Justin Kang is a cellist and pianist and a junior at Arizona School for the Arts. He is a cello student at SOUNDS Academy, where he studies with Jamie Kellogg, and he studies piano with Snezana Krstic. Justin currently serves as the principal cellist of the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Justin has earned numerous awards in both string and piano competitions, including first prize in the 2025 Opus National Music Competition (cello); the 2025 Bellagrande International Competition (cello); the 2025 Prodigy International Music Competition (Grand Prize, cello); the 2025 Arizona International Competitions (Grand Prize, cello); MTNA Arizona State Competitions (2021, piano); Arizona Musicfest Competitions (2022–2024, piano; 2025, strings; 2024 and 2025, chamber music); the 2024 Arizona Cello Society Solo Competition; and the 64th PYSO Annual Concerto Competition (2024 Grand Prize, cello).

Justin has appeared as a soloist with the Phoenix Symphony, performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto in 2024 and Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No.1 in 2025. He is a recipient of the 2024 Tim Banker Talent Development Award from NPR’s From the Top.

He has attended several summer festivals, including the 2025 Bowdoin International Music Festival and the 2025 Montecito International Music Festival. Justin also served as principal cellist of the 2024 Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Orchestra, performing at Seiji Ozawa Hall, and of the 2023 YOLA National Festival’s Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Justin has performed in cello masterclasses led by Steven Isserlis, Robert DeMaine, Ko Iwasaki, Yoshika Masuda, and Noriko Kishi. He has also participated in piano masterclasses with Aviram Reichert, Sean Chen, Alan Chow, Pavlina Dokovska, Douglas Humpherys, Yuri Kot, and Elisabeth Pridonoff.

Beyond performance, Justin is deeply passionate about giving back to his community. He volunteers as a radio host at Heart and Seoul Gospel Ministries, serves as a worship musician for Sunday church services, and mentors underclassmen at his high school. In his free time, Justin enjoys music production and playing volleyball.