Gabriello is 11 years old, is now in the 6th grade and homeschooled. He was nominated for his ability on the violin. Gabriello is the son of Lori Lewis, Burlington, VT.

This is his seventh year with Vermont Suzuki Violins and his third year as a member of a chamber group there. He is in his second year with the Sinfonia level of the Vermont Youth Orchestra. He has busked, played his violin, on Church Street for five years. He is also in his second year with the Fiddleheads, a fiddle group organized by Mark Sustic of Young Traditions.

Gabo has attended the Green Mountain Suzuki Institute, a summer music camp in Rochester, Vermont, for five years. He has participated in the Maple Sugar Festival Youth Talent Show in St. Albans for three years and  last year he won first place in his age division and the Ducham Children Memorial Award, which is given to one division winner who demonstrates great talent and the ability to share that talent with others.

In addition to music, Gabo is now in his fifth year with the Vermont Chinese School. He is in classes at the Very Merry Theater and the Vermont Fencing Alliance.

Just this fall he also started volunteering on Thursday afternoons with Outreach for Earth Stewardship at Shelburne Farms, helping with rescued raptors and birds of prey that have been injured. In September, he joined the Squires, the youth group at Christ the King church.

Gabriello obviously stays very busy. He especially likes to go to camp at the Green Mountain Suzuki Institute.  He wrote “This week is one of the best of the whole year. I can actually tell that my playing is better by the end of the week.”  He also wrote “ that to become a better musician requires lots of focus and commitment” and “When I play my violin I am elated and happy.”

 Kathy Post, Gabriell’s violin teacher wrote in her letter of recommendation:

“Gabo is so full of intellectual energy that he goes much farther and deeper than the others, amassing considerably more breadth and depth of knowledge than I’ve seen, always shared in such an enlivening manner.  The combination of will, imagination, and interest in others and the world, with his high achievement, make Gabriello my first choice over all students, past and present.”

 Gabriello played La Folia by A. Corelli at the ceremony, Oct. 15, 2011 at the New England Conference on the Gifted and Talented at the Sheraton Hotel, S. Burlington, VT.

The National Association for Gifted Children sent a certificate and will send Gabriello a $500 Savings Bond.  In addition VCGE gave Gabriello an autographed copy of Jim Delisle’s newest book,  “The Gifted Teen Survival Guide".