It was a Christmas wish come true for one pint-sized Alberta conductor.
Jordan Cartwright, from Grande Prairie, took the stage at the Francis Winspear Centre in Edmonton Monday night to lead the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) through the national anthem.
His spot on stage earned him the title of youngest conductor in the symphony's history.
The seven-year-old has been battling high-risk stage 4 leukemia for the past nine months, and living at Ronald McDonald House with his family.
He became interested in music after recently working with a music therapist, and went on to compose his own original song, reports the Edmonton Journal.
Staff at Ronald McDonald House took note of his special interest in classical music and got to work, arranging the surprise guest conductor gig for Jordan.
"When he lifted that baton and they went boom with the music, I could see his knees just about buckle," Jordan’s father, Scott Cartwright, told Global News from dress rehearsal Monday afternoon.
"He was like, 'holy man that’s really, like, for real.'"
After doing the television and radio rounds with local media, Jordan was treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of the ESO, and greeted by Mayor Don Iveson, who presented him with an official letter of welcome to the city.
Attendees of the ESO’s Candy Cane Christmas concert were all smiles, cheering Jordan on in-person and posting their support online, using the hashtag #JordanTakesTheStage.