When you
envision the typical life of a 13-year-old girl, your mind probably doesn't jump to piano super talent and composer. But that is in fact what Emily Bear
is; a musical phenomenon.
By the age of
eight Emily Bear had composed more than 350 pieces. At age 5, Emily made her
concert debut at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago, playing a 40-minute solo
comprised of classical pieces, jazz standards, and her own compositions. She
was invited to perform at the White House at age 6. Her orchestral debut came at
age 7, playing Mozart Piano Concerto no. 23, K488 and by age 8, she was playing
concerts abroad in Italy and China. At the age of 9 she played at Carnegie
Hall with a 110-piece orchestra, a 220-voice choir, and R&B soloists.
That’s more
than most musicians can accomplish in a lifetime!
“She’s the
most delightful human being I’ve ever met in my life,” says Quincy Jones,
Emily’s mentor and manager. “And her music is the same way. I am at once
astounded and inspired by the enormous talent that Emily embodies. With
the ability to seamlessly move from Classical to Jazz and Be-bop, she shows as
much musical prowess as pianists/composers twice her age, and I am thrilled to
be working with her. She’s astounding, man ... she’s astounding. She plays like
she’s 40 years old. She is the complete 360-degree package, and there are no
limits to the musical heights she can reach.”
Don’t miss
this truly amazing young musician when she performs with cellist Zuill Bailey
on October 30, kicking off Mesa Arts Center’s 2014-15 Classical Series. Check
out a few of her television appearances…she has been featured on The EllenDeGeneres Show six times!
By Kayla
Dorvel
