Elio Gaviria Is Reshaping the Sound of Classical Music and Who Gets to Play It

Photo: Courtesy of Elio Gaviria

From Chicago’s North Side to England’s grand cathedrals, the 20-year-old pianist is forging a future that sounds like home, infused with heritage, precision, and pride.

Classical music didn’t always feel like a place she belonged. But Elio Gaviria is changing what belonging looks and sounds like.

The Chicago-born pianist, whose roots span Colombian and Mexican heritage, is carving out a space for Latina identity in one of music’s most elite and exclusive arenas.

By the time she performed her first solo recital in the vaulted sanctuary of Manchester Cathedral, her journey had already carried her far beyond the notes.

Now in her third year at the Royal Northern College of Music in England, Gaviria, 20, is steadily dismantling the stereotypes of who gets to take the stage and building something new in their place.

“As a child of immigrants, I always wanted to work as hard as possible to make the struggles my parents had to go through worth it,” Gaviria says. “But I believe it took many years of growing up to become proud of my background. This sense of pride for where I come from has really shaped my stage presence… it is like second nature to hold my head up and feel confident in myself when I perform, as I have learned to do with my identity.”

A Soundtrack of Belonging

Gaviria’s journey with piano began at age 10, under the guidance of Tatiana Namouva, before she joined Chicago’s Merit School of Music Conservatory. For seven years, she studied with Toshiko Suzuki, graduating in 2022 with top honors and a performance résumé that already spanned chamber music stages, orchestras, and state competitions.

But it was a birthday gift at age 15 that marked a turning point.

“For my fifteenth birthday, my mother took me to see Evgeny Kissin at Symphony Center in Chicago,” Gaviria recalls. “When he walked out on stage I suddenly began to cry… All I could think after that concert was that I want to do for someone what Kissin did for me. I believe that experience is what put me down a more serious path in music.”

Now based in Manchester, Gaviria studies under British pianist Benjamin Frith and continues to evolve under the influence of both American and European mentors.

She has trained in masterclasses with legends like Sir Stephen Hough, Richard Goode, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, and Philippe Cassard. Experiences that helped refine her technical precision while deepening her artistic autonomy.

Photo: Courtesy of Elio Gaviria

“Meeting and learning from the ‘giants’ of piano has really made me realize there isn’t always a correct way to do something,” she explains. “Through these encounters, I have started to work more on the individualistic side of music—becoming more confident in what I want to say through my interpretations.”

This June, she took the stage alongside Sir Steven Osborne in a rare four-hands rendition of Ravel’s Mother Goose, a milestone that speaks to the scope and speed of her ascent.

While solo performance remains a central pursuit, Gaviria’s deepest joy lies in collaboration. She’s performed with the RNCM Symphony Orchestra and the Merit Philharmonic in Chicago, and she thrives in chamber settings with friends and fellow musicians.

“I think the main thing that draws me to collaborative piano is the fact I can perform alongside my best friends,” she says. “The emotional side feels more intense and the end result more rewarding because you have gone through the whole process with others by your side.”

That collaborative spirit recently earned her 1st prize in the RNCM Nossek Chamber Music Prize with the Morelia Piano Trio.

A Latina in the Limelight

In 2020, Gaviria was invited to perform in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Noche Navideña, an annual celebration hosted by the CSO’s Latino Alliance. The moment was transformational.

“It was the first time I was recognized as a Latina classical musician, not just one or the other (which is often the case),” she says. “The minute I realized many of the audience members looked like me, it suddenly became one of the most joyous nights ever.”

That night made clear how powerful visibility can be in a space where artists of color remain underrepresented.

“I do feel a sense of responsibility,” Gaviria affirms. “I want to inspire the younger generation of Latino children, as I know how influential it can be to look up to someone who also looks like you.”

Legacy in the Making

In 2022, she was awarded the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award and featured on NPR’s From The Top, a national showcase of elite young talent.

“That moment works as a reminder that I can achieve my goals,” Gaviria says. “It also gave me a sneak peek into what the professional recording process looks like.”

Despite the rigor of conservatory training, Gaviria stays creatively charged by stepping away from the piano and immersing herself in other forms of expression.

“I love the arts, film, literature, and history,” she says. “They always remind me that music is so much greater than just me, the piano, and if I worked hard enough that day.”

Looking ahead, she’s committed to uncovering and uplifting Latin American voices in the canon.

“I want to explore more classical music by Hispanic composers, both past and present,” Gaviria says. “I have a genuine interest in making these composers more widely known… so that one day there can hopefully be even more of us in this industry.”

Elio Gaviria is not just interpreting the work of great composers. She’s building a bridge between cultures, generations, and genres. With each note, she affirms that classical music belongs to everyone. And in doing so, she’s creating a space where young Latinas can see themselves reflected in a concert hall, not as exceptions but as the future.