"There's an openhearted sincerity ... and a pervasive sense of personal investment ... Larson offer[ed] a soaring, anthemic rendition that I find quite moving ... great warmth and a fine sense of spaciousness ... subtle and elegant."

--Fanfare

 

At the age of two, Kaden Larson was struck with a severely crippling case of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis in his hands and feet. The piano served, initially, as a therapeutic activity to fight the disease. What began as a trial became a triumph and a calling. As a performer, passionate teacher, and lifelong learner, Kaden uses music to promote faith, compassion, beauty, and a greater appreciation for the joys and challenges of life that bring people closer together.

 

Energized by a broad spectrum of musical styles from the academic to the popular, Kaden is an avid recitalist who regularly performs throughout his home state of Utah and has performed in locations throughout the United States and Europe. Active as both a soloist and chamber musician, his repertoire is extensive, from Beethoven to Bolcom, Liszt to Ligeti, and Medtner to Messiaen. He has performed as soloist with the Oquirrh Mountain Symphony, Utah Philharmonic Orchestra, BYU Symphony Orchestra, BYU Philharmonic, and IU Conductor’s Orchestra, and as ensemble pianist with a number of orchestras including presently as Principal Keyboard of the Longview Symphony Orchestra. Working to make classical music accessible and enjoyable to new audiences, Kaden is a founding member of the Ensign Piano Quartet, as well as the award-winning consonari ensemble project with his wife, violinist Anna Larson. Together, Kaden and Anna have taught and performed nationally, engaging in community and educational outreach, programming contemporary and under-recognized music, commissioning new works, and always looking for new adventures.

 

Kaden’s graduate studies were at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he earned a Master of Music degree, the prestigious Performer’s Certificate, and a Doctorate of Music in Piano Performance and Literature. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree at Brigham Young University, graduating summa cum laude, during which time he also spent a term of music study in Vienna, Austria. His primary mentors include Tricia West, Chad Schumacher, Scott Holden, Stephen Beus, and Norman Krieger, and he has worked with numerous top pianists in lessons and masterclasses, such as Anton Nel and Tamás Ungár. Kaden also credits his angelically patient parents for a lifetime of enthusiastic encouragement. He has been either a prizewinner or finalist in the WPTA Finland International Piano Competition, Clara Schumann International Competition, Virtuoso Artists Festival (Seattle Int’l Piano Festival and Competition), MTNA Stecher and Horowitz Two Piano Competition, Brancaleoni International Online Piano Competition, Neapolitan Masters Competition, Tkaczewski International Piano Competition, Helen Taylor Johannesen International Piano Competition, MTNA Young Artist Division in both Utah and Indiana, UMTA Concerto Competition, and the International Great Composers Competition Series, among others.

 

Professor of Piano/Music at Tyler Junior College (Tyler, TX), Dr. Larson teaches applied piano performance, secondary piano, chamber music and ensemble skills, music literature, and aural skills. Dr. Larson is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM) and maintains a selective private studio with students of all ages and abilities. His involvement with the Music Teachers’ National Association has included leadership, presentations at state and national pedagogy conferences, and organization of various music initiatives including concert, lecture, and workshop series. Kaden currently serves as President of the East Texas Music Teachers’ Association and as Chair of the June Leondar Chamber Music Contest. He is also an adjudicator for the Bay Area Piano Competition. His students consistently demonstrate a high level of success in performance, exams, and other evaluations, but more importantly, they always seem to find that playing the piano is actually kind of growing on them.

 

When he's not attempting to actually practice the piano, Kaden enjoys hiking, skiing, baking, and generally breaking the fourth wall. He also enjoys developing his skills at the organ, being involved with local choral arts, and composing and arranging. Kaden and his Anna are happily employed as domestic help for a loquacious orange tabby named Apollo.

Kaden’s first album, Phantasium, is available on the KNS Classical label. Visit kadenlarsonpiano.com for bookings, concert schedule, and more.

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