![]() Pratt entered the University of Illinois at 16. (Provided: University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music) “No kid really likes to practice per se, but for me, I also never wanted to stop playing.”Īwadagin Pratt, creator of the Nina Simone Piano Competition, has performed on some of the top stages in the country. But when I was a kid, I was always just interested in music and playing music,” Pratt said. “The meaning of the music came later for me. Three years later, having moved to Normal, Illinois, with his family, he picked up the violin as well.īased on his choice of career, it’s fair to say it stuck with him. She’s vice president of strategic affairs and vice provost of inclusion and diversity at Virginia Tech.Īt 6-years-old, Pratt started studying piano. ![]() ![]() Menah is an accomplished pianist and violinist in her own right, although she pursued a career in academia. Pratt said his father listened to classical music “pretty much all the time” when he was growing up, so it was inevitable he and his sister, Menah, would follow in their musical footsteps. C "Ted" Pratt and Mildred, both of whom were college professors. “We decided to step in and provide a platform for these young African American pianists to get both the exposure and mentoring they deserve.” ‘Classical’ support from the cradle and beyondīorn in Pittsburgh, Pratt is the son of Dr. “I realized I had this really great support system growing up but many young pianists don’t have that,” said Pratt, who’s also piano professor at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Winners of each age group will also go home with a cash prize and performance opportunities, including acceptance into Pratt’s Art of the Piano showcase. The biennial competition will give young Black American pianists, ages 10 to 35, a chance to shine on a major stage in front of a distinguished audience of potential mentors, fellow musicians and concert presenters. Pratt has launched the Nina Simone Piano Competition. Now 56, and the father of a young son, Pratt is turning much of his attention to mentoring the next generation of pianists to ensure they have the mentorship and support he had growing up. He’s toured Japan four times.īut none of those recitals or concerts would have happened if it weren’t for the hours of practice and endless support from his music-loving parents, and later the faculty and staff at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, a celebrated conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. He’s even hit the international circuit, performing in some of the most grand opera halls around the world – Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Israel, Columbia and South Africa. Since then, Pratt has played many recitals throughout the United States, including performances at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall and the NJ Performing Arts Center.
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