Pianist Helen Huang, was just 10 years old when she made her debut with the New York Philharmonic as winner of its 1992 Young Artists' Competition. She is currently a second-year student at the Juilliard School and preparing to tour with the Philharmonic. She talks about meeting Maestro Masur and what it's like to grow up with the Orchestra.

What memory do you have of your first encounter with Kurt Masur?

Oh, I remember it very vividly. I remember the competition finals in Avery Fisher Hall. I don't come from a musical family, so I had never heard of Mr. Masur before. I didn't realize what a big deal it was to have him there. I remember looking out in the audience and seeing this older man surrounded by a number of orchestra players and looking very intimidating. I was a little bit afraid. I thought, Oh, that must be Masur.

I was very tiny, and had a little contraption for my feet, to be able to reach the pedal. The piano bench was too low, and a very nice lady was trying to find telephone books for me to sit on. She was having trouble finding enough big books, and after a time Masur exclaimed, "Will you please hurry up! The girl wants to play!" I was a little taken aback. But over the years we have become very close. He is so pleasant to work with.

Mr. Masur has been a champion of your playing for a number of years now. Would you say he is a mentor of yours?

He is, in a way; he is the person that kind of got things rolling. When you are a young artist, you always need that one person who sees the potential in you and can visualize a career going for you. It was totally by luck, the fact of my entering that competition at that time; I was very lucky.

You certainly didn't seem nervous up there.

It was one of those things. When you are little, you don't really know what you are doing. You are just up there onstage, having your fun.

You had already been pretty successful on the competition series at that young age.

I actually won the Philadelphia Orchestra's Young Artists Competition a few years before, when I was 7.

What concerto will you play on the Philharmonic's tour of Asia?

I'm playing the Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2. I played it with the Philharmonic here last April. I think it will be an interesting piece to bring on tour; it's not as well known as some. The Shostakovich First Concerto is performed much more often. Usually, when soloists tour with an orchestra, they are playing more standard repertory, like the concertos of Beethoven. This is sort of new, very fun, a very sparkly piece. Extremely brilliant. Shostakovich wrote it for his teenage son. I think audiences will really enjoy it in a good way.

How do you like working with the New York Philharmonic?

The musicians are so friendly. They are very warm. I feel like I have grown up with them. Starting from my debut, I have gone back to the Philharmonic pretty much every year. When I was young, I didn't realize what a huge deal it was to work with this orchestra. At that age, I didn't have much communication with the orchestra aside from the music, and so I didn't really feel so much a part of it. It was very different for me when I went back last year. I could actually feel comfortable mingling with the players. It feels more like an artists' collaboration, very natural.