DAVIS, Calif. — Brushing off a disappointing experience at his last competition, 13-year-old Nathan Kim returned to what he does best: playing piano.

The seventh-grade student at Mountain View Middle School tied for first place in the young artist piano division March 2 at the Mondavi Center Young Artists National Competition on the campus of the University of California-Davis.

“We were just going in there without much expectation,” said Kim’s father, Daniel. “There were some high-caliber kids there. He did his best and it showed. We were very, very humbled.”

Sharing top honors in the competition with Kim, which includes artists between the ages of 10 and 16, was Ray Ushikubo.
Nathan Kim played Bach’s “Prelude & Fugue in C-sharp Major,” and Chopin’s “Variations Brillantes” before finishing with Robert Mucyzynski’s “Tocatta” as his showpiece.

“I think the showpiece really cinched the deal for him,” Daniel Kim said.

Those who won in Davis will perform at the 2013 Napa Valley Festival del Sole and at the 2013 InConcert Sierra in Nevada City. Winners at Mondavi will also be invited to return as part of the Debut Series in future seasons and to perform with the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra.

“The Young Artists Competition is about discovery,” said Lara Downes, director of the event. “Discovery of young talent, new ideas and new musical relationships. We bring gifted young artists together from all over the country and give them opportunities to perform on world-class stages. We foster mentorship and collaboration between today’s leading artists and the musicians of tomorrow, encouraging careers crafted with creativity, innovation and passion.”

Nathan Kim followed up his win by placing second at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition, competing with a high school junior and a high school senior.

For that competition, Kim performed Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major.”

Although he doesn’t plan to compete again until May, Nathan Kim does plan to submit a recording of Mucyzynski’s piece to an international competition.

That competition may open the door for Kim to realize his next big goal, which is to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

“That’s going to be a long shot, but he’s working hard to get to that level¸” Daniel Kim said of making it to the hallowed ground for performers. “Hopefully, one of these days it will pay off.”

The youngster will take part in a piano master class through Portland Piano International in May, where he will get the chance to work with their new artistic director, Arnaldo Cohen.

In the meantime, Kim is spending some of this time working on new pieces for the fall season.

Nathan Kim has become accustomed to performing in front of big crowds at prestigious venues and in elite-level competition, but he wouldn’t go so far as to say he’s comfortable in those situations yet.

“Myself, I’d be totally freaked out,” Daniel Kim said. “He’s definitely more seasoned than your normal 13-year-old, that’s for sure.”

Story by Seth Gordon, Newberg Graphic