Musician Spotlight: Nolan Tu, 2023 PPI Concerto Competition Winner

Posted on October 2, 2023

High School Senior and pianist Nolan Tu recently won the 2023 Portland Piano International (PPI) Concerto Competition with his dazzling performance of Camille Saint-Saëns’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

When preparing for the concerto competition with his teacher Renato Fabbro, Nolan recalls being motivated by the prospect of performing alongside the Philharmonic Orchestra on the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall stage.

“The thought of being able to perform in a concert with the wonderful Portland Youth Philharmonic, consisting of students my age (possibly even friends that I know), was just extremely exciting to me, so I practiced so much,” said Nolan.

“All that practice paid off when it was announced that I had won [the PPI concerto competition] - It felt unreal in the moment, and after I had processed that, I was (and still am) so excited and happy. I’m extremely grateful to the judges for granting me this opportunity to be able to work/perform with PYP!”

Saint-Saëns’s bold and dramatic second piano concerto evokes a range of feelings. The First Movement leaves you with a sense of wistful yearning; the second movement shifts in tone to that of a more joyful and harmonious melody; and we complete the journey with a beautifully triumphant ending.

When asked why he chose to perform that piece, Nolan had this to say:

“There are so many wonderful piano concertos out there so it was hard for me to choose. Saint-Saëns wrote a vast number of beautiful melodies that resonated with me. I love this piece, in particular, because of the emotional journey it takes us on - Ranging from longing and mysteriousness to triumphant.”

Throughout his life, Nolan says he has always been more comfortable expressing himself through music instead of words. He hopes that the audience on November 11th will find comfort in his performance and experience the full range of emotions this piece is meant to elicit.

“I’m beyond thrilled to be able to perform with Mr. Hattner and my friends and peers in PYP,” said Nolan. “Just all around performing with all these musicians that inspire me daily is something I’m really looking forward to.”

Tickets are on sale now! Don’t miss your chance to see Nolan’s stunning performance live in person or online in November. Learn more and purchase tickets at portlandyouthphil.org/concerts.