Jon Nakamatsu

Jon Yasuhiro Nakamatsu (born 1968, San Jose, California) is an American classical pianist[1] who resides in San Jose.

Jon Nakamatsu at the Peninsula Symphony concert, San Mateo, California on October 21, 2005

About

He is the son of David Y. Nakamatsu, a San Jose electrical engineer, and Karen F. Maeda Nakamatsu, a city employee. He was raised in nearby Sunnyvale, California and attended St. Francis High School.[2]

In June 1997 Nakamatsu won the Gold Medal at the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas.[2] He was the first American to win this prize since 1981. Right after the competition, he quit his job as a high school German teacher to pursue a career as a classical pianist. He did not attend a music conservatory or major in music while he attended college and graduate school.

During the summer of 2005, Nakamatsu toured with the San Jose Youth Symphony in Spain, performing the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2, and in June 2007, he toured with the Peninsula Youth Orchestra to Budapest, Prague, and Teplice playing the same piece. During the summer of 2008, he also toured with the Stanford Symphony Orchestra to China, playing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue."

Education
  • Studied piano privately with Marina Derryberry[3] since age 6 (1974).
  • Graduated from Prospect High School, Saratoga, California, 1986
  • A.A. Associate of Arts degree, Foothill College (community college), Los Altos Hills, California, 2000 (officially awarded long after degree requirements met)
  • B.A. Bachelor of Arts degree in German Studies, Stanford University, California, 1991
  • M.A. Master of Arts degree in Education, Stanford Graduate School of Education, California, 1992

Career
  • May–June 2007: Regular Jury member, Fifth International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, Fort Worth, Texas
  • 2006-current: Co-Artistic Director of Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival (with Jon Manasse)[4]
  • June 2000: Regular Jury member (preliminaries only), Second International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, Fort Worth, Texas
  • June 1999: Regular Jury member (all three rounds), First International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, Fort Worth, Texas
  • 1997–current: Full-time pianist
  • 1991–1997: German language teacher at Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California and part-time pianist.

Debuts
venuedate
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra22 May 2009[5]

Trivia

Discography
compact discs
titlelabeldatecatalog numbernotes
1.Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Jon Nakamatsu, Gold MedalistHarmonia MundiJune 1997HMU 907218 (CD)
2.Chopin Selected WorksHarmonia MundiOctober 1998HMU 907244 (CD)
3.Lukas Foss, Piano Concertos, Elegy for Anne FrankHarmonia MundiApril 2001HMU 907243 (CD)out of print
4.Sergei Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 3, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Jon Nakamatsu, piano
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Christopher Seaman, conductor		Harmonia MundiSeptember 2001HMU 907286 (CD)
HMU 807286 (hybrid SACD/CD)
5.Wölfl, 4 Piano Sonatas, Piano Sonatos Op. 25 & 33Harmonia MundiNovember 2003HMU 907324 (CD)
6.Brahms, Piano Sonata, No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5Harmonia MundiOctober 2004HMU 907339 (CD)
7.Franz Liszt, The Dante Sonata & other worksHarmonia Mundi14 November 2006HMU 907409 (CD)
8.George Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F, Rhapsody in Blue, Cuban Overture
Jon Nakamatsu, piano
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Jeff Tyzik, conductor		Harmonia Mundi8 May 2007HMU 807441 (hybrid SACD/CD)
Billboard top classical albums[6]
issue daterank
13 October 2007not ranked in top 15
6 October 200715
29 September 200714
22 September 200710
15 September 20078
8 September 20074
1 September 20074
25 August 20077
18 August 20073
11 August 20077
4 August 200712
28 July 20079
21 July 20079
14 July 20079
7 July 20078
30 June 200711
23 June 200713
16 June 200721
9.Johannes Brahms: Sonatas Op. 120 Number 1 in F minor and Number 2 in E-flat major for clarinet and piano with Jon Manasse, clarinetHarmonia Mundi8 January 2008HMU907430 (CD)
10.Robert Schumann: Carnaval, Op. 9; Papillons, Op. 2; Piano Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22Harmonia Mundi4 March 2014HMU907503 (CD)

Nakamatsu is featured in the documentary movie "Playing with Fire": The Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which aired on PBS television and is available on DVD.

Awards
awardcompetitionlocationdate
Gold Medalist ($20,000)Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano CompetitionFort Worth, TexasJune 1997 (quadrennial)
First PrizeFifth U.S. National Chopin Piano CompetitionMiami, Florida1995

References
  1. Ohlone College Foundation Event Archive Archived 2008-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Patrick, Ruth (June 23, 2000). "Pianist Jon Nakamatsu: From Mountain View to Carnegie Hall". Mountain View Voice. Retrieved 2018-04-19.
  3. Stanford Graduate School of Education > News Bureau
  4. Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival website
  5. Huliq News: Nakamatsu Debuts Vancouver Symphony
  6. Billboard.com - Charts - Albums - Top Classical Albums
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