Award-winning Music Composer & Orchestrator

Nan Avant

2026: Unsigned Only Semi-Finalist!

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UNSIGNED ONLY MUSIC AWARDS COMPETITION!

Hello again!

I just found out that Nani Lahaina~Rhspsody for Violin and Orchestra is a Semi-Finalist in the “Unsigned Only Music Awards”. Super grateful and excited! Updates in August 2026! Semi-Finalist are listed by name alphabetically, look for Nan Avant.

Stay tuned.. regardless of outcome, I am honored to be a Semi-Finalist.. so many talented musicians and composers in the UO Music Awards Competition. Nani Lahaina~ has it’s own page on my website and it appears on the 2025 Global Music Awards Gold Medal Winning Classical Album, SymphonicStradivarius!

 

 

Finalist: 2026 ICMA!

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I’m excited to share that I am a finalist in the 2026 Intercontinental Music Awards!

Sirens of the Salish Sea IV. Serenely Sailing performed by The Royal Scottish National Orchestra,
Miran Vaupotić conducting and the outstanding pianist, Anna Kislitsyna! This piece appears on the album Journey to Serenity and is the 4th movement of the Orchestral Suite, Sirens of the Salish Sea. I have recorded  3 movements from this piece and soon will be recording the final movements.

Links to  listening on Navona Records.

Thank you ICMA!

THE AMERICAN PRIZE: FINALIST~NANI LAHAINA!

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National finalists: COMPOSERS (music for orchestra), 2026

Great News! Nani Lahaina~Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, Davide Alogna Violin, Miran Vaupotic conducting a PARMA Navona Recording on the album, Symphonic Stradivarius, has just been selected as a finalist in the Composers (music for orchestra) division of The American Prize national non-profit competitions in the performing arts. Here’s the link: Finalists.  There are several composers that I know included on the list. Congratulations to ALL!

The American Prize will be announcing winners in my division soon. You can learn more about this prestigious national competition here: www.theamericanprize.org or follow the news on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-American-Prize-celebrating-American-excellence-in-the-arts/214320622728 or Twitter: https://twitter.com/americanprize “

ISC..NANI LAHAINA~WINNER.. HONORABLE MENTION!

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NANI LAHAINA~WINNER.. HONORABLE MENTION-INSTRUMENTAL CATEGORY!

 

A grateful and happy composer from Seattle!

I am so grateful to share this honor from The International Songwriting Competition 2025!

This is indeed an honor to be on the list of top Winnners and Honorable Mention

Nani Lahaina is in the ” Instrumental” category.

I am sharing both my category and the “Jazz” category. If you look at the first honoree in the ” Honorable Mention” of Jazz you will recognize a very notable singer…. When I read this I was ‘jazz’d” to see Michael Buble!! That’s  correct, THE MICHAEL BUBLE!!

So thankful for this recognition of Nani Lahaina composed in response to the 2023 winds and wild fires that took over 100 people and devastated the historic town of Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. I would love to have my music performed in Hawaii and possibly in a fund raising concert for the people of Maui, Hawaii who are in need of recovery even thought it has been 3 years!

Listen here to Nani Lahaina.. 

Jazz Category with Michael Buble listed at top!

 

Photo from the recording session of Nani Lahaina~Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra 2024 at St. Luke’s in London with the London Symphony Orchestra. It was an amazing experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Frank Clark’s latest children’s book out now!

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Ollie Fights the Sting     “Ollie was a creative, jolly cat until a run-in with bees changed all of that……”

I’m excited to share that the latest edition in the children’s book series by Dr. Clark  is now available on Amazon.

Ollie Fights the Sting By Dr. Frank Clark, M.D. with illustrations by Khaidir Syafei and Original Music by Nan Avant A QR CODE inside every book so readers can listen to the music as they read!

Click this link: Order Book on Amazon to order this encouraging and insightful new book on Amazon. You can  Listen to music: BFF Happiness Is by Nan Avant on my website or at  BandCamp.

Enjoy and please share!

 

 

NANI LAHAINA~FINALIST IN THE ISC!!

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NANI LAHAINA~FINALIST IN THE ISC!!

Hi Everyone.. More Good News!

I’m excited to share that Nani Lahaina~Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra is now a “Finalist” in the International Songwriting Competition 2025!

