MAKE EVERY MOMENT COUNT
George Varghese is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist and producer from India, now based in Seattle.
His diverse talents have earned him recognition across the creative spectrum—including being a featured artist on the Grammy-nominated album Pangaea and runner-up on Zee TV’s Sa Re Ga Ma. Over the years, George has built an impressive portfolio as a composer, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, producer, audio engineer, lighting designer, photographer and videographer.
VERGE STUDIOS & THE SPOTLIGHT
George is the founder of Verge Studios and The Spotlight in Seattle, where he provides cutting-edge audio and video production services. He specializes in helping artists craft compelling video portfolios to grow their fanbase and gain the recognition and opportunities they deserve.
Verge Studio offers artists a dedicated space for music production and audio engineering, while The Spotlight serves as a one-stop destination for creative video production and live events.
GUITARIST
A renowned guitarist, he captivates audiences with his technical mastery and expressive compositions, blending melody, drama, and emotion into a compelling musical journey.
EVENT PRODUCTION
George brings a wealth of technical expertise in audio, visual, and lighting design, with a proven track record of leading high-profile events and concerts. He has served as Technical Director for Miss World America 2024 and as Technical Production Manager for renowned Indian artists such as Kailash Kher, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Shaan, and the Berkeley Indian Ensemble.
CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOGRAPHER
George’s creative eye behind the camera has made him one of Seattle’s top choices for concert photography and videography. He has captured the energy and artistry of live performances by renowned artists such as Sunidhi Chauhan, Shankar Mahadevan, Kinjal Dave, Shaan, and many others.
CONSULATE GENERAL OF INDIA - SEATTLE
George Varghese serves as the official photographer and videographer for the Consulate General of India in Seattle. He documents cultural and diplomatic events, capturing and conveying the spirit and message of the Indian government to the community with clarity and creativity.
SPOTLIGHT STARS
George looks forward to writing and producing more music and use his platform to spotlight and launch future stars for the music world.
MAKE EVERY MOMENT COUNT
George draws inspiration from legends like Joe Satriani, Eric Clapton, Van Halen, Steve Lukather, Ritchie Sambora, John Petrucci, Steve Vai and Neil ZaZa.
His recent self produced album ‘Back in Time’ (2015) gives us an idea of his versatility. The album is a blend of progressive rock instrumentals with the Indian influence of the flute, violin and tabla. ‘Back in Time’ was awarded the ‘Best Instrumental Album’ at the Akademia Awards 2015 and 'Best Music Video' at the Global Music Awards 2016. The album was in the ballots for the 58th Grammy Awards. His tour of the album ‘Back in Time’ included performances in Seattle, (Hard Rock Cafe ) Las Vegas, (SXSW) Texas, (Whisky a Go Go) Los Angeles and Bangalore (India).
George grew up in Bangalore, India. From an early age he was surrounded by music. His mother being an eighth grade graduate from The Trinity College of Music and his father an ardent classical music enthusiast. That said, he decided to teach himself the guitar, drums and piano to develop his own unique playing style and sound. This gave him the versatility to begin composing original music at a very young age.
In 1994, George formed his first real band - "Crystals". They had very little money and very few instruments. In fact they had to borrow instruments to practice on before their performances. However, patience and perseverance soon paid off. The group eventually made radio performances and won school competitions all across India. What made them so unique was the quality of their original music, lyrics and the vocals that George wrote.
In 1996, George started a new band with close friends - Tony Das, Wilfred Demoz and K. T. Thomas. The Band - "Mixed Fruit Jam"- this was a dream come true. They performed for seven fantastic years. Their achievements during this time included over 200 shows in India, one of which was a live performance in front of an audience of about 40,000 excited fans at the famous Chinnaswamy stadium. They recorded the music score for a movie entitled, "20 Plus". Their band, Mixed Fruit Jam, won the second prize in the National Reality Television Competition, "Zee TV Sa Re Ga Ma". It was not easy for Mixed Fruit Jam in the early years. In fact, many of their concerts were produced and funded completely from the money that George earned from his day job.
George wrote his first instrumental " Stepping Stones " in 1996 [a song featured in the new album "Back In Time". His hard rock songs "Out Of The Dark" and "Fire in my Soul " featured in his first album release in 2001 entitled "Out Of The Dark".
In India, George has proved his mettle in the field of music, for he has been awarded "best lead guitarist" in seven national competitions. He has performed his original instrumentals and covers of artists like Joe Satriani and even performed the opening act before an audience of 28,000 at a Brian Adams concert in India.
In 2003, George came to the United States for higher education. During the first four years he devoted his time to home music recording, in which he was keenly interested. This gave him a lot of time to learn all about the recording process and music production. By 2007, he was recording songs and sharing them with others on the popular social network "MySpace ".
When George uploaded his music to MySpace, he caught the attention of musicians John Jaunese and Brian Hunsaker who invited him to contribute his music towards 'ShredFest' a guitar instrumental compilation album they were working on. George gladly accepted. During this time George wrote more music and soon returned to the stage with local bands "Inferno" and "Memento".
In 2012, George and Brian Hunsaker formed an instrumental band TRIAXE. From an obscure beginning, they soon fledged out. In no time they were playing at some of Seattle's finest places, and even featured on KCTS-9 public television.
They continued to soar and in 2014 , they performed at the "Guitars Under The Stars", a three day guitar music festival in Oregon. George appeared along with well known musicians Larry Mitchell, Tony McAlpine and many others.
In 2013, George was introduced to the well-known Robert Lang Studio in Seattle. Here he was able to work with world class professionals and some of the finest equipment in the recording studio industry. This gave him the confidence to start his own "Verge Studios" - another dream come true, that fulfilled a lifelong desire to teach guitar, keyboard, drums to aspiring musicians and to produce good music.
George is not just a musician. He currently runs Verge Studios & The Spotlight in Seattle where he produces and composes a variety of music. Verge Studios specializing in music lessons, recording, mixing and mastering, stage lighting and videography services for local musicians.
George always looks forward to writing and producing more instrumentals and vocals, and through Verge Studios where he offers a helping hand to budding talents. He hopes this to be a platform to launch future stars for the music world.
author: Mrs. Mary Varghese