George Skaroulis - Composer/Pianist George Skaroulis is fast earning a reputation as one of the best pianists in contemporary instrumental music. With several internationally distributed albums to his credit, Skaroulis' music is effortless, full of grace, and emotionally uplifting. There's no denying Skaroulis' obvious piano-playing talent, but it's his "feel" and his emotionally rich compositions that raise him far above most of the other players in this genre. He successfully fuses Classical, New-Age, and Mediterranean influences to produce a fresh new sound. Skaroulis creates works that are timeless, marking his compositions with his own distinct ambient style. Born and raised in Florida, Skaroulis began playing at the age of five without formal training in either music theory or notation. He showed a fascination for music as he sat on the piano bench next to his mother while she played classical pieces and would often improvise and play along. Recognizing his interest and natural talent, his parents encouraged piano lessons. In five weeks, the lessons were over. The teacher could only be fooled for a short while and soon realized "little George" was playing the lessons by ear. Skaroulis began his career in the restaurant industry while a teenager, and dedicated over 20 years of his life to the business. Time at the piano was often his own private escape, and Skaroulis, shy about his lack of formal training, was very selective about performing publicly. Never had he considered pursuing his love of music as a career, but over the years, the piano kept calling him back. The message was loud and clear to Skaroulis after attending a Yanni concert years ago. He was amazed and moved by the music, and at the audience's response. Realizing that perhaps his music had a chance to touch people, Skaroulis recorded his debut album Homeland in 1996. With a very positive response, Skaroulis was inspired to compose more music and continue following his dream. The Homeland album was followed by Numinous, Season Traditions, Generations, Return to Homeland, Second Nature, Athena, and his newest album Forever Young. In addition to releasing albums on his own record label, Evzone Music, Skaroulis' music has captured the attention of other record labels including Essence Records (Chris Spheeris), Real Music, Bon Music (Korea), Orange Music (Singapore) and Sharper Image - all of which have licensed his music and talent for albums in which they distribute. Skaroulis also performs live concerts, many of which are for benefits and charities throughout world. Skaroulis' dreams continue to become realities. His music is broadcast on both conventional and web radio stations around the world, in theatre, and in television broadcasts. His passion has always been for film and television scoring, so he is understandably proud that his compositions have been included in the nationally-aired PBS programs Visions of Italy and Visions of Greece. Skaroulis is a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS), and a member of the American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).