A 5-year-old piano prodigy from Clifton has advanced professionals taking notice.

With a month to go before his sixth birthday, Tyler Fengya is playing classical pieces that would challenge most adults.

He was introduced to the piano by his father at when he was 2. By the time Tyler was 4, he was playing at Carnegie Hall.

Tyler, who needs extenders just to reach the pedals, practices between three and four hours every day, and even gets out of kindergarten early twice a week for 90-minute lessons. His teacher, Sophia Agranovich, herself an accomplished pianist, started working with Tyler at age 3, when other teachers turned down the idea of working with a toddler.

Agranovich soon had Tyler on the fast track, challenging him with pieces meant for kids three times his age. She says she's careful not to push him too hard, however, and is afraid of burning him out.