A R T S A N D C U LT U R E
Dream
THE PURSUIT OF A
GEORGE KO FINDS SOLACE AS A PROFESSIONAL PIANIST
A
BY LUKE NETZLEY
George Ko is a Pasadena-based concert pianist and classical improviser.
Photo Submitted
t a time when the entire world seemed to come to a halt, the pandemic inspired people everywhere to rearrange the hierarchy of needs used to assess what truly matters to them. Pasadena resident George Ko is no different. He found himself standing at the crossroads of his future. Ko grew up in Orange County as a first generation American in his family. His parents were Taiwanese immigrants who moved to the United States in the ’70s and ’80s, and always stressed the importance of creating and taking the opportunities that life can present. “My mom wanted to be a concert pianist growing up. They were so poor she borrowed chalk and then drew all 88 keys on the floor and just imagined what piano would sound like.”
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