Tom Barabas spent his early years immersed in the diverse musical traditions of European culture and those of North and South America. He was born in Hungary and began playing music at age four. By age 12, he had attracted the interest and praise of his piano instructors and he made his public debut at the Liszt Conservatory of Music. In 1949 he emigrated with his family to Venezuela where he studied classical piano and composition at the Venezuela Conservatory of Music in Caracas (Venezuela's Julliard). He earned his master's degree in 1957. After a successful career performing daily on stage, radio and television in Venezuela, he moved to San Diego in 1966 seeking greater opportunities. The Southern California music scene inspired and cultivated his interest in jazz and soon he was opening for jazz greats such as Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and Ramsey Lewis. He performed on the original Love Boat and later became the house pianist for a five-star resort and it was during his tenure there that his creativity and innovation flourished and he began playing his own compositions. When Dean and Dudley Evenson saw him perform at an Arnold Patent workshop in 1985, they were taken by his music and immediately decided to record with him on their Soundings of the Planet label. He released many CDs, three of which made the Billboard Charts. Sedona Suite, perhaps his best loved album, charted #12 and held that position for 29 weeks! Other albums of note include Wind Dancer (with Dean Evenson), reaching Billboard's Top-15, and Classica Nouveau, which reached #18 on Billboard's Top-20. He has also released solo albums Journey Back to Sedona, Mosaic, Piano Impressions, Magic in December, It's a New Life, Romantic Rhapsodies, Tom Barabas Live and Classical Healing. Tom Barabas and Dean Evenson enjoyed a lifelong friendship and musical collaborations on Soundings of the Planet albums including Soaring, WindDancer, Back to the Garden, A Gift for Mother and Healing Suite. soundings.com/musicians/tom-barabas/