Classical music belongs, traditionally, to the young. This weekend’s Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra concert reminds us of that.

The concert features Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, nicknamed the “Turkish” for the glittery effects in its finale. Mozart was 18 when he wrote the piece.

And here to perform it will be 17-year-old Caroline Goulding.

Goulding, who also has played Mozart’s Fourth Violin Concerto with the BPO at Artpark, is on the cusp of a big career. She plays a centuries-old Amati violin that once belonged to patrons of Beethoven. She is up for a Grammy for her debut album—though she won’t be at the ceremony, because she’ll be in Buffalo.

Recently, Goulding aced the important, influential Young Concert Artists Auditions in New York. Clementina Fleshler, the former BPO violinist who runs the Buffalo Chamber Music Society, caught her performance and was bowled over.

“Caroline amazed me not by her fiery technical abilities, which she has in abundance, but by her very mature interpretation of the Bach G minor Partita,” Fleshler recalls. “It was a no-nonsense performance a la Nathan Milstein. Just beautiful and straightforward.”

Hearing that serious praise — Milstein was one of the 20th century’s top violinists — it’s fun to call Goulding in Cleveland and remember you are talking with a teenager.

A routine but necessary question — “How much do you practice?” — yields a tremendously entertaining response.

“Whenever anyone says that, I always say, I practice 12 hours a day,’ ” Goulding says, laughing. “And then they all look at me like, scared. I’m like, ‘I’m just kidding! I’m just kidding!’ It’s about three. I try to get in three and a half. Three to four. Say on an average, three to four. Once in a while, I hit that four-hour mark, and I feel really good.

“And I run,” she adds, breathlessly. “I just got new Nike tennis shoes. Lunar Lights, have you heard of those? This was funny, I was in New York yesterday — no, two days ago. And I needed to run. And I forgot my tennis shoes, my running shoes. I needed a new pair anyway. So I went to the Nike store. And I had my violin. The salesman said to me, ‘Why don’t you play me something and I’ll let you purchase the running shoes.’ I said, ‘OK, how about, if I play something for you, can I get the shoes for free?’ He said, ‘No, I can’t do that, maybe I’ll give you a discount.’

“So I decided I’d take them up on it. He said, ‘Yeah, play some Mozart.’ She laughs. “I didn’t play Mozart but I played a [John] Corigliano solo. I played the first variation, then the second, really fast. He ended up giving us 35 percent off! He bought my CD and it was so sweet! He bought it in Borders! Borders was next door. He took me over to the Borders and he had me sign it.

“It was just funny. I think I look younger than I am. Maybe he thought I was 8. Just kidding!”

Words of thanks

Just out of Gilmour Catholic Academy in Cleveland, Goulding is a freshman at the Cleveland Institute of Music. A native Midwesterner, she was born in Detroit.

Goulding began playing violin as a tot and showed such promise that when her teacher moved to Cleveland, her parents uprooted the family so she could follow him.

“It was such a sacrifice on my behalf,” she says.

Goulding grows serious as she credits people with helping her. She expresses gratitude not only to her parents but to the Stradivarius Society, which lent her the centuries-old violin, the Amati “Lobkowicz.”

“The Stradivarius Society has been very good to me,” she says. She has had the Amati on loan for four years.

Goulding came to the national spotlight thanks in part to “From the Top,” the popular show that features young talent and helped land her in the spotlight. Pianist Christopher O’Riley, the host of the show, accompanies her on her debut album.

Like O’Riley, she is not afraid of stretching the borders of classical music. Her debut disc, “Caroline Goulding,” Grammy-nominated for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance, illustrates the wide range of her artistry. It includes not only Fritz Kreisler, Corigliano and jazzy music by Paul Schoenfield, but also traditional Cape Breton Island fiddling.

“I’m mostly a classical violinist. To put yourself out of your comfort zone into another style is a challenge,” she says. “Of course, you always grow and learn.

“I’ve gotten so much wonderful feedback from people about the album,” she adds. “Not even just classical music lovers. That made me happy, to hear that someone else enjoys the music as much as I did.”

Listening to Goulding, one gets the sense she is standing at a magical crossroads.

She has a mature attitude toward many things. On performance jitters: “I have learned to use adrenaline to my advantage.” On missing the Grammy ceremonies: “I don’t mind. I’ve never played before with JoAnn Falletta.” On the Mozart concerto she is playing: “If you just listen to what he’s telling you to do, the performance will be great.”

Like Mozart was at her age, though, she is half mature artist and half teenager. The teenager surfaces at unpredictable moments.

One such moment is when Goulding is asked what musicians she would like to go back in time to meet.

“Milstein,” she says, for starters. “Or if I could collaborate with someone, Glenn Gould. Because he’s awesome! He’s an awesome pianist. If I played Bach violin sonatas, it would be with him. Jaime Laredo,” she says, seguing into a present-day violinist. “He is awesome, too. Brahms. Who wouldn’t go back in time to see Brahms? Frank Sinatra, because I like his music. Oh! George Gershwin. Mozart!”

Her voice rises. “I would do Mendelssohn, Mozart, Beethoven! The Lobkowicz family. They sponsored Beethoven. Stradivarius. Guarneri. Amati!

“I’d like to meet everyone!”

Concert Preview

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra all-Mozart concert, featuring teenage violinist Caroline Goulding

Kleinhans Music Hall, 8 p. m. Saturday and 2:30 p. m. Sunday; tickets are $34.50-$66.50; phone, 885-5000.