The Entrepreneurial Pianist

by David Drake

Julian Gargiulo may be a classical pianist entrepreneur but he has the hair of a rock star. He likes to
joke about this on stage. He says, When I was a child I wanted to learn how to play the guitar but
my parents gave me piano lessons instead. My hair never stopped dreaming.

Its with this same kind of lightness that he approaches the piano bench. His curly, rebellious and
untamed hair plays its own part in this unusual pianists performances. Though hes not likely to
burn any of the Steinway pianos he performs on, in Jimi Hendrix-like fashion (after all, he was
recently named a Steinway Artist), you never walk into a Julian Gargiulo performance knowing
exactly what to expect.

I had the pleasure to produce his Carnegie Hall concerts from 2006 to 2007, and have since
followed his career as a patron of the arts. The entrepreneurial spirit and endeavors shines through
his charm and presentation. If you had to describe Julian, it might be a tough choice between a
charismatic virtuoso who can deliver a joke, or a sarcastic storyteller who works the crowd
humorously. Depending on how you look at it, both definitions are accurate for this piano
entrepreneur slowly building an audience globally and producing music that is still sold via CDs.

His schooling is hardly a joking matter, having attended (and survived!) the prestigious Moscow
Conservatory in Russia and the Peabody Conservatory in United States. Between exclusive
performances for the President of Singapore, innovative concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York, and
his own Water Island Music Festival of Classical and Jazz Music in Virgin Islands, Julian Gargiulo gets
around a lot! In a state of semi-permanent jet-lag, he may not know exactly what time it is back
home in Paris (where hes been based with his wife and daughter for the past two years) but he
never fails to be in time with his audience.

We caught up with him over the phone from the Caribbean island of Antigua.
David: Why do you do what you do?
Julian: I cant help it. I want people to leave my performances smiling. Forget their troubles.
Forget their worries. Forget the stock market. I always tell them music is the best investment and
then point them in the direction of the CD table.
David: You just played at Carnegie Hall. Whats your favorite audience?
Julian: The last one Ive played for. And its not only because I have a bad memory. What was the
question again?
David: Are you ever serious or is it part of your brand?
Julian: I find people are often concerned with that, or at least with that word. I am very serious
about having fun.

So what should you expect if Julian performs at a theater near you? He might greet you as youre
entering the concert hall with they were a little short on ushers tonight as he prefers to make his
entrance by leaping up onto the stage from the audience side. If youre not careful, he might bring
you up on stage as well, to play pantomime with a little Chopin. Then break for a Question &
Answer but Ill be asking the questions.

Simply put, expect to revise any preconceived notions you have about classical music concerts. He
will entertain. Do not expect to sit still. Do not expect to look at the program. Do not expect to be
spared just because you sat in the back row. Do expect to learn things you never knew, about the
lives of the composers, Julians two-year-old daughters sleeping patterns, or the latest in airport
security trends. Theyve even started patting down my hair. And they usually find something.

Definitely, expect to listen to classical masterpieces, delivered with genuine emotion and incredible
precision. In short, expect to develop a mini-crush on the guy! All in all, his greatest talent might
simply be his unbelievable likeableness! Humble before the classical composers he plays, he
manages to reach out and strike a chord in each and every person listening to him. In the end, they
will all probably get up and give him a standing ovation. I did.

Julian is currently on tour in the US. For the rest of the year his program includes concerts in the
Caribbean, Asia, and Australia. He has a never ending entrepreneurial quest to build his
entrepreneurial career as a pianist. If you do find yourself at a Gargiulo concert, dont forget to buy
his Roll over Beethoven CD, with his own compositions including The Lost Sonata for Piano and
Trumpet: I. Moderato intenso, II. Scherzo, III. Andante and IV. Finale. For more information,
visit www.juliangargiulo.com.

Note: This article appeared on The SohoLoft with this linkhttp://thesoholoft.com/theentrepreneurial-pianist-by-david-drake/ on Mar 6, 2015.

David Drake is an early-stage equity expert and the founder and chairman of New YorkbasedVictoria Global with divisions LDJ Capital, a family office and private equity advisory firm,
and The Soho Loft Media GroupThe Voice of Capital Formationa global financial media company
involved in Corporate Communications, Publications, and Conferences. You can reach him directly
at David@LDJCapital.com.