Megan Martono has spent most of her life onstage, but this spring she will step into a different kind of spotlight. A second-year master’s student in violin performance at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, Martono will travel to San Francisco to represent Houston and Texas at the Miss Chinatown USA Pageant. The national competition places her among representatives from Chinatown organizations across the country, each advancing a personal platform rooted in cultural engagement and community impact.
Pageantry was not something Martono had long envisioned for herself. The idea surfaced through Houston philanthropist Mandy Kao, who recognized the alignment between Martono’s advocacy instincts and the structure of Miss Chinatown Houston. Competing required Martono to learn an entirely new performance language, one that felt distinct from orchestral and solo stages.
“I didn’t initially envision doing pageants, but I’m so glad I did,” Martono said. “It showed me that the path of a violinist or any creative isn’t confined to a single trajectory.”
Winning brought both validation and surprise. What began as an unexpected opportunity quickly revealed new ways to connect her musical training with leadership and community engagement.
“I couldn’t even let myself cry until I was offstage,” Martono said. “I was proud to take on something new at that scale and bring together so many of my passions in one place.”
The title now carries ongoing responsibilities beyond the competition itself. As Miss Chinatown Houston, Martono performs at community events, particularly those connected to Asian American organizations, and speaks about her work as a musician. She has also started a nonprofit to support continued performances and outreach.
Martono said her comfort with outreach is rooted in a musical upbringing that has already placed her on major international stages. In 2019, she performed at Royal Albert Hall in London and at the Philharmonie de Paris, experiences that reinforced her desire to connect classical music with wider audiences.
Martono’s connection to Rice began in 2019, when she met Paul Kantor, the Sallie Shepherd Perkins Professor of Violin, while studying with him at the Aspen Music Festival. She said Kantor’s ability to tailor his teaching to each student’s personality and career goals left a lasting impression and ultimately drew her to the Shepherd School, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2024 and is now completing her master’s.
“After working with Mr. Kantor, I thought if people like him are at Shepherd and at Rice, then I need to be there,” Martono said.
During her undergraduate years, Martono became one of the first music majors in Rice history to develop and teach a college-level course examining the effects of music on the brain. The course was designed to be accessible to students regardless of major, reflecting her belief that music education should not be confined to conservatory spaces.
She is also currently taking a Chinese language course with teaching professor Meng Yeh as part of her broader interest in deepening her cultural engagement while preparing to represent Houston’s Chinatown community on a national stage.
“It’s similar to violin,” Martono said. “I just practice, practice, practice everything I’m doing onstage, whether that’s walking, speaking, doing Q&A, interviewing or performing.”
Although Martono is originally from Orange County, California, she says after six years in Houston she plans to remain here after completing her degree.
“Houston truly feels like my forever home,” Martono said. “It’s kind of funny that I’ll be going to the pageant in my former home representing my new home.”
The Miss Chinatown USA Pageant is scheduled for March 6 with a top prize of $20,000.