A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Nathan Cheung is known for his versatility as a solo pianist, collaborator, composer, and improviser. These roles are fueled by a passion to understand the power of great music and its potential to resonate with people from all walks of life.
Cheung won First Prize at the Los Angeles International Piano Competition (2019) and top prizes in over ten other international competitions such as Seattle, Wideman, and Heida Hermanns. After working as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, he joined the staff at Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music and actively performs around the country.
Cheung is a member of Happy Dog Duo with his longtime piano partner, Eric Tran. Together, they won the Ellis Duo Piano Competition (2017), the inaugural MTNA—Stecher and Horowitz Two Piano Competition (2018), and the Ohio International Piano Duet & Duo Competition. They are known for their innovative programming, fully memorized performances, and unabashed humor, bringing a fresh perspective to the four-hands repertoire.
A dedicated teacher, Cheung is currently designing a set of 24 preludes for those who have taken piano for two to three years. His students have won national competitions such as the United States Open Music Competition. He has given masterclasses and workshops for the Jacobs School of Music Young Pianists Program in Bloomington, Indiana, the Eastman Community Music School in Rochester, New York, and the National Federation of Music Clubs.
He received his doctorate and two master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music, as well as a BA from Stanford University. His primary teachers to whom his pianistic growth is largely indebted to were Natalya Antonova, Jean Barr, Nelita True, and Thomas Schultz.