This is indeed an honor to be FINALIST listed here! Nani Lahaina is in the ” Instrumental” category. My category started with over 80 contestants and is now down to approx. 15 contestants in “Instrumental” The ISC Judges will announce winners sometime in late April/early May…AND.. if You would like to vote in the ” People’s Voice” between now and April 17th, you can click on the image below, ISC People Voice Vote. This will take you to the ” Instrumental Voting” page. Much appreciated if you do vote on my behalf! There are so many outstanding musicians/ composers in the ISC and I am grateful, to say the least, for this recognitiion~! There are many categories to listen to, enjoy the listening!

The list is alphabetical, scroll to my first  name to see my listing. Musicians are all genres in this competition and as you scroll you will see vast this competition is!

The finalists will be announced in May 2026 and I will keep you posted.

Thank you so much International Songwriting Competition!

Nani Lahaina appears on the award winning album, Symphonic Stradivarius, track #7  Listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon

Symphonic Stradivarius~ Nani Lahaina track #7
YouTube player

Semi-Finalist @International Songwriting Competition!

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Hi Everyone and Happy March!

I’m excited to share that Nani Lahaina~Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra is a “Semi- Finalist” in the International Songwriting Competition 2025!

This is indeed an honor to be listed here! There must be hundreds or possibly thousands? of musicians that submit to this competition. Nani Lahaina is in the ” Instrumental” category along with about 80 other contestants in my category two of whom I know because we are Voting Members in the Recording Academy.  The list is alphabetical, scroll to my first  name to see my listing. Musicians are all genres in this competition and as you scroll you will see vast this competition is!

The finalists will be announced in May 2026 and I will keep you posted.

Thank you so much International Songwriting Competition!

Nani Lahaina appears on the award winning album, Symphonic Stradivarius, track #7  Listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon

Symphonic Stradivarius~ Nani Lahaina track #7
YouTube player

Winner @World Entertainment Awards~Thank you!!

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I’m so excited to share that my orchestral work, Nani Lahaina~Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra won in the ” Best Orchestral Composition” category at the World Entertainment Awards Los Angeles at the iconic Whiskey a Go Go in Hollywood!

It was fun to attend, meet new musicians and be part of the Hollywood vib!  Nani Lahaina has now received a few awards and I am a very grateful composer from Seattle! .. Go Hawks!

Fun Photos with Walt and the Hollywood scene.

Cheers,

Nan

Symphonic Stradivarius~ Nani Lahaina track #7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adeptus On-Air Podcast Interview!

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Thank you so much Mike Hoffman from Adeptus On-Air for this awesome interview discussing music and creativity! We discuss the latest releases from Navona Records which include 3 of my compositions on two albums: Symphonic Stradivarius (album received the Global Music Award-Gold Medal Award, March 2025 ) which includes my multi award winning orchestral work, Nani Lahaina~Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra. And, second album, Journey to Serenity which includes my two tracks, Sirens of the Salish Sea IV and V. 

Enjoy the interview and happy listening!

Nan

 

YouTube player

QSJ Radio Podcast w/ Dave Hernandez!

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Thank you Dave Hernandez for the exceptional interview yesterday!

Click on the album for links to digital formats. Thank you for listening! Music discussed on the podcast.

1. Unremembered music from soundtrack

2. Sirens of the Salish Sea: 1.Soundness of the Sea for Violin and Orchestra from the album Symphonic Chronicles V. track 5

3. Nani Lahaina~Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra from the album, Symphonic Stradivarius track 7

4. Sirens of the Salish Sea IV:Serenely Sailing and V. tracks on the album Journey to Serenity.

Outtake at the end of the show included music from the album Journey to Serenity POLAR by composer Peter Dickson Lopez .

Symphonic Stradivarius~ Nani Lahaina track #7

Links to the albums that we discussed: Symphonic Stradivarius~ My piece is on track 7, Nani Lahaina~Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra with Davide Alogna violin and The London Symphony Orchestra a PARMA Recording Navona Records Label:

Sirens of the Salish Sea: IV. Serenely Sailing and V. Sirens of the Salish Sea: Journey to Serenity tracks 4&5.

And, the album that we listened to one track: Symphonic Chronicles v.1 track 5, Sirens of the Salish Sea: 1. Soundness of the Sea for Violin and Orchestra performed by The London Symphony Orchestra recorded in 2022