Photos courtesy of Mary George
Photo courtesy of Mary George
Gavin George at age 6 outside of Carnegie Hall
There are 88 keys on every standard piano, and 15-year-old Gavin George knows all of them by heart.
George started playing piano at the age of 3 and since then has played in places like Luxemburg, Italy and even Carnegie Hall in New York. The music, he says, has always been inside him.
“Nearly all of my memories from when I was younger involve music in some shape or form,” George says. “As a kid, I was always listening to classical music or opera in the car, and I would often point out the sequence of modulations. Music just always seems to be in my environment.”
The young pianist made his debut with Haydn’s Concerto in D Major at 7 years old. Since then, he has won countless awards and performed on many popular TV shows such as the CBS Early Show and The Queen Latifah Show. Performing at the Vianden Castle in Luxemburg, however, has been his favorite endeavor thus far.
“It was one of the most unique and memorable performances I’ve ever done. I passed through hallways lined with gleaming suits of armor and wall-length tapestries,” George says. “The acoustics were amazing, and I still haven’t figured out how they brought the nine-foot Steinway piano up to that level.”
And performing in front of such large crowds? George says that’s no problem.
“It’s only natural to get nervous before performances, but I know it’s what I love doing, so I just remind myself to relax and enjoy it,” he says. “I especially enjoy being able to share my passion for music with others. It makes it all worth it.”
Beyond the solo concertos, George also got several opportunities early on to perform classical pieces at music festivals and work alongside orchestras like the Westerville Symphony Orchestra.
It’s only natural to get nervous before performances, but I know it’s what I love doing, so I just remind myself to relax and enjoy it. ... I especially enjoy being able to share my passion for music with others. It makes it all worth it.
“Performing with orchestras is always a wonderful experience for me,” he says. “The excitement of working together with a large number of professional musicians to breathe life into a beautiful piece of music is such an exhilarating experience.”
In addition to studying music with teacher and influencer Antonio Pompa-Baldi, George also enjoys the challenge of academia. When he’s not practicing for an upcoming performance, he’s learning something new, and encourages others to do the same.
“If you are interested in music or have always wanted to play an instrument, take the leap and go for it,” he says. “You will never know how much you might enjoy something until you’ve tried it.”
Tessa Flattum is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
