When asked what led him to become a pianist, Ellington Carthan laughs as he replies, “Destiny might be some of it.” As the story goes, his parents stumbled across a building in California with the name Ellington— or maybe a street, he’s not sure which. His parents, both musically inclined, were reminded of Duke Ellington and decided to name their child after the famous jazz pianist. Today, Carthan makes his living as a professional musician and music teacher, is pursuing graduate studies in Jazz at Howard University, and recently had the honor of performing for President Joseph Biden.
Yet, although his love of the piano might seem fated, the path to his music career hasn’t always been straightforward. Carthan grew up watching his father play the piano and naturally gravitated towards the instrument, but as a teenager, his greatest ambition in life was to become an aerospace engineer. Looking back on it now, Carthan can see that he’s never had a special talent for math or science. But at the time, he was determined to attend the North Carolina School of Science and Math, a boarding school he was certain would help him achieve his dream.
“For some reason, I just knew I would get in… and did not. That was pretty heartbreaking for me,” says Carthan. But something good came of it: “At that point, I started to think about reality, and reality was telling me that I spent a lot more time doing music-related things for fun than math problems.” His dreams began to shift, and he eventually decided to study music in college.
Even then, however, he wasn’t necessarily thinking of music as a career. “It was purely a knowledge quest, not a vocation quest. I just wanted to learn,” he says. To this day, Carthan identifies as a student as much as he identifies as a performer or teacher, explaining that “I’m fascinated by the things I can’t do on the piano and want to learn how to do those things.” His constant desire to continue learning has helped him develop a varied repertoire; at performances, he plays a little bit of everything, from “Clair de lune” to piano renditions of Dr. Dre's songs. Not limiting himself to a single genre has become a core part of his musical identity.
“It’s important to me because I am… a very normal person," he explains with a laugh. "I’m not just a piano player.” Growing up, he wasn’t forced to spend hours practicing and studying sheet music. His parents gave him the freedom to be a normal kid who played outside, watched anime, and loved video games and movies. Although many musicians believe music must be their one and only priority to continue improving, Carthan believes the opposite. “All of those things serve as exposure to many genres of music," he says. Watching movies didn’t distract him from his love of music but deepened his appreciation of everything music can do.
As a music teacher, Carthan encourages his students to pursue a similar balance in their own lives. “Music isn’t meant to be anybody’s center or the reason they exist,” he says. “It’s not supposed to be a place of self-worth or anything like that. It’s just music! There’s a place for being disciplined… and being uncomfortable sometimes to get better, but it’s also no more important than family or being healthy.” His message to his students is clear: while music is always a priority, your happiness and the people around you are much bigger ones.
This focus on forming meaningful relationships inadvertently helped Carthan land his role in Prima Theatre’s upcoming holiday show, Illumination. After fellow pianist James Fernando recommended him to Prima, Carthan called Prima’s Executive Artistic Producer Mitch Nugent to chat about the show. Nugent appreciated Carthan taking the time to call and invited him to see Prima’s current show at the time, The Music of Queen and Journey. Impressed by the show, Carthan soon signed on for Illumination.
When asked what audiences should expect from the upcoming production, Carthan jokes that the audience will feel like they’re “part of the band.” Illumination’s theatre-in-the-round staging means the audience will have an up-close view not just of Carthan and his piano but also of every other performer, including a cellist, a percussionist, a guitarist, four singers, and several dancers. Between the cozy, intimate staging and the powerful musical performances, it will be a deeply immersive experience— one Carthan is working hard to help create.
“I’ll be honest, it’s been a lot of work!” he says. “Because Prima’s mantra is quality, quality, quality. They absolutely want things to be done at the highest level. It’s definitely a challenge— some of the music is very difficult— but I’m excited because I think it’s going to be a great show.”
Despite the challenges, Illumination is definitely a show that plays to Carthan’s strengths. For one thing, the whole show hinges on a baby grand piano, which will sit at the center of the stage, awash in the glow of hundreds of candles. And, much like him, Illumination resists being put into a singular box. Although the show has plenty of classic holiday tunes, there will also be some unexpected song choices and fresh spins on beloved favorites. Most importantly, though, Carthan and Prima have a shared vision of the powerful things music can do for people.
“They should expect to feel joy,” he adds. “Before, during, and after, because it’s all about joy. That’s the mission for the show.” Creating a joyful experience that doesn’t feel cliche or cloying is tricky. But with Illumination, Prima seems to have found the sweet spot, a combination of heartfelt and highly crafted that will delight just about everyone. And one thing is certain: when Carthan plays the piano, he’s definitely feeling joy. You’d be hard-pressed not to feel it too.
