George Ko – Thinking of Bach

“A very short but truly tasteful nod to Bach’s legacy that will probably have any mélomane with a soft spot for late Baroque period and a perfected counterpoint yearning for more.”

-Nagamag.com

www.georgeko.co/

Known for his alluring sound, expressivity, and eloquence at the keyboard, pianist/composer George Ko has appeared on stages around the world, from 2000 seat auditoriums to Carnegie Hall. His music has been heard at film festivals, television broadcasts of ABC and CBC, and at music festivals in Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, and China. His recordings have appeared on films at the Tribeca Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and on Netflix. His current discography encapsulates his musical style inspired by classical, jazz, R&B, and pop genres. It is in the pursuit of this style, George has created his very own improvisational technique, blending the virtuosity of classical and flexibility of jazz.

As a composer, George developed his artistry at Harvard University, where he received his bachelor's and honors in music. There, George debuted his first composition, which was premiered by the Grammy award-winning Parker Quartet. Recently, George is an active film composer and will have his piano compositions debuted in the upcoming Salt-N-Pepa Biopic to premiere on Lifetime in 2020. He was also the keynote artist performer for TEDx’s 2020 global sustainability conference, “COUNTDOWN”, co-hosted by Happily.

George is also a successful entrepreneur, having founded several companies and non-profits, in which he received the CES Innovation Award in Robotics in 2019, the Harvard Gov 2.0 Award for innovation in politics, and a patent in data management. George is also the co-founder of Giant Robot Media, an Asian-American digital magazine that discovers groundbreaking creatives throughout the world.

George has given inaugural concerts for the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Bowers Museum, and the Fogg Museum. He was invited to play at the request of President-Elect Joe Biden, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Senator Barbara Boxer. In recognition of his artistic talent, George was awarded the David McCord Prize from Harvard University. He is also a 5-time laureate of the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition. George currently resides in Los Angeles, California. He is a Young Steinway Artist. You can find his music on all streaming platforms. George is on the Sonder House label.

Reviewed by Nagamag on May 17, 2022