CHARLESTON — Caleb Borick, 14, will travel to Baltimore, Md., in March to compete in the 2017 MTNA National Competition.
Caleb, the son of Carl and Susan Borick, earned this opportunity after winning the Southern Division of the MTNA Piano Competition Junior Performance. A homeschooled freshman, Caleb has been studying piano for nine years and is currently a student of Joseph Rackers, Ph.D., associate professor of piano at the University of South Carolina.
Last year, Caleb appeared on NPR’s “From the Top” (Episode No. 320), and in July 2016 he attended Music Fest Perugia in Perugia, Italy, where he performed Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with the Alicante Symphony Orchestra. He played the opening concert at the Green Lake Festival of Music in Wisconsin in June, performing both solo and chamber works. Locally, over the course of his music career he has played Piccolo Spoleto events, the Heart Ball, TEDx Charleston and many other venues.
When not playing piano, Caleb is a karate enthusiast, and in September he earned his black belt after studying less than two years. He now teaches younger karate students on a daily basis. He also serves the community by regularly playing concerts at local nursing homes.
The MTNA National Piano Competition will take place March 18, during the MTNA National Conference. The winner will receive a cash prize and perform in a concert during the conference.
The three-tiered MTNA competitions begin at the state level. Winners advance to division competition, then proceed to national finals. Caleb won the state event in Spartanburg on Nov. 5 and southern division in Columbia on Jan. 15.
