About

Gabriel Esperon is a 23-year-old concert violinist and aspiring pedagogue based in Los Angeles, California. In Spring 2025, Gabriel joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic as a Resident Fellow and will be performing full time with the orchestra for its final season under Gustavo Dudamel. He is currently completing a Masters degree in Violin Performance at UCLA, studying under Varty Manouelian and Movses Pogossian. Outside the orchestra and solo performance, Gabriel is passionate about teaching. In his hometown of Miami, Florida, Gabriel began teaching under the supervision of his instructor, Eric Berken, while still in high school. Captivated by the energy of the learning environment, Gabriel has maintained a medium size violin studio since 2020, beginning professionally in Nashville at the W.O. Smith Community School. He currently teaches in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area and virtually through zoom.

Gabriel received undergraduate degrees in Violin Performance and Economics at Vanderbilt University, where he studied with Cornelia Heard. Prior to studying with Ms. Heard, his musical education was largely shaped by Eric Berken, Gary Kosloski, and Robert Davidovici. In the summers of 2022 and 2024, Gabriel was a fellowship student at the Aspen Music Festival. There, he served as principal player in the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble and Aspen Chamber Symphony, and performed with musicians including Robert Spano, Augustin Hadelich, Bryn Terfel, and Nicholas McGegan. He won the UCLA All-Star Concerto Competition in Fall 2024, and was a finalist in the Vanderbilt Concerto Competition in Nashville in 2023. Gabriel has performed in masterclasses for renowned pedagogues such as Zakhar Bron, Paul Kantor, Grigory Kalinovsky and others. In addition to his performance activities, Gabriel enjoys hiking, playing Catan with friends, and taking care of his garden.