Graduating artist Feature: Gabriela Salvador Riera

Gabriela was 6 years old when she starting playing the violin , at the Cordes Espai Educatiu, a Suzuki Academy in Valencia, Spain. She had the opportunity to attend Sphinx Performance Academy (SPA) at the Curtis Institute of Music when she was only 11 years old. Even though at first, she was intimidated by the talented and very advanced students there, she soon realized how amazing it was for her to be in a room full of musicians that she could relate to and that share the same love for music. Gabriela felt an immediate click and sense of family. After attending the summer program, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in music. 

She joined PMAY in 2020, the same year of the Covid pandemic outbreak, and that helped her focus on music. “I’ve had many great experiences, including playing for amazing musicians in masterclasses and many recital and solo performances. I’ve learned over time that there is no success without failure and even the greatest artists share similar experiences of uncertainty and self-doubt.”

Gabriela has had fantastic violin teachers; Ms. Julie Murphy at Music School of Delaware and Ms. Shelley Beard at Settlement Music School. They have helped her not only get better at the violin but also taught her to be disciplined. The mentorship at PMAY has been extremely helpful at navigating the college application and audition process. Other mentors include Ms. Karla Donehew Perez (Catalyst Quartet), who has truly inspired her, as she was part of the first chamber music performance Gabriela attended. Violinist and Composer Jessie Montgomery who worked with Gabriela at SPA, has been a great teacher and leader. Jannina Norpoth, music director at Fortissima, SPA faculty and PUBLIQuartet member, has been a very valuable mentor.

“Being the concertmaster of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra for the 2022-24 seasons was truly a great honor where I had the opportunity to play many iconic orchestral repertoire. It has been a fantastic experience for me to be a leader and to meet great friends along the way.” In addition, one of her favorite experiences was with the Ann Newman String Quartet as part of the Advanced Study program at Settlement Music School. They always strive for a deeper level of understanding and expression and ultimately competed at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in South Bend, Indiana. She also won 2nd prize in the 2023 Sphinx Competition Junior Division and made solo debuts with the Erie Philharmonic and the Buffalo Philharmonic. This year, she was a recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award.

Gabriela is excited about her future and career in music. She feels optimistic about the future of music and is inspired by the broader diversity of artists in the classical music community. “Having different lived experiences is the only way to have incredible art. The definition of classical music is changing and people are questioning it, testing boundaries, and moving towards a much more inclusive audience and for that I’m very excited.” Gabriela will be attending Oberlin College and Conservatory to Major in Music on a full scholarship in the fall of 2024.