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Natiuk receives award in international piano and strings competition

Trevor Natiuk, Walla Walla University junior computer science and music double major, won second place in the College Students and Professional Musicians Category of the American Protégé International Piano & Strings Competition 2020. Natiuk is a piano student of Jinhyang Park, assistant professor of music.

For the competition, Natiuk performed Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 22, I–Allegro Marcato, a piece composed in 1952 by Alberto Ginastera, an Argentinian composer from Buenos Aires. Natiuk is invited to participate in the Winners Recital at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

“Music has always been a part of me, my household, my thoughts, my free time, my studies, and my worship,” said Natiuk. “Music has turned into both an outlet and a self-imposed challenge, and I have always seen it being a long-term passion in my life.

“I do not intend to pursue it as a career, but instead as something I can fall back on when my career gets tough. As far as those around me, I’m always inexplicably appreciative of how much support I receive, even on a daily basis. To see my work accepted so graciously and respected so highly has only ever made me want to continue sharing my gifts.”

Park said about Natiuk, “Trevor is always well prepared for his lessons and eager to learn more repertoire. He started learning the first movement of Piano Sonata No.1, Op. 22 last summer and has planned to learn all the four movements this year. This piece requires excellent technique. In addition to diligent practice, he researched the historical, musical, and theoretical aspects of the sonata.”

 Natiuk explained some of the history behind the piece: “Ginastera studied with Aaron Copland in the U.S. from 1945–1947 and subsequently became a teacher back in his hometown. He composed music for opera, chamber, piano, organ, choir, orchestra, and more. Over time his style shifted from a strictly nationalist approach to a more cosmopolitan approach and a more sophisticated technical treatment of his musical materials. The Op. 22 piano sonata reflects this integration of nationalism and compositional method through its fusion of lively, dance-derived rhythms, evocative textures, and modern musical expressions.” 

 The American Protégé International Piano & Strings Competition 2020 is a competition open to students of all levels, amateurs, and professionals. Several winners have continued on to participate in America’s Got Talent and other competitions. Contestants this year—the largest number that have applied so far to the Competition—came from 18 different countries, including the U.S., Canada, Germany, Russia, South Korea, and Singapore.

 To learn more about the recital and view upcoming recital dates, or to see the complete list of winners, visit AmericanProtégé. To learn more about the music department at WWU, visit wallawalla.edu/music.

Posted March 3, 2020

interior golden wood of a piano in a soft golden light.
The American Protégé International Piano & Strings Competition 2020 is a competition open to students of all levels, amateurs, and professionals.
young man wearing a blue and white dress shirt.
Natiuk is a piano student of Jinhyang Park, assistant professor of music.