From a precocious third-grader tinkling the ivories at Merit to preparing for graduation from The Juilliard School, Joshua Mhoon’s (’21) journey as a pianist has been nothing short of extraordinary. Joining the Alice S. Pfaelzer Conservatory in 2011, Josh’s talent and dedication have since taken him from winning local Chicago competitions to performing on some of the greatest stages around the world.
In anticipation of his return to Merit as a guest performer for Gala 2025, we caught up with Josh to reminisce about his formative years studying at Merit, his academic adventures at Juilliard, and the invaluable mentorship of the legendary pianist Emanuel Ax. Read on as we dive into the melodies and memories that have shaped Josh’s musical journey so far.
How did you initially learn about Merit and get involved with the school?
When I was eight or nine years old, I started participating in competitions because my teacher at that time was eager to have me get experience. I don’t remember what competition it was, but it took place at Merit. My dad had heard about Merit back in the ’90s when it was at Dearborn Station because my sister was a dancer at a studio there around the same time, but other than that, we weren’t familiar with the program. At this competition, we visited Merit’s new home in the West Loop and my parents found out about the Alice S. Pfaelzer Conservatory. One thing led to another and a couple months after that, I auditioned for and was accepted into Merit’s Conservatory program. I then got involved with the summer programs with late faculty member Jeff Norris.
A few years later, in middle school, I started taking private lessons with Mio Isoda-Hagel for a few years. I ended up spending the next eight or ten years at Merit until I graduated from high school and Conservatory in 2021 and started my time at Julliard.
Do you have any favorite stories or memories that stick out about your time at Merit?
With all the time that I spent in the Conservatory, I experienced a lot of key moments in a young person’s life. I remember the Lyric Opera of Chicago coming to perform The Barber of Seville during the Conservatory’s weekly concert series called Live from Gottlieb. Had I not been able to see such incredible performances every single Saturday, my exposure to the music I was studying would have been so much lower and I would not have improved as much as I did.
I also remember when the administration would get on you if you were hanging around in the hallways or weren’t at performances. Those were actually fun memories—very funny! And they got onto us in the most caring way because we were there to learn, and they made sure that we were seizing that opportunity.
I also had the opportunity to meet Yo-Yo Ma for the first time at Merit—I think I played with him at a masterclass years ago. He and I met again in New York last year when I got asked by Juilliard to play a house concert for a member of the Board of Trustees. The details were kind of secretive, so I didn’t know much about what exactly was going to happen or who would be there. I was just told to be prepared to play and bring along a violinist. When we got there for the performance, there were less than 10 people, and Yo-Yo Ma was one of them! We played for about an hour, and after the show, Yo-Yo came up and was freaking out because he loved the performance a lot! He said, “It’s so good to meet you,” and I said, “You know, we’ve actually met and played together before at Merit School of Music.” Mr. Ma has a deep connection with Merit, and we were able to bond over that and our history with the institution.
Can you speak more about your history and connection with Merit? You were in the Conservatory for about a decade. Can you tell me about how your life as a student here influenced your future and career in music?
Had it not been for Merit—not just Conservatory, but Merit as an institution—I would not have had the exposure to classical music that I did. Merit provided free tickets to concerts around the city. We were required to listen to live classical music every week at Live from Gottlieb. Without these opportunities, my exposure to classical music would be virtually nonexistent, genuinely. Even though I was playing classical music, it wasn’t something where I was, like, “Mom, Dad, please give me tickets to this concert!” I was a kid with many interests, so when I wasn’t playing the piano, I wanted to play sports or do something else. I think the most impactful thing at Merit was giving me that deep, well-rounded exposure to music and balancing out my multiple interests. Without a pre-collegiate conservatory experience, all somebody’s doing is just practicing. Many, if not most, kids at Merit don’t come from a background where their parents are classical music aficionados. Often, it is their first, and sometimes only, experience to see [and hear] this stuff. And seeing those performances improves your musicianship a lot. It was inspiring as a kid to be able to watch professional musicians perform and also to be given so many performance opportunities. Those performance opportunities helped me to know that this is what I wanted to do. Merit is part of what inspired me to be a musician.
