swelling in his wrist subsided swiftly. The cast was promptly discarded, and Caetano was able to renew his preparations for the London concert.

The performance was awarded for Caetano being named the professional-level, all-nationalities winner of London’s Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition.

Caetano was singled out for his unique and appealing interpretation of Chopin’s distinctive musical language, and so he will proudly put his repertoire on display Dec. 14.

This marks Caetano’s 47th first-place triumph at national or international competitions. He has previously showcased his talents at the real Carnegie Hall in New York City; this will be his first performance at Royal Albert Hall.

Caetano will not return from Europe until after Christmas, which he plans to spend in Amsterdam with his spouse. But first the couple has tickets to attend a performance in Brussels by famed pianist Martha Argerich, who was among the elite artists recognized Dec. 3 at the Kennedy Center Honors gala in Washington D.C.

“She’s a living legend and one of my longtime role models,” Caetano said. “I’m so excited to see her. I got perfect tickets in the third row.”