Virtualoso Global Piano Competition for Artists Relief

Schedule of Events

Competition sessions will be rebroadcast on our website at 7:00 am EDT and 2:00 pm EDT the following day.

WATCH HERE

List of Events

Wednesday, July 1 icon-calendar July 1 10:00 AM EDT America/New_York Announcement of contestants

Join us as we announce the contestants that will participate in the Virtu(al)oso competition.

Announcement of contestants

Time: 10:00 AM EDT

Join us as we announce the contestants that will participate in the Virtu(al)oso competition.

Thursday, July 16 icon-calendar July 16 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids: Introduction

Welcome to our Virtual PianoKids world tour, where we will be exploring the building blocks of music, and the countries from which our contestants will be performing! Get to know the piano in this introductory video and participate in a build-your-own piano craft to use during the rest of our series.

Virtual PianoKids: Introduction

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Welcome to our Virtual PianoKids world tour, where we will be exploring the building blocks of music, and the countries from which our contestants will be performing! Get to know the piano in this introductory video and participate in a build-your-own piano craft to use during the rest of our series.

Friday, July 17 icon-calendar July 17 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids: Painting with Music

Experience the various color palettes of music as students learn about Timbre. Be ready to explore the different color tones of instruments and their sounds. Through hands-on, visual art activities, students will gain a better understanding of different sound qualities and how to express what they’re hearing.

Virtual PianoKids: Painting with Music

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Experience the various color palettes of music as students learn about Timbre. Be ready to explore the different color tones of instruments and their sounds. Through hands-on, visual art activities, students will gain a better understanding of different sound qualities and how to express what they’re hearing.

Monday, July 20 icon-calendar July 20 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids: China

Our first stop is China, where we will learn about its culture and music! From the pentatonic scale to its native instruments, we dive into the qualities that make Chinese music sound so unique. Using a sound painting activity, students will have the chance to apply their new knowledge about Timbre to Chinese music.

Virtual PianoKids: China

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Our first stop is China, where we will learn about its culture and music! From the pentatonic scale to its native instruments, we dive into the qualities that make Chinese music sound so unique. Using a sound painting activity, students will have the chance to apply their new knowledge about Timbre to Chinese music.

Tuesday, July 21 icon-calendar July 21 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids: Playing with Pitch

Join us as we explore the “highs” and “lows” of Pitch, where students will learn how to differentiate high notes from low notes. Through fun, hands-on activities and sing-alongs – not to mention help from the animal kingdom – students will also gain a basic understanding of solfege.

Virtual PianoKids: Playing with Pitch

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Join us as we explore the “highs” and “lows” of Pitch, where students will learn how to differentiate high notes from low notes. Through fun, hands-on activities and sing-alongs – not to mention help from the animal kingdom – students will also gain a basic understanding of solfege.

Wednesday, July 22 icon-calendar July 22 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids: Germany

Next stop: Germany! We will get the chance revisit the subject of solfege and Pitch as we learn a German children’s song. Students will want to get up and move to demonstrate the fun ups-and-downs of Oompah music!

Virtual PianoKids: Germany

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Next stop: Germany! We will get the chance revisit the subject of solfege and Pitch as we learn a German children’s song. Students will want to get up and move to demonstrate the fun ups-and-downs of Oompah music!

Thursday, July 23 icon-calendar July 23 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids: Moving with Tempo

Come move with us as we explore the idea of Tempo! With the help of a crafting activity, we learn how to feel slow, medium, and fast tempos through movement, and we consider how different tempos make us feel.

Virtual PianoKids: Moving with Tempo

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Come move with us as we explore the idea of Tempo! With the help of a crafting activity, we learn how to feel slow, medium, and fast tempos through movement, and we consider how different tempos make us feel.

Friday, July 24 icon-calendar July 24 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids: United Kindgom

Hop across the pond to the United Kingdom to learn about its culture and music. Students will get an opportunity to apply their knowledge of Tempo as we listen to a popular classical music piece and learn some moves to an old-English folk dance.

Virtual PianoKids: United Kindgom

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Hop across the pond to the United Kingdom to learn about its culture and music. Students will get an opportunity to apply their knowledge of Tempo as we listen to a popular classical music piece and learn some moves to an old-English folk dance.

Monday, July 27 icon-calendar July 27 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids: Fun with Form

Ever notice that songs often repeat certain words and melodies? Learn why as we explore the music building block of Form. Using a familiar children’s song and engaging movement and drawing activities, we break down two musical forms in a way that even our youngest listeners will be able to understand.

