Scholarship Alum Performs Internationally

Pianist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Nicholas King appeared on From the Top in May 2008 in New Albany, Ohio, where he performed the opening movement of Beethoven’s “Waldstein” Sonata.  If you don’t know the story of how Nick got started on the piano, listen to his From the Top appearance. Nick emailed us last week with some updates on his life now.

Nicholas King on From the Top, Spring 2008

Since my performance on From the Top, I’ve been pursuing my Bachelor of Music Degree at the Royal Conservatory of Music – Glenn Gould School with a scholarship under the guidance of Marc Durand. I am now entering my 3rd year of studies. Upon my first year at the school, I was the winner of the Tom Thompson Concerto Competition, a school wide competition.

This past year I performed the winning Poulenc 2 piano concerto in the brand new Koerner Hall under the fantastic Johannes Debus (conductor of the Canadian Opera Company) with my classmate Lucas Porter (we won with a 2 piano concerto). It is my understanding that we were the first freshmen ever to win this award. I’ve participated in master classes with Leon Fleischer, Louis Lortie, and John Perry.

I recently won the Jury’s Choice Prize at the American Paderewski Piano Competition – and will be participating in a week-long master class (which culminates with a concert) in Bydgoszcz, Poland with an orchestra this August. I will also be performing the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini with the Southeast Symphony Orchestra in the Walt Disney Concert Hall this summer – July 18. I paid for my first year of schooling with the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award Scholarship – and my second year was paid for with the funds gathered by a concert that I hosted. I will be giving another tuition fund-raising concert later this summer.