Josue González

I'm originally from Costa Rica. As a young student, I was accepted into the Central Music School of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, an institution that has shaped many of the world's great pianists, and that experience changed the direction of my life. I later earned my Bachelor of Music from the University of Minnesota under Alexander Braginsky, followed by a Master of Music from the University of Southern California, where I had the privilege of studying with Daniel Pollack.

I've been fortunate to perform in some wonderful venues over the years, including Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, Rachmaninoff Hall, and the Bolshoi and Great Halls of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. I'm proud to be the first Costa Rican pianist to present a solo recital in the Great Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, a moment that meant a great deal to me, both personally and as a way of representing where I come from.

I've also had the chance to perform as a soloist with orchestras including the Costa Rica National Symphony Orchestra and the Russian Ufa Symphony Orchestra, and I've been fortunate to place in more than 25 international competitions, including First Prize at the Vladimir Spivakov International Piano Competition in Moscow and First Prize at the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition in New York.

Beyond classical music, I've spent the last decade exploring jazz and gospel, studying for over five years with Grammy-nominated pianist and Yellowjackets co-founder Russell Ferrante. Whether I'm playing Rachmaninoff or a gospel standard, I try to bring the same honesty and care to both. As a session pianist with platforms like Musiversal, I get to record across classical, jazz, and gospel styles, and in 2025 I had the honor of performing at the NAMM Show as an endorsed artist for Studiologic Keyboards.

Teaching means just as much to me as performing does. I've taught at the University of Southern California as a Teaching Assistant in music theory and group piano, and later as a piano instructor for Virtu Academy. Some of my students have gone on to earn awards at international piano competitions, including American Protégé and Bradshaw & Buono, and it's genuinely rewarding to be part of that.

I'm fluent in Spanish, English, and Russian, and whatever style of music moves you, my goal with every student is always to help you make music that feels sincere, alive, and true to who you are.