A Millhopper Montessori student has played piano just two years, but he's already placed second in a national competition in New York.

Raphael Wu, sitting on a bench outside Millhopper Montessori School, stared at the ceiling through his black-framed glasses as he rattled off his daily piano practice schedule.

“Thirty minutes playing, five minute rest. Then 30 minutes playing,” Raphael said.

The 6-year-old has played piano for two years. But a couple of years was enough for him to place second in the Golden Classical Music Awards International Music Competition.

He performed at Carnegie Hall on Oct. 28, one of the few competition winners from around the world to receive an invite from the judges. The recital was Raphael’s first time in the Big Apple.

Though he visited the “ginormous” Statue of Liberty and other Manhattan attractions, he enjoyed the recital most.

In front of hundreds of people in Weill Hall within Carnegie, he played part one of German composer Friedrich Kuhlau’s Sonatina Op. 55 No. 1. The piece reaches a level of difficulty that his piano instructor, Nadia Mezey, said typically takes around eight years to master.

With his golden trophy next to him, Raphael said he never felt nervous performing in front of the audience. He felt excited.

The display of confidence isn’t unusual for the boy, with both Raphael’s school teacher and mother describing him as “independent” more than once.

“He’s definitely a stand-out kind of kid,” said Anita Bender, his school teacher.

Mezey said the young pianist is a prodigy.

“He knows that he’s smart, he knows that he’s talented,” she said. “But on top of it all, he is very humble.”

Mezey recalled how after the youngster returned home from the competition, he said he’d like to work harder to place first next time.

Born in China, Raphael moved to the United States with his family three years ago. Both his parents play piano, making the instrument a natural choice. Though he doesn’t have a favorite song he likes to play, he enjoys listening to Beethoven’s Für Elise.

When he’s not studying music, Raphael plays baseball (first base and the outfield) and chess.

Once he perfects the ivory keys, he hopes to take up the saxophone.