Las Vegas 12-year-old pulls some strings at White House

WASHINGTON -- A last-minute illness forced Ariella Nounna-Holton of Las Vegas to cancel a coveted invitation to play her violin at the White House last December.

A rescheduled appearance went off without a hitch this week -- except for the foot blisters that formed after she stood in her gold-sparkled low-heeled shoes throughout her 90-minute performance.

Ariella is 12 and has been playing her instrument for more than half her life. At the White House on Tuesday, she performed near the entry to the Rose Garden while guests -- appointees to various federal agencies -- strolled through the public rooms decorated for the season.

A few people smiled and nodded and complimented her playing. "I heard someone say, 'She's good,'" said Ariella, who studies music at the Nevada School of the Arts.

Afterward, Ariella and her mother, Suzanne Nounna, were invited to stay and tour the premises. Her mother filled her digital camera with more than 500 photos.

"It was pretty much fun," Ariella said. Her repertoire consisted of holiday music ("We Three Kings," "Away in a Manger"), interspersed with selections by Brahms, Mozart and Beethoven.

Ariella met President George W. Bush in 2006 at a fundraiser in Reno, had her picture taken with him and received a presidential pin that she wore to the White House on Tuesday. She was one of 55 musicians and choral groups invited to play at White House holiday parties this year.

Alas, Bush was not at the party Tuesday. Guests watched him emerge from his Marine One helicopter late in the afternoon and walk across the grounds to the Oval Office.