YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF MUSIC CLUBS
Andante Music Club of Bella Vista
& NWA Music, Art, Poetry Club
FOR YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM:
Biennial Award in Odd-Numbered Years. Competition is open to artists
ready for a concert career in four classifications: piano, string instruments, woman’s voice, and man’s voice. Winners perform at the NFMC Biennial Convention.
2025 Young Artist/Piano is Misha Galant
Born into a family of musicians, Misha Galant began piano lessons at the age of six. During high school, he received guidance from Sharon Mann and Joshikazu Nagai of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He went on to graduate from Columbia University. While also earning degrees in Data Science and Russian Literature.
In 2023, he earned a Degree in Piano Performance followed in 2025 by a Master’s in Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Utah, where he completed a thesis on evaporation dynamics in the areas surrounding the Great Salt Lake.
Misha gave his first full solo recital at age 12 and made his orchestral debut at 13, performing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Oakland East Bay Symphony.
Additionally, Misha is an avid chamber musician and enjoys performing benefit concerts for retirement communities and charitable causes. In 2021 he raised over $1.000 through performances for
Haiti earthquake relief, and in 2022 he raised more than $8,500 for Ukraine war relief.
Outside of his musical and academic pursuits, Misha enjoys hiking, trail running, and skiing and was a member of Columbia University’s Division I swim team, training twenty hours per week.
