Emily's newest CD

Time to catch up with our favorite young pianist...

Eight-year-old Emily Bear made her sixth appearance on "The Ellen Degeneres Show" on January 5, 2010.  The Ellen Show Twitter about it said: "One of Ellen's all-time favorite kids is back!  The incredibly talented EMILY BEAR will update everyone on what she's doing, and will treat us all to an amazing performance at the piano.  She's composed new songs just for Ellen, so you'll want to see what she brings this time!"

One look at Emily in action and you'll understand why she's one of Ellen's favorites. In addition to her adorable personality and remarkable poise for someone so young, Emily is an amazing pianist.  She's equally comfortable playing jazz, classical, or her own compositions and has no problem performing in concert before audiences of thousands.  She also has a score of television appearances to her credit, and has already recorded several CDs.  She even played at the White House for President Bush as part of last year's Easter Egg Roll festivities, and recently played a complete Mozart concerto from memory with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra.  To put it mildly, Emily is a very talented and busy young lady!   

                            
                         
 
                                                            A Little History

When Emily was one, she could sing lullabies in perfect pitch. When she was two years old, her grandmother recognized her talent at the piano. She began to study piano at the Music Institute of Chicago. At four, she was enrolled for study of classical music at the Winnetka campus. Besides her extraordinary talent at the piano, Emily started to compose her own music at the age of three. She has already composed more than 120 pieces. For her piece "Northern Lights", she won the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award for composers under 18 years of age. She also won the Rockford Area Music Industry Award (RAMI).

At six, she played a 40-minute solo recital at the Ravinia Music Festival in Chicago, where she was the youngest performer in the festival’s 100-year history.  She has also played with pianists Ramsey Lewis and Corky Segal, when she was invited to perform at the Music Institute of Chicago’s 2007 Gala, and she was the opening performer at KIDSTOCK Music Festival. On television, she has been featured on ABC Chicago, NBC Chicago, WTTW ("Chicago Tonight") and WTVO - ABC/Fox News.  Emily's appearances on "The Ellen Degeneres Show" are always popular with the audience and a delight for Ellen, who once said,  "It's impossible to watch Emily Bear and not have your heart melt!" 

                                    The Emily/Mason & Hamlin/PianoDisc Connection

A few years ago, in support of their daughter's amazing talent, Emily's parents purchased a Mason & Hamlin Model AA piano equipped with PianoDisc's Opus7 system, from Randee's Music Center in Rockford, IL.  (See Emily's AA in photos 4-10 at  http://www.emilybear.com/galleries/scrapbook/eb_scrapbook.html.)  The new piano is very big part of Emily's musical life---a partner in practice, performing and composing. 

In 2008, Mason & Hamlin suggested to the producers of the PBS children's TV show, "All You Need Is Music", that they use Emily in an episode of their soon-to-be-broadcast series.  The episode was shown last January (2009), and in it, Emily plays on a Mason & Hamlin piano.  The Mason & Hamlin factory was also filmed for an episode of the show.  (See our News article.)                         

In the future, Emily will add PianoDisc Artist to her list of credits, with the filming of her first PianoVideo.  "Emily's adorable personality and incredible talent will make her PianoVideo very special indeed," remarked PianoDisc's Artist Director, Jan Glazier.  "It will be entertaining, of course, and also inspirational for pianists of all ages." 

Emily's CDs, including her newest, "The Love In Us", with an accompanying songbook, can be purchased at her online Store.  A portion of the proceeds from Emily's CDs goes to one of several charities she and her parents support, including The Ronald McDonald House Charities, The Children's Hospital Los Angeles,  The Children's Memorial Hospital of Chicago and Susan J. Komen For The Cure.  

Although making music is her favorite pastime, Emily also loves to ice skate, play tennis, swim and do crafts.  More about this  wonderful young performer can be found at her website, www.emilybear.com. To watch Emily in action you can view her YouTube videos.