Virtual PianoKids: Fun with Form

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Ever notice that songs often repeat certain words and melodies? Learn why as we explore the music building block of Form. Using a familiar children’s song and engaging movement and drawing activities, we break down two musical forms in a way that even our youngest listeners will be able to understand.

Tuesday, July 28 icon-calendar July 28 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids: United States of America

Our journey around the world ends with a closer look at the culture and music of our home country: the United States of America. We will be taking students on a journey through Jazz that will have them singing using scat syllables and incorporating their knowledge of Form structure as they play accompaniment on their craft pianos.

Virtual PianoKids: United States of America

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Our journey around the world ends with a closer look at the culture and music of our home country: the United States of America. We will be taking students on a journey through Jazz that will have them singing using scat syllables and incorporating their knowledge of Form structure as they play accompaniment on their craft pianos.

Wednesday, July 29 icon-calendar July 29 7:00 PM EDT America/New_York Opening Ceremony

Hosted by Zsolt Bognár, host and creator of the popular video series, Living the Classical Life, and Piano Cleveland President Yaron Kohlberg, this exciting event will introduce our contestants and bring well-wishes from pianists, music leaders, and celebrities around the world. The ceremony will also feature a special performance by Israeli pianist Omri Mor.

Opening Ceremony

Time: 7:00 PM EDT

Hosted by Zsolt Bognár, host and creator of the popular video series, Living the Classical Life, and Piano Cleveland President Yaron Kohlberg, this exciting event will introduce our contestants and bring well-wishes from pianists, music leaders, and celebrities around the world. The ceremony will also feature a special performance by Israeli pianist Omri Mor.

Thursday, July 30 icon-calendar July 30 7:00 PM EDT America/New_York First Round, Session 1

Five contestants perform a solo piano program of 20 minutes.

  • Josquin Otal
  • Tian Tang
  • Elia Cecino
  • Roman Kosyakov
  • Xiaoya Wan

First Round, Session 1

Time: 7:00 PM EDT

Five contestants perform a solo piano program of 20 minutes.

  • Josquin Otal
  • Tian Tang
  • Elia Cecino
  • Roman Kosyakov
  • Xiaoya Wan

Friday, July 31 icon-calendar July 31 7:00 PM EDT America/New_York First Round, Session 2

Five contestants perform a solo piano program of 20 minutes.

  • Lin Ye
  • Kevin Ahfat
  • Julian Miles Trevelyan
  • Francesco Granata
  • Kiron Atom Tellian

First Round, Session 2

Time: 7:00 PM EDT

Five contestants perform a solo piano program of 20 minutes.

  • Lin Ye
  • Kevin Ahfat
  • Julian Miles Trevelyan
  • Francesco Granata
  • Kiron Atom Tellian

Saturday, August 1 icon-calendar August 1 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids Encore: China

Our first stop is China, where we will learn about its culture and music! From the pentatonic scale to its native instruments, we dive into the qualities that make Chinese music sound so unique. Using a sound painting activity, students will have the chance to apply their new knowledge about Timbre to Chinese music.

Virtual PianoKids Encore: China

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Our first stop is China, where we will learn about its culture and music! From the pentatonic scale to its native instruments, we dive into the qualities that make Chinese music sound so unique. Using a sound painting activity, students will have the chance to apply their new knowledge about Timbre to Chinese music.

Saturday, August 1 icon-calendar August 1 7:00 PM EDT America/New_York First Round, Session 3

Five contestants perform a solo piano program of 20 minutes.

  • Lovre Marušić
  • Tamila Salimdjanova
  • Arseniy Gusev
  • Mariia Narodytska
  • Sergey Belyavskiy

First Round, Session 3

Time: 7:00 PM EDT

Five contestants perform a solo piano program of 20 minutes.

  • Lovre Marušić
  • Tamila Salimdjanova
  • Arseniy Gusev
  • Mariia Narodytska
  • Sergey Belyavskiy

Sunday, August 2 icon-calendar August 2 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids Encore: Germany

Next stop: Germany! We will get the chance to revisit the subject of solfege and Pitch as we learn a German children’s song. Students will want to get up and move to demonstrate the fun ups-and-downs of Oompah music!

Virtual PianoKids Encore: Germany

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Next stop: Germany! We will get the chance to revisit the subject of solfege and Pitch as we learn a German children’s song. Students will want to get up and move to demonstrate the fun ups-and-downs of Oompah music!

