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Biography
Jon Yasuhiro Nakamatsu (born 1968, San Jose, California ) is a Japanese American classical piano|classical pianist http://www.ohlone.edu/org/foundation/archives/20061105jonnakamatsu.html Ohlone College Foundation Event Archive who still resides in San Jose but mostly performs away from home. He is the son of David Y. Nakamatsu (San Jose engineer) and Karen F. Maeda Nakamatsu (city employee).
In June 1997 Nakamatsu won the Gold Medal at the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas . He is 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 Sergei Rachmaninoff|Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 (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 http://ed.stanford.edu/suse/news-bureau/displayRecord.php? tablename=susenews& id=304 Stanford University School of Education > News Bureau since age 6 (1974).
Graduated from Prospect High School (California)|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 University 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) http://www.capecodchambermusic.org/ Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival website
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 (Mountain View)|Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California and part-time pianist.
Debuts
venue !! date
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
Trivia
Named Debut Artist of the Year in 1998 by National Public Radio ’s Performance Today
Was featured in '' Reader's Digest in June 1998
Has been profiled on CBS Sunday Morning
Discography
!! title !! label !! date !! catalog number !! notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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8.
Billboard (magazine)|Billboard top classical albums http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/chart_display.jsp? g=Albums& f=Top+Classical+Albums Billboard.com - Charts - Albums - Top Classical Albums
issue date
rank
13 October 2007
not ranked in top 15
6 October 2007
15
29 September 2007
14
22 September 2007
10
15 September 2007
8
8 September 2007
4
1 September 2007
4
25 August 2007
7
18 August 2007
3
11 August 2007
7
4 August 2007
12
28 July 2007
9
21 July 2007
9
14 July 2007
9
7 July 2007
8
30 June 2007
11
23 June 2007
13
16 June 2007
21
9.
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
award !! competition !! location !! date
Gold Medalist ($20,000)
First Prize
References
reflist
External links
http://www.jonnakamatsu.com/ Jon Nakamatsu official web site
http://streams.wgbh.org/online/play.php? xml=clas/cmd080523manasse.xml& template=wgbh_audio/ Hear Jon Nakamatsu in concert from WGBH Boston
Persondata |name=Nakamatsu, Jon |alternative names= |short description= |date of birth=1968 |place of birth= |date of death= |place of death= | NAME= Nakamatsu, Jon | DATE OF BIRTH= 1968 DEFAULTSORT:Nakamatsu, Jon Category:American classical pianists Category:American classical musicians of Japanese descent Category:Musicians from California Category:Foothill College alumni Category:People from San Jose, California Category:Stanford University alumni Category:Living people Category:1968 births Category:Stanford University School of Education alumni
