Jaden Teague-Núñez, a musician and pannist born in Panama City, Panama, is beginning to receive a growing number of honors and recognition. Early in 2024, the young pannist became the first to win the Crain-Mailing Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition, making history.
His father, Liam Teague, a Trinidadian professor of music and director of steelpan studies at Northern Illinois University, performed Teague-Nunez’s difficult steelpan solo and orchestra piece, A Visit to Hell, as part of his historic triumph. Dr. Jamie Whitmarsh organized it.
A competition judge said after Teague-Núñez’s performance with the Chicago Civic Orchestra was favorably praised, “What a treat to be able to hear this amazing young man and to see the future of the pan in such capable hands!”
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Following his triumph in the concerto competition, Teague-Núñez has persisted in his quest for scholastic and musical achievement. The National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists (also known as YoungArts) has declared him a 2025 YoungArts winner with distinction in classical/percussion.
After a fiercely competitive application evaluated by panels of renowned, discipline-specific artists in a rigorous adjudication procedure, Teague-Núñez, 17, was chosen as the recipient of a YoungArts grant. Teague-Núñez, who won a 2025 YoungArts prize, becomes part of a group of artists who get assistance for their professional and creative growth not just now but also in the future.
YoungArts president and CEO, Clive Chang, stated, “We’re thrilled to award our largest-ever cohort of artists, selected from a record-breaking number of applications this year”
Chang added, “We hope this recognition provides these young people with the encouragement to keep pursuing their artistry, and the assurance that YoungArts will be there as a source of support and community for the rest of their lives.”
As a distinguished winner, Teague-Núñez will take part in National YoungArts Week in Miami, Florida, USA, January 5–12, 2025 (all costs covered). Throughout the week, participants will have the chance to exhibit their own work, which will be further assessed for monetary prizes of up to $10,000 USD; take part in workshops and multidisciplinary seminars; and get guidance from top artists in their respective disciplines. For YoungArts winners, the opportunity and experience are intense and even overwhelming.
Nonetheless, Teague-Núñez is taking in the event with composure, “I am very proud to have been named a winner with distinction for the National YoungArts competition, considering it is also my first time participating in a national competition, let alone one that is so prestigious.”
Unlike other programs, YoungArts provides both short-term and long-term mentorship and assistance to successful students. As a matter of fact, Teague-Núñez is now qualified to receive a range of support from YoungArts for the duration of his career, including financial awards, microgrants, and exclusive support for his professional and creative development. He can also join an intergenerational network of previous award winners and present at major venues and cultural partners across the country.
YoungArts’ emphasis on job development and networking sets it apart from other artist-support groups and aligns with Teague-Núñez’s future professional goals.
“What I’ve always wanted to do is to introduce the steelpan to new audiences and educate them about the capabilities of this beautiful instrument,” he explained. “YoungArts, I believe, is an amazing opportunity to achieve this goal, and I really hope that this intensive program will attract more people to the pan and further elevate its popularity.”
Teague-Núñez comes from a successful family: his father, Liam Teague, is a well-known steelpan virtuoso who also teaches music and is a professor of music. His mother, Lorena Núñez, is a skilled violist and was formerly the chief violist of the Panama National Symphony Orchestra. He also has a sister who is nine years old.
It can occasionally be challenging to stand apart in a family with so much success. Teague-Núñez, however, is setting his own course.
He remarked, “I’m proud that I get to make history by being one of the first (possibly the first) steelpan players to be recognized as a YoungArts Winner with Distinction, and I still aim to achieve more in the future.” Teague-Núñez is also eligible to be nominated for the US Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of the highest honors bestowed upon high school seniors by the US president, during National YoungArts Week.
It appears very likely that he will receive this and several other honors and prizes if his prior success is any guide to the future. The future of steelpan is in capable hands with young musicians like Jaden Teague-Núñez, and their ongoing successes and advancements of the art form in the US, the Caribbean, and throughout the world can only excite one.
