Ecuadorian-American pianist Washington García Eljuri began his musical studies at the age of six. He has studied under renowned teachers such as Genoveva Granja, Toshko Stoyanov, Ann Schein, Yoheved Kaplinsky, and Julian Martin. Dr. García holds a Bachelor of Music from the National Conservatory of Music in Ecuador, and both Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. He graduated at the age of 25, becoming the youngest Latin American to receive a doctoral degree in piano performance from this prestigious institution. He is the recipient of the “Condecoración Dr. Vicente Rocafuerte,” the highest Cultural Achievement Award given by the Ecuadorian National Assembly, equivalent to the Presidential Medal of Freedom or Congressional Gold Medal in the United States.

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Dr. García's successful debut performance at the age of six led to numerous performances at the most significant cultural centers in Ecuador. He has won first prizes at the Guillermo Wright-Vallarino National Piano Competition in Quito, the Elizabeth Davis Memorial Piano Competition, the 19th International Young Artist Piano Competition in Washington D.C., the 2004 Baltimore Music Club Piano Competition, and the Harrison Winter Piano Competition. As the Harrison Winter winner at the Peabody Institute, he was selected to perform with the Peabody Concert Orchestra. He was also a top prizewinner at the Yale Gordon Piano Competition and the Russell Wonderlic Piano Competition.

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From a very early age, Dr. García became a seasoned concert pianist, extensively performing throughout Ecuador. Since his debut with the Ecuadorian National Symphony Orchestra at age 15, he has been an active recitalist, soloist, and lecturer in prestigious venues across Italy, Switzerland, Austria, France, Spain, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, Japan, China, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States. In the U.S., he has offered solo recitals and master classes in almost 30 states.

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Dr. García’s international debut occurred in Santiago, Chile, where he performed for former President Patricio Aylwin at the Claudio Arrau International Piano Seminar. He was subsequently chosen from contestants representing 33 countries by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. to receive one of two $25,000 grants in its Fellowships of the Americas Program. This program brought him to the U.S. for intensive piano studies with Professor Julian Martin at the Peabody Institute. Under this program's auspices, he performed at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, the Organization of American States, the World Bank, the Inter-American Bank, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Department of State, and the Mexican Cultural Center in Washington D.C., among other venues. He also performed at the National Library and Archives in Ottawa, Canada, on Glenn Gould’s piano. Dr. García has performed in Ecuador with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Cuenca Symphony Orchestra, and the Loja Symphony Orchestra. He has also been a guest soloist with the Green Valley Chamber Orchestra in Las Vegas, the Susquehanna Symphony Orchestra in Maryland, and toured Italy with the Texas State University Chamber Orchestra. Most recently, he performed with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra to a sold-out audience. He has also been featured as a guest soloist with the Austin Symphony in Texas, the Springfield Symphony in Massachusetts, and the Omaha Symphony, under the batons of maestros Peter Bay, Kevin Rhodes, and Thomas Wilkins, respectively. Dr. García has performed and recorded for Radio Television Hong Kong, Opus Classical Radio in Mexico City, WFMT in Chicago, TV Spain, Rogers Broadcasting Company in Canada, and worldwide broadcasts through Univision. He has been featured in several journals and magazines, including the Austin and Texas Monthly, Time Out Jakarta, The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, The Washington Post, the Omaha World-Herald, the Orlando Sentinel, and others in Asia, North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East.

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In addition to awards granted by the Peabody Institute and the Ecuadorian government, including the “Monseñor Leonidas Proaño” prize and the “Al Mérito Laboral” award, Dr. García received sponsorship from United Airlines. He was also named a Presser Scholar and grant recipient by the Presser Music Foundation. He received the Texas State Quarterly Team Award for outstanding service and the Friends of Fine Arts Awards for Scholarly/Creative Activities and Service. Dr. García was awarded a full scholarship by the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and received scholarships from The Lloyds Bank, The Zaldumbide Rosales Foundation, and the British Embassy in Ecuador.

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Dr. García has served on the faculty of the Peabody Preparatory of the Johns Hopkins University and Texas State University, where he was a Professor of Piano, Coordinator of the Keyboard Area, and the Assistant Director of the School of Music. He is currently the Dean of the School of Music at Stetson University in Florida. Prior to his appointment at Stetson, he was the founding Director of the School of Music at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he held the Robert M. Spire Professorship as a full Professor of Piano.

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Washington García became a Steinway Artist in 2014 and a U.S. citizen in March 2013. He resides in Lake Mary, Florida, with his wife Valeria and their sons, Mateo and Nico.