Learn more about Josh’s story in this spotlight from his Merit days!
You’ve been working with Emanuel Ax since you started at Juilliard. I’m curious about how his instruction has influenced you as a pianist.
I wasn’t nearly as proficient of a pianist as I am now. I mean, four years working with him has changed my entire outlook on music: in the way that I read, in the way that I practice, in the way that I perform. He’s worked very hard for me to get better and he’s been very much more of a mentor or father figure in teaching me how the industry works. Or, rather, it’s like he’s been a comforting presence for me as a young musician who’s just starting out in my career. I feel comfortable asking him questions because he’ll give answers from a very knowledgeable perspective, considering he’s at the top of the game. He’s got so much experience and so much knowledge, and he’s just so passionate. He’s a musician that genuinely only cares about the music, and that’s something that he showed me how to do. You know, it’s not about the money or the notoriety or even saying yes to every performance opportunity. He believes in performing what you love to and working hard on it—like working a long time and letting things sit in your mind for a year. Truly working for a year on one piece. It’s a slow process in that leads to a great performance.
Had it not been for Merit—not just the Conservatory, but Merit as an institution—I would not have had the exposure to classical music that I did.
What was it like entering college and having that shift in perspective? Was there a fear or nerves heading to a music school with such a big reputation as Julliard?
I came into the school not with fear, but with so much excitement and I wanted to hit the ground running. I literally went to the president’s office during my first week. I sat down and he asked me, “So what are you here for?” And I was like, “Well, at convocation, you told us you wanted to meet us. I’m just here to meet you and I want to start performing.” I was like give me gigs, sign me up for stuff because I was excited, but it was sort of from a place of ignorance. Just the idea of ‘I’m in New York, and I’m ready to hit the ground and start my career.’ After that, Manny put me in my place. He never discouraged me or said I wasn’t ready for anything, and he’s never told me ‘Don’t do this.’ He always said go for it but knew that things take time to get ready. He taught me that. It’s never been an issue with musicality, because that’s sort of innate—being able to always be musical. My issue that Manny has worked so hard to help me with, one that I’ll still be struggling with for the rest of my life and that I struggle with every day, is perfection. That’s what he gives when he performs. What he does is always perfection. That’s one of his trademarks: his sweetness, the beauty, and preciseness of his playing and his performances. That’s the biggest contribution that he’s been trying to knock it in my head. I still slip up and I’m still figuring it out. But he’s taught me how to actually work in a way that’s so diligent and so careful that eventually it becomes harder not to play anything other than perfect.
You’re almost done with your degree at Juilliard, and reflecting on these past four years, how has this journey been throughout college?
It’s been very exciting. I’ve learned a lot. It’s gone by fast, like, really, really fast. Everybody says that, but it’s so true. The journey has been human, like humongous ups and some big tragedies. I feel like I’ve experienced so much in four years, but it’s just been tremendous growth as a person—like the most growth I’ve ever made. That comes not just for Manny, but also through my friends, my family, and the experiences that have taken place. In regard to music, I’ve made tremendous leaps, but I still have a long way to go. I hear people at school perform, and I’m like, “Wow, this is beautiful. This is so thought out. This is so incredible.” There’s so much to learn from watching my colleagues perform, because there are things in their playing that I would love to incorporate into mine.
What are your plans after graduation from Juilliard?
My only plan is that I’ll be fine. That was the greatest gift that my dad gave me: this ability to always know and recognize and believe, which is important. I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. I’m auditioning for master’s programs; I’ll be out of town auditioning for master’s programs every week for the next month. I’m going to be performing whether I go back to school or not. But my biggest next step is just continuing [my] learning across the board, expanding my humanity. Even if I don’t go to school, I’m going to be learning something about the world so that I can be well-rounded. That’s super important and has always been important.
