Nathan Torento

Piano, Voice, Piano/Voice Combo, Songwriting

Children (ages 6 & up)

Piano (beginners-intermediate), Voice (beginners)

Nathan Torento is a San Francisco-based pianist, vocalist, musical director, arranger, and piano teacher. Classically trained from childhood, Nathan later developed a highly versatile performance style through years of accompanying singers, directing cabarets, arranging music, and responding to live song requests across classical, musical theater, pop, jazz, cabaret, and contemporary repertoire.

From ages 12 to 15, Nathan trained intensively as a competitive classical pianist in the Philippines. In 2014, he won both his age category and the national grand prize at the 2nd Steinway Regional Finals Asia Pacific 2014, winning the chance to represent the Philippines in the grand finals, and received third prize in Piano Category C at the National Music Competitions for Young Artists.

Nathan began teaching piano while attending boarding school in Canada and continued teaching throughout college. His lessons combine strong fundamentals in technique, sight-reading, theory, and musicianship with ear training, improvisation, chord progressions, and music students genuinely want to play. He enjoys adapting lessons to each student’s goals, day-to-day circumstances, and offers custom arrangements at an appropriate level or difficulty so students can build skills through songs they already love.

Since 2023, Nathan has been a regular pianist and vocalist at Martuni’s – an open-mic piano bar and SF institution, accompanying singers in real time and performing across a wide variety of genres. He has also worked as a musical director and pianist for cabaret productions at Feinstein’s at the Nikko and Martuni’s, performed with Bay Area theaters and arts organizations, and created more than 100 arrangements and transcriptions for piano, voice, guitar, choir, and instrumental ensembles.

Nathan believes that students learn best when they feel understood, encouraged, and free to explore. He aims to give each student the technical foundation, independence, and confidence to play the music they love, whether that means learning a first song, performing classical repertoire, playing by ear, improvising with others, or beginning to create music of their own. Nathan is excited to bring his passion for music to the students at MMS!