Student Profile: Cameron Akioka, Concerto Competition Winner

A 2026 winner of Northwestern's Concerto Competition, Cameron Akioka recently sat down for an interview about her upcoming concert with the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra. Cameron will be the featured piano soloist on Sergei Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 on Saturday, October 31 at 7:30 p.m. in Pick-Staiger Concert Hall.

More Information and Tickets

How have you grown in your music studies since coming to Northwestern?
It’s been such a rewarding journey pursuing my doctorate here at Northwestern. In addition to performing a diverse array of music, I also discovered a newfound passion for teaching. Whether it be technique class for piano majors, beginner-level group classes or an Intro to Music elective, these pedagogical opportunities have shaped me immensely both as an artist and as a person. 

What did your rehearsal process look like for this concerto, and how did you approach this piece?
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini presents a unique challenge for both the soloist and the orchestra: rather than following a typical three-movement structure, Rachmaninoff instead takes inspiration from Niccolò Paganini’s “devilishly” virtuosic Caprice No. 24 for unaccompanied violin. By utilizing this theme-and-variations framework, Paganini’s original tune transforms and evolves twenty-four times—a feat that not only requires quick pivots in character, but physical endurance as well. During the upcoming rehearsals with the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, I am excited to tackle these brilliant transitions and nuances embedded in Rachmaninoff’s adaptation.  

Is there anything in particular that the audience should listen for in this piece, or anything that makes this piece unique?
As stated above, Rachmaninoff manipulates Paganini’s theme in a highly original and compelling fashion. While the haunting “Dies Irae” chant from the Medieval Period, for example, serves as a fitting counter-subject, he also turns to American jazz (as heard in the Art Tatum-esque cadenza in Variation 15). Rachmaninoff even writes the melody upside down in Variation 18! As the concerto progresses, listen to how this theme develops both rhythmically and harmonically from both the piano and the orchestra.

What is something you’re looking forward to in the rest of your time at Bienen or after graduation?
I feel privileged to have met such supportive, talented and kind colleagues here at Bienen, and am looking forward to continuing to collaborate with them even after I graduate! I’m also excited to present my lecture recital next year, as well as my third and final solo recital in Galvin Hall. 

What's a fun fact about yourself?
I played goalie on a club soccer team in high school until I broke my thumb while diving for a ball. Needless to say, my sports career ended there…