Francisco Gascue / Assistant Artistic Director/Operations Manager, Piano and Composition

Availability: Tuesday - Saturday 

Francisco began to study music at the age of 10 in Houston, Texas, where he was born and raised. He has had the privilege of attending and graduating from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in 2016, where he received his artist's diploma. Studying under Dr. Artina McCain, Cathal Breslin, and Jonathan Tsay, he graduated with his Bachelor of Music degree in 2021, with a focus on piano performance, from the University of Memphis.

Francisco is very passionate about music education, performance, and the development of young artists. With over five years of experience in teaching and accompaniment, he has taught and collaborated with artists and students in Texas, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Shortly after graduating with his bachelor's degree, he worked for the non-profit Rock Life Memphis, a performing arts organization dedicated to bringing music education and performance to underserved communities in Memphis. Francisco and Rock Life Memphis entered a partnership with Beacon College Prep to provide an enriching music course for their students. He led and organized the music courses for grades K-2. In doing so, he created and developed a fun musical curriculum for each grade level and explored the foundations of music, a brief history of music, aural training, and gave a performance at the end of the end of each semester. Recently, as Lead Piano Educator at The Music Box, he taught a majority of the piano students, gave lessons in composition, and worked with the owners in developing a curriculum for piano lessons.

Francisco also enjoyed working with the University of Memphis as a collaborative pianist. He has had the privilege and honor to accompany students and faculty for their recitals and juries, rehearsing and performing with multiple choral and chamber ensembles, and working closely with the faculty in coordinating and planning concerts. In addition, Francisco served as the Assistant Director of Music for Resurrection Catholic Church. He led the choir each Saturday and helped lead Sunday mass with the Director of Music. Francisco also enjoys practicing and performing with the band Avon Park. Avon Park has over 300 listeners with over 3,000 streams on Spotify and Apple Music. They have a local following and often collaborate and tour with other independent bands and solo artists from Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, and Texas.

Some of Francisco's hobbies include streaming his piano practice, computer programming, hiking, and reading.