Surprises, laughs, personal touches and brilliance – it was certainly a night to remember for audiences in Griffith who had the chance to see Julian Garguilo live in action.
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The internationally recognised Steinway pianist stopped over in Griffith after touring Singapore, and said while it wasn’t the biggest audience ever, the response and willingness to participate was special.
With the intimate seating of the audience on the stage a mere spitting distance from him, he cracked jokes about loving it when people coughed and shared their health with him.
The cozy arrangement was also conducive to audience input, with many feeling comfortable enough to help him re-name his tango.
“The crowd really loved helping name my tango – the ideas they came up with I had never heard before, it was truly something else,” the virtuoso said.
And it didn’t end there – the second half saw members of the audience reenact a wedding proposal gone wrong as Julian providing the back track.
Michelle Rokov and her family jumped at the the rare opportunity to see a musician of such a high calibre perform.
“It was beautiful to have such talent, such culture, such beautiful music in Griffith,” Mrs Rokov said.
“It was a fabulous, entertaining evening from a down-to-earth, international classical Steinway pianist.”
With her daughter Lilly a budding pianist herself, the experience only reinforced her passion to go the distance.
“The inspiration she gained from watching Julian perform was absolutely immeasurable.”
Griffith was also treated to a personal insight into the musician’s life, with stories and anecdotes about his children and wife back home in Paris.
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Placing a camera above the piano keys and projecting the vision onto a big screen behind him was just one aspect that delighted the Griffith crowd.
Classics and favorites such as the Moonlight Sonata and The Flight of the Bumblebee showed off his brilliant technique and effortless execution, and his original compositions like Finding Nikita proved beyond a doubt the all-round talent behind that amazing head of hair.
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