Pianist Natalie Sun, age 10, is a fourth grader at Challenger School. She began studying piano at the age of four with her mother and currently studies with Professor Jihea Hong-Park at Brigham Young University.
At the age of eight, Natalie became the youngest soloist in the history of the Utah Symphony after winning the orchestra’s 64th Salute to Youth Concerto Competition. She performed the first movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24, marking an important milestone in her rapidly emerging musical career.
In August 2025, Natalie made her debut at Carnegie Hall, an important international milestone. She has also appeared as a soloist with several orchestras, including the American Fork Symphony and the Chamber Orchestra of Ogden at age seven, the Utah Philharmonic Orchestra at age eight, and the Timpanogos Symphony Orchestra at age nine.
Natalie has earned first prizes in numerous state, regional, national, and international competitions. Her recent honors include First Prize in the 2025 San Francisco International Piano Competition (Rising Star A Category), First Prize in the Radda Rise International Piano Competition, First Prize in the Great Composers International Piano Competition for Best Prokofiev Performance, and First Prize in the UMTA Concerto Competition in both 2025 and 2026.
Through her performances, Natalie hopes to touch people’s hearts and share the vitality, energy, and passion of life. Her favorite composers include Bach, Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, and Shostakovich. In addition to performing, she enjoys composing music and often improvises her own short pieces.
Outside of music, Natalie has a deep love for animals and hopes to become both a concert pianist and a veterinarian in the future.
F. Liszt, Concert Etude "Gnomenreigen", S. 145, No. 2
J. Haydn, Sonata in F major, Hob. XVI:23, I. Allegro
F. Chopin, Mazurka in A minor, Op. 17, No. 4
