Albert Hacker is a 16 year old, 11th grade student at the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) Instrumental Music Conservatory Pianist Program, Performance Group, under the guidance of Dr. Sarkis Baltaian. He has been studying piano since the age of 5 and has earned top awards in local, regional, and international piano competitions. He has performed in winner’s concerts at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria, and was invited to perform at Beethoven House in Bonn, Germany. He also recently had the honor of a masterclass with renowned professor, Claudius Tanski, at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. He regularly volunteers to perform at retirement homes, assisted living facilities, and other community venues, and received a letter of commendation from Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (Virginia, 10th District) for performing two full hour Solo and Ensemble Concerts together with his younger brother, Vincent, at a retirement community in Ashburn, Virginia. Besides piano, he also formally studied violin as a secondary instrument, earning spots in regional Honor level orchestras. He is also passionate about Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering, and has won awards at invention and science fairs, including 1st place on multiple occasions, a special Raytheon Award, and a Broadcom Masters nomination. He enjoys biking, swimming, tennis, and playing board games with his brother. In addition to dreams of becoming a world class pianist, he aspires to become a brain surgeon and save lives.
Watch Albert Hacker perform Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 by Frank Liszt on the piano for the 2025 Virtuoso Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.