Biography

Tumaini Sango (b. 2001) is a classical and jazz pianist from Allendale, Michigan. Since beginning piano at the age of six, Tumaini has dedicated his life to sharing his passion for music through his performances, recordings, and teaching.

Tumaini's performances have been recognized in festivals and piano competitions throughout Western Michigan. Most recently, he was a finalist in the 2022 Robert B. Beardsley Memorial Piano Prize Competition. Previous accolades include winning the 2018 St. Cecilia Philharmonic Piano Concerto Competition and the 2018 Grand Rapids Youth Symphony Piano Concerto Competition, earning him two performances of Beethoven's 2nd Piano Concerto at St. Cecilia Music Center and Devos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As a high school student, he achieved the State Finals round of the Michigan Music Student Achievement Testing twice.

A seasoned accompanist, Tumaini has worked with a wide variety of wind, string, and voice students for festivals, collegiate juries, and recitals. Additionally, he has accompanied three high school musical productions and ballet classes at Grand Valley State University. Comfortable in a wide variety of settings, Tumaini has had the opportunity to play in weddings, receptions, and given presentations about music at assisted living centers, elementary schools, and homeschool cooperatives. Most notably, Tumaini played and arranged a version of the National Anthem sung at Grand Valley State University’s Convocation and Commencement ceremonies from 2021-23.

In June 2023, Tumaini released a jazz album entitled “2755” with The Sango Quartet, a group he formed with his colleagues from Grand Valley State University. The album includes jazz standards and two original compositions, “Snow” and “Valentine.”

Tumaini graduated from Grand Valley State University in December 2022 with a B.M. in Piano Performance and a minor in Political Science, studying with Dr. Helen Marlais and Prof. Michael Drost. During his undergraduate studies, he received the Arthur C. Hills Music Scholarship, for being the top performance winner in the Music, Theatre, & Dance Department, and the Alexander Calder Honors Scholarship, for being a top award winner across all the fine arts departments university-wide. A graduate of the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program, Tumaini pursued a research project entitled Protest Music of the 2010s, exploring the intersection of music and socio-political issues. He is also interested in composers and pieces that fuse together classical and jazz genres. Tumaini is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Bowling Green State University where he studies with Dr. Robert Satterlee and Prof. Ariel Kasler.

Tumaini’s parents immigrated to the United States from Kenya. He was born in the U.S., along with his two younger sisters. His name is given from the language Swahili, and it means “Hope” in English. Tumaini currently resides in Bowling Green, Ohio.