2011 Winner
$5000 Scholarship
Fenstermaker Award

YouTube videos

Galaxies and Explosions (Toccata)
at St. Paul's Cathedral

The Density of Space
at St. Paul's Cathedral

The Presence - The Void
at St. Paul's Cathedral

Additional Biography:

A French-born pianist, organist, and composer, Thomas is fifteen years old. He studies piano with Katalin Lukacs, organ and improvisation with Christopher Cook, and composition with UCSD's Richard Snow. For the past two years he has been awarded mention as an Emerging Composer at the New York Art Ensemble's young composer competition. Thomas is the first-place winner of the San Diego AGO scholarship auditions.

Thomas picked up his first guitar at age 6, and his first compositions date from 2007 and were written for the guitar. In September 2008, he conducted the Encinitas Guitar Orchestra in a performance of his "Fugue for 4 Guitars in E major". In addition to the guitar, Thomas has written music in styles ranging from medieval to contemporary for both symphonic and chamber ensembles. Thomas' improvisations on blues and jazz (guitar), Eastern scales (guitar, organ), and medieval modes (piano, organ) have inspired him on his composition journey.

In February 2009, Thomas' String Quartet No. 2 T14 was awarded the prize of "Emerging Composer" in New York Art Ensemble's young composer competition. Thomas has recently entered his "Toccata and Interruptions T19" in the National Association of Composers, USA - San Francisco Bay Area's composer competition. Thomas' strongest contemporary influences are Olivier Messiaen, Charles Tournemire, and his teachers Dana Reason Myers, Katalin Lukacs and Richard Snow. His goal is to study at the Conservatoire Superieur National de Musique of Paris, and to be be part of the great French tradition by being organist of the grand orgue at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. In his free time, Thomas enjoys bird-watching, practicing tai chi sword, and playing soccer.