Biography

Gabriel was born and raised in Woodstock, NY. When he was five years old he started playing the cello, and his love for music has only grown since then. He now plays guitar, piano, recorder and percussion; sings, writes songs and composes. He is a member of the groups Levanta, Bliss, Boreal and Sonark Trio, and he performs solo. Gabriel has recorded cello on many albums, including Strangers, Simone Felice; From the Violent Banks of the Kaaterskill, Simone Felice; In a Moment, Karl Berger; Unto the Garden, Cantor Robert Michael Esformes; Onism, Photay; Payne's Grey Sky, Payne's Grey Sky, and COLORS OF RESISTANCE, Eco-Music Big Band. His latest project was the much anticipated debut self-titled album Levanta, released November 11th of 2018, including his composition Floating in Time. Gabriel has toured in Europe, and performed in the Hudson Valley and New York City areas with various groups, from orchestras to rock bands to a jazz big band. Plans for 2024 include releasing his debut solo album: Infinity is One, and recording a second album with Levanta. Look for a GoFundMe for the latter.

Over the last 9 years Gabriel has developed his talents as a teacher, starting with a group of school students from the Lidskjalf Co-op School, a Waldorf-based homeschool intiative in Woodstock, NY, teaching singing, recorder and piano. Since then he has taught private lessons on all the above-mentioned instruments as well as cello, guitar and music theory. He also taught cello at Primrose Hill School in Rhinebeck, NY. Gabriel’s approach to teaching is, although technique and discipline are extremely important, if a sense of play (we do play music after all!) is not developed, as well as enthusiasm and creativity, then making music will become boring and rote. Gabriel teaches children and adults, from beginner to intermediate, personalized to the needs and interests of each individual.

Gabriel’s musical studies started with cello, recorder and percussion at Mountain Laurel Waldorf School in New Paltz, NY, as well as singing in choruses, playing all four recorders (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) in recorder ensembles and cello in orchestras. As a child he studied Cello, Piano and guitar. While at Onteora High School in Boiceville, NY, Gabriel was part of a locally successful reggae/rock trio, The Paper Planets, in which he co-wrote songs, played guitar and sang. He continued playing cello in the Onteora High School orchestra. After high school Gabriel studied cello and guitar at SUNY Ulster County Community College's music program, followed by a year at CUNY Brooklyn College's music conservatory studying cello performance, where he met Fred Ho, who would be his teacher and mentor for a year before Fred passed in the Spring of 2014.

Gabriel’s hope for the future of his musical career is that he can leave many people, young and old, moved and empowered to establish their own healing relationship with music, whether it is by singing, playing an instrument, or by simply being a good listener.