A late afternoon crowd packed Rockwood Music Hall‘s intimate space on the Lower East Side yesterday to witness the premiere concert of New York’s very own singer-songwriter, 14 year old Michael Eliran.

Before his set, Michael mingled with the crowd, joking with friends and classmates and posing for pictures with his musician father, Ron Eliran.

When he performs, it’s easy to forget his youth. But then you glance around and see the non-alcoholic drink specials and Blow Pops covering the tables and you remember that he’s just another high schooler, albeit one with extraordinary talent.

Michael has an easy command of the stage and of his audience, drifting between the piano and guitar and seamlessly.

Eliran started playing piano at the age of five and composed his first song – in memory of his departed grandfather – just four years later. His talent earned him a spot at New York’s prestigious Special Music School, where he was one of just 15 students to make it past the notoriously challenging audition process.

His knowledge of pop music is vast and deep – he can go from talking about his admiration for classical music to his love of The Strokes in the course of a single sentence.

He treated us to songs from his EP, An Anthem to Forget, and a few crowd-pleasing covers of some of his favorite songs by Coldplay and The Strokes.

Keep an ear out for this charming star on the rise and don’t forget to pick up a copy of An Anthem to Forget, a radio-friendly and infectious debut.

See Michael Eliarn‘s Official Website

images: allieiswired.com

Enjoy a clip of Michael Eliran’s music, after the jump!