Admissions
Experience the Academy
Panther Spotlights
Jack Christ
Pianist and Future Chef
Grade: 7
Started with SA in: 6
Future plans: “I am mainly thinking about being a chef. I prefer Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisine.”
Role model: “When I was in second grade, my grandmother took me to Heinz Hall to see Lang Lang. He has inspired me in playing piano ever since.”
Favorite thing about SA: “The STEM challenges in science class. We work together as a team, and I always look forward to it every month. Plus, we never know when it’s going to be, so it’s a fun surprise.”
Spotlight: Jack began playing piano in Kindergarten. “I didn’t choose it,” he says. “I didn’t really like it until I saw Lang Lang perform. Then I was able to see what I could do with the instrument.” While Jack was not initially drawn to the piano, it has become a passion over the years. He recently won a solo competition through Pittsburgh Piano Teachers Association (PPTA) for the Intermediate (13-15) age group. All participants were judged on their performance of the same two pieces from memory: Sonata in A Major, K. 113, L. 345 by Domenico Scarlatti and Consolation in D-flat major, S.172, No. 3 by Franz Liszt. Going forward, Jack hopes to continue performing in competitions and recitals, and he is considering majoring in piano or music when he goes to college. But being a professional pianist is not on his radar – he anticipates that his hands will be busy creating culinary, not musical, masterpieces. 
