Getting to Know Victor Gould

Our 2022-23 Rising Star Series continues Sunday, October 23 with a performance by the Victor Gould Trio at 4 PM in the Wellspring Theater. Gould took some time while wrapping up his European tour to answer some of our questions about his music.

Buy an in-person or virtual ticket today for the concert.

Is there something new you have learned in the last year about performing or preparing to perform?
I have learned that complete relaxation on stage – or in the studio – is the most important thing that a musician can achieve. I have noticed this characteristic in all of my favorite musicians. All of my favorite pianists are very relaxed with intense focus. This is something that I have known for quite some time but have only recently been able to achieve.

What are you working on musically right now?
I’m currently composing trio music for my fifth album. With support of my record label, Blue Room Music, I have been able to take my time and divide recording time into sections over the last two months. It has been a very creative experience so far and I am excited to share this project with the world. The album will be available in early 2023. I am also working on a curriculum that includes all of my recent realizations and musical epiphanies. I have always kept a musical journal and will be able to use it as an outline.

Is there a highlight of your year so far that has nothing to do with your music?
The highlight of my year has been my wife meeting me in Athens, Greece in the middle of my three-week tour with Jeremy Pelt. My mother was able to watch the children in New Jersey. My wife Chaance Gould and I had a great time and had an opportunity to explore all of the amazing attractions. The entire tour with Jeremy’s quintet has also been great. We performed in Italy, France, England, Greece and are finishing the tour in Germany.

Is there something you enjoy when you are not practicing, playing, or traveling?
I enjoy spending time with my wonderful family. My wife and I have two beautiful girls: Simone is seven and Zoe is two.

Do you have any advice for young pianists who want to change their passion into a career?
You have to figure out how to develop a strong love for the music you are studying. Practicing music will be a true pleasure if you have a deep love for your favorite genre or music in general. You won’t need to force yourself to dedicate time to your craft. You can always find time for things that you love and any level of piano mastery requires time.

About the Artist
Pianist and composer Victor Gould grew up in Los Angeles and began playing piano at the age of four. He was one of the first recipients of the Herbie Hancock Presidential Scholarship at Berklee College of Music, and earned his master’s from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz – now the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz – at Loyola University. The Grammy-nominated Gould has performed at the Umbria, Newport, Monterey, Detroit and North Sea Jazz Festivals. His honors include a 2020 New Works Grant from Chamber Music America as well as a 2009 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award. His first album, Clockwork, was named Debut of the Year in the 2016 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll. He has since released Earthlings, Thoughts Become Things, and In Our Time.