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, with performances in Germany, Italy, and Spain.
John has participated in a number of respected international competitions, including the Weatherford College International Piano Competition, the Alicante International Piano Competition in Spain, and the Canada International Artists Piano Competition. He was awarded first prize in the CAPMT Sonata Competition of 2023 and the Beverly August Piano Scholarship Competition of both 2022 and 2021. In addition, 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, Studzinski Recital Hall, 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 Brevard Music Center. At these festivals he has enjoyed studies with coveted pianists such as Boris Berman, Robert McDonald, Wei-Yi Yang, Julian Martin, James Giles, Jean Saulnier and Norman Krieger. John has also performed in masterclasses for esteemed artists including Alexander Korsantia, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Douglas Humphreys, Frederic Chiu, and the Morgenstern Piano Trio.
John also has experience as a collaborative pianist, composer, and arranger. In summer 2022, he appeared at the Romantic Lied in Germany festival, collaborating with singers in the performance of German Lieder in Trossingen, Germany. 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; in May 2024 he made the premiere recording of Sonatina by Puerto Rican composer Raymond Torres-Santos.
John is currently pursuing postgraduate studies on scholarship at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, under the guidance of Jon Nakamatsu and Sharon Mann. He previously studied with Craig Richey at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSU Long Beach, where he earned both a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music on full scholarship.