How one performance changed everything for indie pianist George Ko

Every month the Bandsintown Artist Community spotlights an independent musician forging their own path to success. This month it’s pianist George Ko.

via Bandsintown For Artists

Sometimes, you never know who is listening. In this month’s Member Spotlight, pianist George Ko shares a key piece of his story where one performance at Carnegie Hall led to his life-changing forever. George’s performance deeply moved a very important person in the industry, and the rest is history. Keep reading to learn more about George’s story.

Hey George, it’s such a pleasure to have you in this month’s Member Spotlight! Can you start off by telling us a little bit about yourself?

Hey, thank you for inviting me. I’m a pianist currently residing in Los Angeles, California and have been heralded by Steinway & Sons for “making classical music exciting and accessible for the masses.” I love encapsulating audiences worldwide with classical improvisations on the piano, blending Chopin-like virtuosity with the vast soundscapes of cinema. I’ve presented at Carnegie Hall 9 times and am a repeat keynote performer for TEDx. In the past two years I’ve given over 200 digital concerts and engaged in a 20-city tour. My performances have been broadcasted on ABC and featured in music festivals in Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, and China. 

As a recording artist, my piano compositions have appeared in films at the Tribeca Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and Netflix. I improvise all the songs at my concerts, a practice almost non-existent in the traditional classical world. Each original or cover performed is never the same in a live performance. I often take daring requests from the audience, including their Spotify favorites, to a custom song inspired by their current mood in real-time. I distribute my music independently across all streaming platforms. I’m also a member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists and ASCAP. While not playing the piano, you can find me walking around taking photos of food just before devouring it. I’m an avid coffee pour-over enthusiast and collector of Asian American art. French and Japanese boutique Maison Kitsuné outfits all my concert wear. Last but not least, I’m a Young Steinway Artist.

You’ve accomplished so much, George! Are you currently a full-time pianist, and has this been something you’ve always wanted to do?

Honestly, it’s crazy to imagine my current full-time job as a concert pianist and composer. Like many immigrant parents, my mother had many dreams before trying to survive and build a life in America. One of those dreams was to be a concert pianist. When I was five, my parents forced me to learn the piano, and I wouldn’t say I liked it. I ran away from piano lessons. I rarely practiced. I rarely enjoyed performing unless, honestly, I received adoration. In college, I was determined to be an entrepreneur and founded several start-ups, to no avail. While devastated, I went to watch the Boston Philharmonic in concert. I watched the musicians on stage and was deeply moved by how each artist perfected their craft to create something magical and inspirational. I wanted to do what they did. So, I decided to become a musician. However, I wasn’t good enough. Compared to a professional classical pianist, I was leagues behind. So, I dropped out of Harvard and went on intensive piano study for a year at The Colburn School. I practiced 8 hours a day, had three piano lessons a week, and listened to probably over 200 hours of symphonies and chamber music. I went back to Harvard and switched my major to music. When I graduated, I started touring as a classical pianist. You would think that’s how I wound up where I am today. However, life is full of unpredictable and surprising possibilities. I ended my piano career at 23. I discovered that my personality and classical piano didn’t mesh. I love collaborating with people, coming up with crazy ideas, being a rebel, and constantly pushing the envelope. However, the antiquated classical music industry was constantly at odds with my nature. I decided to explore the media and tech world. Piano devolved into a hobby. During the onset of Covid, like many others, I was locked in my room. After exhausting my Netflix “recommended” feed, I was trying to find things to do. When I studied classical music, I couldn’t make anything up on the spot: I couldn’t improvise. I was envious of jazz and pop players and how they could make up beautiful things. I wanted to do that. And just like a dream, a miracle from God, or a happy accident, I woke up in March of 2020 determined to play whatever was on my mind. And like that, I could improvise. I was so excited to share the newfound skill that I started improvising live for people on the viral social-audio app Clubhouse. Soon the rooms of people went from 5 to over 1000. I was getting DMs of how my music helped them cope through this difficult time, and they found the music cathartic, entertaining, and inspirational. I had never seen my music move this many people in such positive ways in my entire life. Soon, I was releasing EPs, albums, and merch for all my fans. The support of my fans gave me the confidence to quit my day job and pursue a career as an improvising classical pianist full-time. This month marks 14 months on this crazy journey.

That’s incredible. It sounds like you’ve always had a great balance for trusting your intuition and from there, going after what you want, which has led to many doors opening up for you. We’re hooked! You mentioned earlier that you’re a Young Steinway Artist. How did that come about?

I played a show at Carnegie Hall in college about ten years ago, performing selections of Chopin and Debussy. One of the audience members happened to be on the managing board of Steinway & Sons. A few days later, I received an email from my mentor who had presented that concert, Cosmo Buono. The addressee of that email also included someone from Steinway. It read along the lines of “Members of the Steinway family were deeply moved by your performance and would like to be a part of championing your burgeoning growth as an artist and invite you to become a Young Steinway Artist.” I honestly was shaken. I couldn’t believe Steinway wanted to take a chance to support my career, let alone be fans of my music. Since becoming a YSA, it has been a super supportive relationship. Steinway has provided many opportunities, but more importantly, a committed and passionate community of friends and music lovers. It’s an honor to represent them as an artist and, more importantly, a privilege to perform consistently with my favorite piano.

What a story! We’ve always heard “you never know who may be listening” and this is a true testament to that. You recently released your new album Vanguards Of The Cosmos. Where did the inspiration stem from? 

