Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it can also bring to life new talent.

Pianist Martin Kasik, featured soloist with the Prague Symphony Orchestra, says there is one reason he started playing piano.

“I was very curious about everything,” Kasik says.

At the age of 4, he started trying to play some folk songs he heard on the radio.

Unlike many child prodigies, Kasik says from ages 4 to 7 he would practice on his own — no one ever pushed him. Neither of his parents were musicians, and he had several other interests.

“I wanted to be a physicist or a chess player,” he says.

It later became obvious that his piano skills were far more advanced than his other skills. At the age of 14, he began a six-year study at the Conservatory in Ostrava.

Next, he spent five years at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Now, at 28, Kasik said he enjoys doing exactly what he wants.

“To be a musician means you do what you love,” Kasik says.

When he is not on tour, Kasik says he usually spends seven to eight hours a day practicing. Some days 10 hours are necessary. Monotonous practicing can make music become very gray and normal, though, he says.

“You should keep your feelings fresh,” he says. “Always try to enjoy the moment of creation.”

Kasik said one of his greatest desires is to continue to be amazed by the sheer beauty of music and not become disgruntled by duty, which he says is a big danger when it becomes your job.

“You have to find a way to like it every time — otherwise you will ruin your life,” he says.

Kasik says too many people think they can wait for happiness in life. The rest of your life is your life, he says.

“I love to communicate with people through music,” he says. “When I communicate with people in this way, I feel most happy.”

Rastislav Stur, conductor for the Prague Symphony Orchestra, says Kasik is one of the most talented pianists he has have ever met.

“It is a truly wonderful experience to be able to collaborate with him and to experience concerts with him,” Stur says.

Performing with the Prague Symphony Orchestra is refreshing, Kasik says, because instead of being a student of great musicians, he gets to play with them on their level.

“You are on a wave that just carries you,” he says.

Stur says he also enjoys working with the Prague Symphony Orchestra because of the musicians. He said he believes they are highly motivated and dedicated to making beautiful music.

“These people tend to focus on the positive, and this positive energy makes me want to give 120 percent to work as hard as they are to create that magic,” Stur says.

This magic can work in mysterious ways, Stur says. It can transport a listener to another time and place depending on how they interpret the music.

“It’s all about imagination, dreaming and feeling,” he says.

Who: Prague Symphony Orchestra

Where: Stephens Auditorium

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday

Cost: $21.50-$23.50 for students, $40.50-$44.50 for public