Harbor Country Day Pianist, Gianna Verdi Plays in Piano Master Class Led by Junko Ueno Garrett
An invitation to play in a Master Class is one of the most prestigious moments for a musician. For one very talented Harbor Country Day School seventh grader, that opportunity came this past Tuesday. On April 5th, Pianist Gianna Verdi performed Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C# minor, Op. 3 No. 2, in a special master class, led by world-renowned Kawai pianist and instructor, Junko Ueno Garrett at Frank & Camille’s Melville piano showroom. The showroom was filled with members of the community, instructors and fans from all over Long Island.
“I chose Gianna to participate in this event because I knew those who listened to her playing would appreciate her talent, and that her enthusiasm and thirst for learning would make her an ideal participant for this master class… Her love for music was clear at a young age, when she was my preschool music student at Harbor Country Day, and she has shown such tremendous growth as I’ve been teaching her privately over the past six years. I look forward to her many successes to come.” – Donna Siani, music teacher at Harbor Country Day and Gianna’s piano instructor
Miss Verdi was one of two students from Long Island selected to participate in Junko Ueno Garrett’s Master Class. The 7th grade wunderkind will compete in New York State School of Music (NYSSMA) in both piano and vocal categories. Gianna is a member of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Concert Choir and was a member of Harbor Country Day School’s spring musical last year. This year, Gianna Verdi has been selected to play the lead role of Martha in the musical, We the People.
“Gianna is a gifted young woman who truly deserves this honor.. In everything she does, Gianna carries herself with such grace and poise. All of us at Harbor are incredibly proud to see her talent being recognized in this way.” – John Cissel, Harbor Country Day Head of School
About Junko Ueno Garrett
Japan-born pianist Junko Ueno Garrett is known around the world for the colorful tone with which she plays, as well as her wide range of repertoire and her expressive, dynamic technique. She trained at the prestigious Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo and received a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. Her recent engagements include recitals at the Kennedy Center, the United Nations and Stony Brook University’s Charles Wang Center. She lives in Los Angeles and holds a faculty position at Occidental College.