Gargiulo’s own new non-profit organisation, 16000children, is named for the fact that 16,000 children die of hunger every day. It will bring together musicians, visual artists and filmmakers to create events to raise global awareness.

“All the money that’s raised will go to partner organisations that are actually in the poorer countries in Africa, India, Asia. Right now we’re working with Save The Children and the first concert is on 12 March in New York.”

Gargiulo was invited to Cayman by organiser Christina Rowlandson of the DSG Cayman who had seen a performance of his in New York.

“At one point I got a little serious and said that if we want anything to change then we, right here, are in the best position to do anything. I guess I connected with some people and Christina was one of them,” continued Gargiulo.

Performance

A performance starts with a short piece on the piano that Gargiulo said gives the right ‘credibility’ and shows the audience that he can play technically-demanding and fun pieces.

What’s different from a ‘normal’ classical performance is that he will then invite the audience to not sit there quiet, tense and worried but to join in and ask any questions that they might have.

“Ideally, they’d have a glass of wine before every performance, but it sets a good tone. I play a little, I talk a little and there’s an official Q&A session. Usually by the end of the concert everybody feels very comfortable with everyone else and that’s nice. I think that’s a good way to listen to music – not when you’re sitting there so tense you’re scared almost to move.”

Relaxed

Gargiulo’s more relaxed approach to a performance, he said, is based on three things.

“It’s who I am as a person – I like to entertain people and not just by playing for them, so if I’m out with a group of friends I want to entertain them. It’s important to me on many different levels.”

He trained as a classical musician and his idea of a concert was the traditional one, he said.

“A pianist comes on, plays and then leaves. If he’s lucky the audience clap! The career of a pianist is very difficult; you finish many years of study at a Conservatoire, at the end they give you a diploma, shake your hand and say good luck cause that’s all they can do. They don’t have a job for you, it’s like trying to become an actor – you have to make your own path.”

Early steps into performance, he explained, included regular concerts at retirement homes where he would be asked to explain the music to his audience who were usually appreciative.

“I’d tell them all about Beethoven or the composer on the serious side. Then sometimes they couldn’t hear so they’d talk back to me and it was fun for everybody – so then I started trying to do it at my own, more serious concerts and some of the presenters were sceptical.”

He said that a watershed moment came in the traditionally staid-audience Philharmonic Hall of Verona in Northern Italy.

“I didn’t tell them I was going to do this kind of performance and they all really liked it and 90 per cent said it was a great experience.

“I also went on tour with another musician called Joe Bergstaller, the trumpet player. It was a road trip; we were driving across from California. He’d been doing concerts for much longer than I had and I saw that at his concerts he’d talk to the audience, tell them stories and it was quite prepared but done incredibly well so I thought it was really cool.”

Seinfeld

Gargiulo’s performances may be geared toward raising a grin – at least in the stand-up sections – but he’s far from a ‘comedian’ in the traditional, scripted sense.

“Most of what I do is kinda improvised. I’m usually preparing for the last five minutes before the concert.

“I love Jerry Seinfeld, I love Woody Allen and I think if people are laughing they’ll stay longer for sure and go away happier so there’s more chance they’ll buy your CD at the end!”

Talking of albums, Gargiulo’s recently released a collection titled Mostly Julian, a blend of songs by Chopin and the first time that the pianist has bowed to peer pressure and recorded some of his own compositions.

He may not enjoy the over-serious atmosphere that can pervade dusty old concert halls, but when it comes to talent this is truly serious stuff.

Youth Workshop

On Friday, 5 March at 10 am Garguilo will be giving a youth workshop at the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church. This free workshop is dedicated to hosting high school Years 7, 8 and 9 and is designed to introduce students to classical music in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

Tickets

Tickets for the concert on Thursday, 4 March are available from Butterfield Bank, main branch location, 2nd floor reception; Funky Tangs; Full of Beans café at Pasadora Place; Picture This in West Bay; and Vigoro Nursery at both Walkers Road and Agricola Drive. They cost $75 per person

Sponsors

Sponsors for the event are Butterfield, Caymanian Compass, Crighton Properties, KPMG, Ogier, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Cayman National, and Caledonian. All proceeds will benefit paediatric programmes supported by the Diabetic Support Group in the Cayman Islands.