On stage, his hands hover momentarily above the keys.
He takes a breath and centers himself.
In his head, the chairs and curtains fade away. The room transforms into a forest: trees towering, air still, light filtered by rustling branches. In this haven, it’s only him and a piano.
“When I play piano, everything else disappears,” junior Simon Darghi said.
Dargahi was first inspired to play the piano when he was seven years old, when he first watched an anime called Piano Forest.
“I loved the fact it was just the character, the piano and nature,” Dargahi said. “That’s how I initially got inspired.”
“I try to think that I’m the only one here with the piano — just you and the piano with no audience,” Dargahi said.
Although Dargahi now speaks passionately about the piano, that wasn’t always the case.
“When I first started piano, I had private lessons with a teacher,” Dargahi said. “He gave me pieces that I didn’t like, and I never had the motivation to play. It felt like just something I had to get done and out of the way.”
When he ended private lessons and began choosing his own pieces, that’s when his passion sparked.
When Dargahi took his talent to the Bellaire High School piano program, piano and orchestra teacher Laurette Reynosa was among the first to notice his potential.
“When Simon first played for me, I noticed that he had strong musical instincts,” Reynosa said. “He instinctually knows where to add phrasing, voicing and dynamics.”
His skill was driven not just by talent, but by dedication.
“I usually practice for an hour at school, but I also practice at home too,” Dargahi said. “Last year, I was playing this piece called Prelude op. 23 no. 5 in G minor which was an extremely challenging piece, so it took me lots of practice to master it.”
His dedication did not go unnoticed — last year he won the prize of Bellaire’s Most Improved Pianist, a certificate given to him by Reynosa.
“He chooses challenging pieces that will push him to become a better pianist,” Reynosa said. “He sets goals for himself and often spends extra time during lunch and after school, working to attain those goals.”
Still, his most consistent listener is neither a judge nor a teacher.
Dargahi and his girlfriend, junior Kyla Rocha, initially bonded over their love for music, as Rocha plays the violin.
But Rocha doesn’t just listen to him play, she studies him intently at the piano.
“I am simply in awe when he’s playing,” Rocha said. “I get into a trance as I watch his fingers move across the piano when he plays. He’s amazing because he practices constantly. It’s like his second love.”
10 years of investment into the piano was materialized into Dargahi performing at Houstonfest.
He played in a trio — Dargahi, Rocha and cellist Ethan Ho. In front of a panel of judges, he steadied himself and began to play.
“We had to wait until the afternoon for the results, which was really stressful,”Dargahi said. “I remember when the host said Bellaire High School [placed fourth]. We jumped for joy because we were that happy. I felt as if all that time and effort finally got somewhere.”
Although he performs often, no amount of performance can rid him of the nerves in his stomach.
“When performing, I try to think I’m the only one there, with no audience,” Dargahi said. “I love the feeling of it just being you and the piano. In Piano Forest, it’s only the kid and the piano — no one else. That’s why I love piano.”