Sunday, August 2 icon-calendar August 2 7:00 PM EDT America/New_York First Round, Session 4

Five contestants perform a solo piano program of 20 minutes.

  • Han Chen
  • Fuko Ishii
  • Madoka Fukami
  • Martin García García
  • Zhu Wang

First Round, Session 4

Time: 7:00 PM EDT

Five contestants perform a solo piano program of 20 minutes.

  • Han Chen
  • Fuko Ishii
  • Madoka Fukami
  • Martin García García
  • Zhu Wang

Monday, August 3 icon-calendar August 3 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids Encore: United Kingdom

Hop across the pond to the United Kingdom to learn about its culture and music. Students will get an opportunity to apply their knowledge of Tempo as we listen to a popular classical music piece and learn some moves to an old-English folk dance.

Virtual PianoKids Encore: United Kingdom

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Hop across the pond to the United Kingdom to learn about its culture and music. Students will get an opportunity to apply their knowledge of Tempo as we listen to a popular classical music piece and learn some moves to an old-English folk dance.

Monday, August 3 icon-calendar August 3 7:00 PM EDT America/New_York First Round, Session 5

Five contestants perform a solo piano program of 20 minutes.

  • Andrei Iliushkin
  • Lorenzo Adamo
  • Byeol Kim
  • Jonas Aumiller
  • Priscila Navarro

First Round, Session 5

Time: 7:00 PM EDT

Five contestants perform a solo piano program of 20 minutes.

  • Andrei Iliushkin
  • Lorenzo Adamo
  • Byeol Kim
  • Jonas Aumiller
  • Priscila Navarro

Tuesday, August 4 icon-calendar August 4 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids Encore: United States of America

Our journey around the world ends with a closer look at the culture and music of our home country: the United States of America. We will be taking students on a journey through Jazz that will have them singing using scat syllables and incorporating their knowledge of Form structure as they play accompaniment on their craft pianos.

Virtual PianoKids Encore: United States of America

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Our journey around the world ends with a closer look at the culture and music of our home country: the United States of America. We will be taking students on a journey through Jazz that will have them singing using scat syllables and incorporating their knowledge of Form structure as they play accompaniment on their craft pianos.

Tuesday, August 4 icon-calendar August 4 7:00 PM EDT America/New_York First Round, Session 6

Five contestants perform a solo piano program of 20 minutes.

  • Abuzar Manafzade
  • Michael Lu
  • Michael Davidman
  • Anna Han
  • Martin James Bartlett

First Round, Session 6

Time: 7:00 PM EDT

Five contestants perform a solo piano program of 20 minutes.

  • Abuzar Manafzade
  • Michael Lu
  • Michael Davidman
  • Anna Han
  • Martin James Bartlett

Wednesday, August 5 icon-calendar August 5 11:30 AM EDT America/New_York Virtual PianoKids Live!

Join your hosts Captain Joe and Admiral Emily for a LIVE, virtual performance of PianoKids! Come prepared to show off your musical skills and knowledge picked up along our world tour as we present a fun, and interactive final program.

Emily Shelley, Piano Cleveland’s Education and Outreach Coordinator and Joe Leaman – videographer for The Quarantine Concerts – will host a live interactive event for our youngest audience members. This is the culmination of our Virtual PianoKids program, a series of nine short videos that introduces children (K-3) to core musical concepts through a world tour of our partner locations.

Virtual PianoKids Live!

Time: 11:30 AM EDT

Join your hosts Captain Joe and Admiral Emily for a LIVE, virtual performance of PianoKids! Come prepared to show off your musical skills and knowledge picked up along our world tour as we present a fun, and interactive final program.

Emily Shelley, Piano Cleveland’s Education and Outreach Coordinator and Joe Leaman – videographer for The Quarantine Concerts – will host a live interactive event for our youngest audience members. This is the culmination of our Virtual PianoKids program, a series of nine short videos that introduces children (K-3) to core musical concepts through a world tour of our partner locations.

Wednesday, August 5 icon-calendar August 5 7:00 PM EDT America/New_York Announcement of finalists

Join us as we announce the six finalists.

Announcement of finalists

Time: 7:00 PM EDT

Join us as we announce the six finalists.

