Nathaniel Negad receiving his gold medal at the Royal Conservatory 2025 Celebration of Excellence Regional Concert in Regina. (submitted by Marilyn Richardson)

By Alyssa Rudolph

gold medal

Young pianist receives gold medal at Celebration of Excellence Regional Concert

Nov 29, 2025 | 6:00 AM

From piano lessons to the big stage, a rising musician from North Battleford has claimed gold with a showstopping performance.

14-year-old Nathaniel Negad is the pianist behind the keys, growing up with a love for music. Earlier this week, he performed at the Royal Conservatory 2025 Celebration of Excellence Regional Concert in Regina. That’s where the musician took home a symbol of all his hard work, a gold medal.

Negad said his performance of Mozart’s Sonata in C major, K 545, went very well.

“At first, I was pretty nervous because it’s such a big deal to be on a big stage. Once I started playing, it felt natural and I was glad to be able to be there and perform,” he said.

Before the performance, musicians from each province took part in a level 8 piano exam. The exam involves a practical portion with technique, ear tests and sight reading, along with a theory exam that covers advanced concepts. Negad received a mark of 90 during his exam which no one else in the province was able to beat, awarding him the gold medal.

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It is unusual to see the piano player up on the big stage, instead he is typically found playing within the community.

“I do community playing for residents and for my school and around the Battlefords. Also, for some other events, like winter concerts at school, or other fundraising events,” he said.

Negad’s piano teacher has been working with him since he was seven years old. She said it has always been a pleasure to teach a student with such great talent.

“He’s very musical. He works hard at his music, pays a lot of attention to detail, and he does all of the theory that’s required with it, which is quite massive,” said Marilyn Richardson. “He’s just a great student to work with.”

Over the years, Negad has shown exponential growth and continues to learn new skills at a quick pace. Recently, the pianist started taking monthly online lessons from a second teacher in Regina, Sarah Konecsni.

“It’s a really good combination because he’s getting into advanced repertoire. You can do wonderful things when you have wonderful teachers. So, we’ve added another person to our team,” said Richardson.

Negad hopes to continue his piano journey, which includes receiving an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music diploma (ARCT). The performance diploma is the highest academic standing awarded by the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM). He also wants to teach others how to play the piano and eventually compose his own music.

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alyssa.rudolph@pattisonmedia.com