Piano Recital by Leo de Maria

Leo de Maria, the winner of more than 50 International awards, including the first prize in the most recent UNISA International Piano Competition plays a solo recital in Durban on 28th February.

Program:

J.S.Bach - Toccata in E minor, BWV 914

W.A.Mozart - Sonata in E flat major, KV 282

F.Chopin - Impromptu No. 2

E.Granados - El amor y la muerte

F.Liszt - Apres une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata

M.Ravel - La Valse

Born in Madrid in 1995, he began his musical training at the age of 11. He studied at the Faculty

of Music and Performing Arts of the Alfonso X el Sabio University in Madrid under the direction of

Maestro Leonel Morales, and later completed his Master’s studies with Maestro Pavel Gililov at

the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. He is currently doing a doctorate in performance at the

Univeristy of Music and Performing Arts of Mannheim with the Maestro Rudolf Meister in

Germany (Konzertexamen).

He is piano professor at the Faculty of Music and Performing Arts of the University Alfonso X El

Sabio of Madrid (UAX) and the Superior School of Music Forum Musikae (FMK).

Leo de Mar a has won more than 50 international awards. Highlights include the First Prizes in the

International Piano Competitions UNISA of Pretoria in South Africa (WFIMC), Ciudade de Ferrol in

Spain, MozART in Germany, Grand Prix of Lyon in France, and the National Prize Cultura Viva to

the Artistic Revelation 2018 in Spain.

He has been awarded with the Second Prize in the International Competitions Johann Nepomuk

Hummel of Bratislava (WFIMC), Santa Cecilia of Oporto in Portugal (WFIMC), pinal of France

(WFIMC), Russian Music of Italy, Neue Sterne of Germany, Valsesia Musica of Milan and in the Rio

de Janeiro Festival-Competition in Brazil.

He has also received the Third Prize at the Scriabin International Competitions of Grosseto, (twice

in a row) in 2014 and 2016, as well as the Special Public Prize 2016 in the final round, and at the

Ettore Pozzoli of Seregno (WFIMC) in Italy. Likewise, in Spain at the Frechilla-Zuloaga Competition

in Valladolid, as well as the Rosa Sabater Prize to the best spanish music interpretation at the

Jaen International Piano Prize.

At the age of 15 he performed his first concerto with orchestra (Prokofiev’s Concerto n 1) with the

Cukurova State Symphony Orchestra in Adana-Turkey.

Since then, his concert activity has taken him to different parts of the world, performing in the

most prestigious concert halls such as the Laeishalle in Hamburg, in the Eberhard Karls University

in Tu¨bingen and Villa Musica at the Engers Castle (Germany), Wiener Saal and Solit r Concert Hall

in Salzburg (Austria), Casa da M sica in Porton (Portugal), Sala Reduta in Bratislava and in the

Music Festival of Piestany. In China at the Guotai Arts Center (Chonqing), Daning Theater

(Shanghai), Cangjiang Theater and the International Conference Center Concert Hall (Xiamen),

Fuzhou Grand Theater (Fuzhou), Elfers Concert Hall in Connecticut and the Severance Music

Center in Cleveland (USA), CKK Jordanki Auditorium (Torun-Poland), Sala Nezahualc yotl in

Mexico City, Auditorio de San Pedro de Monterrey at the Festival Santa Cecilia-Parnass s

(Mexico), Salle Moli re in Lyon at the Festival “Les Virtuoses du Piano”, Teatro Bibiena de

Mantova in Italy, Cecilia Mirelles Concert Hall in Rio de Janeiro the Casa de A. Scriabin’s House in

Moscow, Radio France in Paris, Miami Dade County Auditorium, Turkey, Slovenia, Italy, Holland…

In Spain, he has collaborated for the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation in the presence of Her Majesty

Queen Sofia, Cycle “Descubre” in the National Auditorium of Madrid with the National Orchestra

of Spain, Rafael Orozco Cycle in Cordoba, Juan March Foundation, Olivar del Castillejo

Foundation, in the auditorium La Maestranza in Seville, Granada in its different halls including the

Manuel de Falla Auditorium, San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid, Iturbi Hall of the

Palau de la M sica in Valencia, Auditorium of Castell n, Mozart Hall of the Auditorium of

Zaragoza…

His expression and charisma have been frequently displayed with orchestras such as: Slovak

National Philharmonic Orchestra in Bratislava, Porto Symphony Orchestra (Portugal), in Italy with

the symphony orchestras of San Remo and Grosseto, Bursa State Symphony Orchestra (Turkey),

Torun Symphony (Poland), Johannesburg Symphonic Orchestra in Pretoria (South Africa), in

Mexico Eduardo Mata University Youth Orchestra (Mexico City), Brazilian Symphony Orchestra in

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). In Spain, with the Malaga Philharmonic (OFM), with the Symphonic

Ochestra of Galicia (OSG), the Symphonic Orchestra of Castilla y Leon (OSCyL), with the National

Orchestra of Spain (OCNE)…

Showing his ability as a concert artist, he has shared the stage with great directors such as:

Rastislav Štur, Andres Salado, Roberto Tibirica, Teresa Riveiro Bohm, Gustavo Rivero Weber,

Emin Güven Yaslicam, Andrea Oddone, Gabriel Delgado, Marlene Urbay, Dainius Pavilionis,

Beatriz Fernandez Aucejo, Jir Rožen, Gudni A. Emilsson, Joanna Natalia Slusarczyk, Christian

Fitzner, Osvaldo Ferreira, Jos Trigueros, Andrea Barizza…

He has been invited to the Great Soloists Cycle Pilar Bayona, in the auditorium of Zaragoza. In its

XXV edition, artists such as Grigory Sokolov, Alessio Bax, Joaquin Achucarro among others took

part… Leo de Maria received a 5-star review: “Music as a panacea”.

He has toured in China extensively. The last one, with a total of 12 concerts on the main stages of

the Asian country, starting in the city of Chong Qing and concluding in Beijing, at the Tianquiao

Performing Arts Center.

Due to the success obtained, Leo de Maria got artistic representation in China, through the

Concert Agency CHONGQING PERFORMANCE CO.Ltd.

He is also an artist of the MUSIESPANA agency, an international endorsement factor.

Leo de Maria is invited every year to give masterclasses at The Hotchkiss School “Summer

Portals” in Connecticut in the United States, and at the “Sommerakademie” of the Mozarteum

University of Salzburg in Austria. Likewise, he gives Masterclass at the Leonel Morales & Friends

International Music Festival and Masterclass, where he is also the Chief Operating Officer.

He is the Artistic Director and CEO of the “Youth Piano Experience: Masterclass for Children and

Teenagers”, which is held every summer in July in the city of Granada, Spain.

He is usually invited as jury member in International Competitions such as the Santa Cecilia

Competition in Porto (Portugal), the Isidor Bajic Piano Memorial Competition in Novi Sad (Serbia),

the Maria Herrero Competition in Granada (Spain), the Spanish Composers Competition in Las

Rozas (Spain)…

“Powerful”, “He plays like a great”, “Dominant and Conquering” are some of the superlatives used

by different critics around the world to describe him.