Irvine teen musician awarded rare Stradivarius

At the prestigious Menuhin Competition, eighth grader Kevin Miura was awarded one of the rarest instruments in the world, a golden period Stradivarius.

The Italian violin dates back to the 1700s and is worth millions of dollars. The instrument is on loan to him for about a year and a half in order to continue his practice.

"There's something about how it responds to how I play, and it's almost as if it's teaching me while I practice," Miura said.

The 13-year-old Irvine teen first picked up the violin when he was 5 years old.

"At first, it was kind of a hobby. And eventually I think I really started to enjoy and love what I was doing, and I realized that this is what I want to do when I grow up," Miura said.

Miura was also recently featured by Symphony Irvine for his incredible ability, yet still insisted he is no musical prodigy. The humble teen said the keys to his success have been his personal ensemble of helpers and at least five hours of practice a day.

His teacher, Danielle Belen, said what makes the teen so great is more than just his musicianship.

"Well-spoken and has great presence on stage, and that has actually always been there since I've known him," Belen said.

Miura continues to practice to achieve his dream of becoming a professional.

"Really being able to play your heart out in the moment is really what I enjoy about performing," Miura said.