By Lyn Bronson
As the 2009 Music Teachers’ Association of California convention began to wind down its five days of intense musical activities, pianist Jon Nakamatsu presented a recital on Monday evening that was particularly appropriate to the occasion.
Speaking to the audience Nakamatsu, Gold Medal winner of the 1997 International Van Cliburn Piano Competition, reminded the audience of teachers and students that he himself is a product of MTAC and had appeared as a young student performing in various recitals and master classes in several annual conventions. He admitted that the sight of concert grand Steinways on stage in hotel ballrooms (not his usual performance venue) brought back to him memories of the nervous anticipation he felt while performing during conventions. We also learned that this was his last concert appearance as a bachelor, since he was getting married the following week – his bride, we learned, was not a musician thus he assured us there were not going to be any career conflicts.
