Whether he was taking a break from his premed classes as an undergrad, processing what he was learning in medical school or taking some down time after a stint in the emergency room, Noah DeGarmo ’00 has always turned to music as a key part of his life.

Now that he has an established career as an emergency medicine physician, DeGarmo has taken his dedication to the piano to an even greater level and will be one of 39 musicians in the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition Oct. 12-18 in Fort Worth, Texas. DeGarmo visited the Cornell campus in September for a public concert of his Cliburn program with Xak Bjerken, professor of music and DeGarmo’s piano teacher while at Cornell.

“For me, music has always been transcendent, it takes you out of yourself,” DeGarmo said. “My goal is not only to play perfect technically, but to touch someone in a way that they can get out of themselves during a performance.”

Read the full story on the College of Arts & Sciences website.