The Pasadena Community Orchestra is excited to announce that pianist Nathan Pak is the winner of the 2024 Young Artist Competition (Junior Division). Nathan will perform the the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 at the Pasadena Community Orchestra’s May 10, 2024 concert.
About our Young Artist Competition Junior Division winner. Pianist Nathan Pak is a sophomore at Taft High School STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). He has been studying piano under the guidance of Dr. Agnes Kim since 2019. Last year, he brought in several honorable titles including the 1st place winner at the renowned Music Teachers’ Association of California’s Southern California Regional Solo Competition and the honorable mention in Music Teachers National Association. Currently, he is one of 5 pianist semifinalists for the Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight competition. Some of his previous accomplishments include first prizes from open categories at Southwestern Youth Music Festival and Satori Competition (2019, 2022), Santa Clarita Valley Romantic Music Festival (2020, 2022), and the Junior and Senior Division at the Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra and Master Chorale Bach Competition (2019, 2022). Back when he was in South Korea, his talents were nurtured by Jeong-A Kim, a professional piano instructor in Korea, where he marked his first concerto debut with the Goyang Nuri Chamber Orchestra (2018), playing Mozart’s 20th piano concerto in South Korea. Aside from piano, he also excels in academics, actively working as a tutor at his school.
About the Young Artist Competition. Pasadena Community Orchestra has been promoting and providing solo performance opportunities for young instrumental artists since 1986. Each year the winner of the Competition has the opportunity to play a concerto with the Orchestra during its upcoming season, as well as receiving a cash prize. Several previous competitors and winners have gone on to prestigious music schools and careers in music performance. Starting in 2023-24, the Orchestra has hosted a Senior Division competition and a Junior Division competition.
