John began his musical journey shortly before his fourth birthday when he was introduced to the piano. By the age of four and a half, he had also taken up classical guitar, embracing both instruments with enthusiasm and discipline. Now 12 years old (2025), John has participated in numerous piano and classical guitar recitals, concerts, and exams.
He has consistently demonstrated excellence, passing every MTAC (Music Teachers’ Association of California) piano exam with Honors, and earning First Distinction with Honors in the RCM (Royal Conservatory of Music) exams for both classical guitar and music theory. Additionally, he has graduated from multiple levels of the Suzuki method for classical guitar, receiving certificates of completion along the way.
John is deeply committed to his musical education, with a personal mission to complete all MTAC, RCM, and Suzuki levels in both piano and classical guitar before graduating from high school. Although he only began entering music competitions this year (2025), he has already earned several awards, most recently winning First Prize at the Charleston International Music Competition for his performance of Aram Khachaturian’s Toccata on piano.
In his free time, he loves to compose and improvise on both piano and guitar. Beyond music, John enjoys coding, robotics, chess, basketball, and math. He looks forward to merging his passions by exploring music composition and production through the lens of technology in the near future.
Watch John Paul Barsoumian perform Étude Op. 10, No. 12, “Revolutionary” by Frederic Chopin on the piano for the 19th Century Music Competition 2025 as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.
Watch John Paul Barsoumian perform Romanza on the guitar for the 2025 World Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.
Watch John Paul Barsoumian perform Toccata, Op. 11 in E-Flat Minor by Aram Khachaturian on the piano for the 2025 Global Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.
Watch John Paul Barsoumian perform Preludio (Suite del Plata No.1) by Máximo Diego Pujol on the guitar for the 2025 Finale Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.