Canadian-American pianist John Garo Lonergan is emerging as an increasingly prominent young artist. Since beginning his piano studies at age 6, he has appeared on stages across North America and Europe. John is currently pursuing postgraduate studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, under the guidance of Jon Nakamatsu and Garrick Ohlsson, as a recipient of The Kaufman-Angove Scholarship.
John was recently a Finalist in the Professional Artists Division of the Sonare International Piano Competition, and performed in Benaroya Hall in Seattle. In May 2026, John was awarded the Marliave Award for Best Piano Performance from the Berkeley Piano Club. In addition, John won first prize in the CAPMT Sonata Competition of 2023 and the Beverly August Piano Scholarship Competition of both 2022 and 2021. Previously, he earned second prize in both the MTNA California Young Artist Competition and the MTAC Young Artist Solo Competition of 2020.
Highlights from recent seasons include performances at SF Chamber Sessions, Berkeley Piano Club, and the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. In September 2022, John performed Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the Bob Cole Conservatory Symphony Orchestra as winner of the school’s 2021 Concerto Competition, under the baton of Jacob Sustaita from the Pacific Symphony.
John’s development as an artist has been shaped by training at leading summer programs such as the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Gijón International Piano Festival, Virtuoso & Belcanto, and Orford Musique. At these festivals he has enjoyed studies with coveted pianists such as HieYon Choi, Boris Berman, Robert McDonald, Wei-Yi Yang, Julian Martin, James Giles, André Laplante and Norman Krieger. John has also performed in masterclasses for esteemed artists including Alexander Korsantia, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Douglas Humpherys, Frederic Chiu, and the Morgenstern Piano Trio.
John also has experience as a collaborative pianist, composer, and arranger. He worked as a staff pianist for the vocal department at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music during the 2023-2024 school year. In early 2018, John composed a string quartet titled Nouveau Quatuor which was premiered and recorded by members of the San Francisco Symphony. John has also premiered works by living composers; including Sonatina by Puerto Rican composer Raymond Torres-Santos, and Deep Sun by John Brockett.
John previously studied with Craig Richey at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University Long Beach, where he earned both a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music on full scholarship. His additional past teachers include Sharon Mann, Roza Yoder and Diana Cefalo.