Joshua Mhoon
CHICAGO, IL | AGE 22
REPERTOIRE
ROUND 1:
JOEL THOMPSON: My Dungeon Shook: Three American Preludes (2020)
GEORGE GERSHWIN: Three Preludes for Piano
ROUND 2:
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 14 "Moonlight"
SEMI-FINALS:
CONCERTO:
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30
BIOGRAPHY:
American pianist Joshua Mhoon is rapidly emerging as one of the most compelling young artists in classical music today. Discovered at age seven, his remarkable talent and rapid musical development quickly distinguished him despite beginning piano later than many peers. Raised in Chicago, he studied at the Merit School of Music before entering Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music at just 15 under Dr. James Giles. He currently studies at The Juilliard School with internationally celebrated pianists Emanuel Ax, Yoheved Kaplinsky, and Julian Martin.
Mhoon has earned top honors in prestigious competitions, including the DePaul National Concerto Competition, Walgreens National Concerto Competition, and the Emilio del Rosario Concerto Competition. His growing international profile has led to major engagements throughout the United States and abroad for the 2025–2026 season. In 2025, he was selected as one of four inaugural Artists in Residence for the Piano Festival of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, where he performed and taught during the month-long festival.
He has appeared at renowned venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Steinway Hall, the Chicago Symphony Center, Alice Tully Hall, and the Musikverein in Vienna. Mhoon has collaborated with acclaimed artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Lang Lang, Anthony McGill, Emanuel Ax, Randall Goosby, and Gil Shaham, and has performed with leading orchestras in the United States and Europe.
Deeply influenced by Chicago’s rich Black musical traditions—including jazz, gospel, blues, and hip-hop—Mhoon brings a distinctive artistic voice to classical music and remains committed to expanding the art form to broader, more inclusive audiences worldwide.