For my latest album, I wanted to embark on a sonic journey that pushed the boundaries of my improvisatory capabilities and paid respect to the old masters of gorgeous pianistic writing, especially Chopin, Debussy, and Bach. Being a big Star Wars fan (my apartment is littered with Lego X-Wings, Baby Yodas, and lightsabers), I envisioned this journey as an epic space movie. Imagining the voice-over for a movie trailer, I heard: “Brave heroes travel across the galaxy and explore the sonic possibilities of harmony, timbre, and color. These vanguards pay homage to a time long ago while forging new sounds reverberating throughout the universe.” So with that visual and musical inspiration, I hit “record” in Pro Tools and–in a one-take session–recorded the 14-track album. The album art is also a collaboration with the visual artist duo Giorgiko.

A one-take session? Wow! The album art is also stunning! We’d love to hear a bit about your experience with performing in person and digitally. Can you describe what the feeling is like for each and if they’re similar at all?

The magic of in-person shows is undeniable. You have a visceral and intense connection with the audience. If you’re doing your job correctly as a musician, that is, creating an infinitesimal moment in time in which humanity and the divine intersect, you can feel physically, emotionally, and spiritually that your performance has a profound effect on your audience.  It’s like that scene in the Pixar film Soul when the main character was in the zone. You lose yourself. You give yourself to your fans and the music. You can get a similar sensation performing digitally as well. However, the feedback you get is more of a verbal one than a metaphysical one. Whether it’s playing Zoom shows for DoorDash, or just playing lullaby tunes on Instagram Live for my fans, receiving heart-warming comments is incredibly encouraging, especially during these difficult times.

Speaking of the magic of in-person shows, you’ve played in some really unique and prestigious venues! Tell us about one that really stands out to you and why.

No doubt it’s Carnegie Hall. Every part of playing a show there is truly mesmerizing. You feel so special and like someone “on the inside” whenever you give a concert there. There’s a secret entrance on the side of Carnegie Hall where performers enter. You sign in and then take a massive freight elevator to the concert hall. The elevator can fit two 9-foot Model D Steinways at a time. The elevator stops, and you’re behind the stage doors. When you walk in, you see the huge crystal chandelier, the red velvet seats, and a Steinway waiting for you to perform. Before you even give a concert, it’s a total spectacle. What’s funny, though, is when you play, it only sounds okay on the stage. It’s kind of like playing in your living room. But in the audience, you sound like Thor’s hammer summoning lightning. You are a god.

It’s so cool to hear about this incredible venue from that perspective. Throughout your journey, who has been your biggest musical influence and how have they shaped you as an artist?

You might imagine it would be Bach, Beethoven, or Chopin. Chopin is my favorite piano composer. However, my most significant influence, to a disgusting degree, is John Mayer. Now, I’m not condoning anything he did in the past. He moved to Montana and reconciled with the early-2000s John Mayer. I am condoning his musical and creative career, which has permeated my artistic being. He is constantly at a tug of war between being a virtuoso and an accessible songwriter. He cares about telling stories while tapping into our most intimate thoughts and feelings. He’s always ahead of trends and passionate about fashion, art, and timepieces. He drops number one hits almost every three years and plays with The Dead every summer. His career is expansive, nonsensical, and purely his own. My dream is to have a career like his someday. And maybe instead of playing with The Dead, it could be with John Mayer himself. (FYI, I sold all my guitars to get his signature guitar. Yup, I’m that kind of a fan).

We can’t wait to see your dream come to life, and we’ll be cheering you on when you’re on stage with John Mayer! Thank you for being such a big supporter of Bandsintown for Artists. We’d love to know what your favorite feature is. 

My favorite feature is the ability to corral my fans for new shows! Bandsintown makes it so easy to have my tour dates in one place, so my fans, booking agents, and hopefully future supporters in the industry can see what’s going on. It also gives me a great idea of my fans and where they are in the world. Funny enough, I usually find out they are kind of like me: music lovers, coffee addicts, and wouldn’t mind a free ticket to Disneyland or Comic Con.

George, we can’t thank you enough for taking the time to share your story with our community! Do you have a specific project or anything the community can support you with at this time?

Thanks for giving me the spotlight! I’m actually playing a show in Koreatown in Los Angeles on August 25th at the trendy lounge Intercrew. If you’re in the area, feel free to stop by! Bandsintown link here. If you let me know that you found out about the show through this interview, I’ll give you a special prize in person! Also, I just launched my official merch store–my brand called This is millennium. Feel free to check it out: https://thisismillennium.com/

Amazing, and thank you for offering a gift to our community! Any last words before we call this spotlight a wrap?

I just wanted to give a big shout-out to Jojo Lee, the first person to welcome me into the Bandsintown Artist Community and who was super supportive and helpful in navigating this fantastic platform. I also want to thank Bandsintown for supporting indie artists like me, and hopefully, we can make it big and keep spreading the word about your platform.

Thank you, George! We’ll be back with another story from the community next month. Until then, keep creating and inspiring those around you! 

To connect further, you can find George in the free Bandsintown Artist Community or through the links below.

Website – www.georgeko.co/ 

Bandsintown – https://www.bandsintown.com/a/10296549-george-ko 

Instagram – https://instagram.com/_georgeko

LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com/in/georgekocreative/ 

Twitter –  https://twitter.com/_georgeko 

Facebook – www.facebook.com/georgekocreative