Thursday, August 6 icon-calendar August 6 7:00 PM EDT America/New_York Keys and Cocktails, Remixed

Who wouldn’t want a private evening with Yaron Kohlberg at the piano, paired with exquisite musical cocktails? Our friends at L’Albatros Brasserie will join us for this donor-only event, where you will learn more about the repertoire for the Final Round and get to taste some delicious cocktails in the process.

Keys and Cocktails, Remixed

Time: 7:00 PM EDT

Who wouldn’t want a private evening with Yaron Kohlberg at the piano, paired with exquisite musical cocktails? Our friends at L’Albatros Brasserie will join us for this donor-only event, where you will learn more about the repertoire for the Final Round and get to taste some delicious cocktails in the process.

Friday, August 7 icon-calendar August 7 7:00 PM EDT America/New_York Final Round, Session 1

Three finalists perform a solo program of 30-35 minutes.

Final Round, Session 1

Time: 7:00 PM EDT

Three finalists perform a solo program of 30-35 minutes.

Saturday, August 8 icon-calendar August 8 7:00 PM EDT America/New_York Final Round, Session 2

Three finalists perform a solo program of 30-35 minutes.

Final Round, Session 2

Time: 7:00 PM EDT

Three finalists perform a solo program of 30-35 minutes.

Sunday, August 9 icon-calendar August 9 7:00 PM EDT America/New_York Awards Ceremony

Be there for the big announcement of our winners and hear their encore performances!

Awards Ceremony

Time: 7:00 PM EDT

Be there for the big announcement of our winners and hear their encore performances!

Saturday, August 15 icon-calendar August 15 11:00 AM EDT America/New_York Jury Roundtable

Five of our six illustrious jury members will join in conversation with Yaron Kohlberg to discuss their experience judging in a virtual competition, their advice for developing pianists, and the future of the performing arts in these challenging times.

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Jury Roundtable

Time: 11:00 AM EDT

Five of our six illustrious jury members will join in conversation with Yaron Kohlberg to discuss their experience judging in a virtual competition, their advice for developing pianists, and the future of the performing arts in these challenging times.

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Gastón Frydman

Argentinian pianist Gastón Frydman possesses a voracious curiosity to explore the limits of what a 'classical music' concert means. He has won numerous awards and has performed in notable venues across the world as a soloist and as a chamber musician. In 2018, after receiving an invitation from Sergei Babayan, Frydman began his studies with Antonio Pompa-Baldi at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He received his Bachelor in Piano Performance and is currently pursuing his Master's with a specialization in Pedagogy at CIM.

Eva Gevorgyan

Critics rave at her “emotional eloquence and impeccable technique” combined with all “the important features of a mature master” (ICMA): 18-year old Armenian pianist Eva Gevorgyan has quickly established herself as one of the most promising talents in the pianistic world.

Eva Gevorgyan has performed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Mariinsky Orchestra, National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, Russian National Orchestra, State Academic Symphony Orchestra “Evgeny Svetlanov”, Canton Symphony Orchestra, Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra, Malta Philharmonic and others. She has already performed at major concert venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Hamburg’s Laeiszhalle, the Mariinsky Concert Hall, Moscow Conservatory Great Hall, and KKL Lucerne. Eva has participated in the Verbier Festival, Duszniki International Chopin Piano Festival, Stars of the White Nights Festival, Eilat Chamber Music Festival, Palermo Classica Festival, the Perugia Piano Festival, ClaviCologne Festival and Klassik vor Acht, Jeune Chopin à Cannes, Ferrara Piano Festival, Elena Cobb Star Prize Festival, Fränkische Musiktage Alzenau and others. In January 2020 Eva was invited to perform in Yerevan in front of the President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian and his spouse. At the Alto Adige Festival she performed in the presence of Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella.

Eva has appeared with such conductors as Vladimir Spivakov, Lawrence Foster, Vasily Petrenko, Valery Gergiev, Alexander Sladkovsky, Roberto Beltrán-Zavala, Eduard Topchjan, Dimitris Botinis, Piotr Gribanov, Tigran Hakhnazaryan, Ruth Reinhardt, Anatoly Levin, Ilmar Lapinsh, and others.

At the XVIII International Chopin Competition in Warsaw Eva Gevorgyan was the youngest finalist. Evgeny Kissin chose Eva Gevorgyan as a scholar of the 2020 Klavierfestival Ruhr. Eva was also an ICMA Discovery Award winner at the 2019 International Classical Music Awards. She is a grand-prix winner of the Russian National Orchestra Competition in 2021. In total, Eva has received awards at more than forty international competitions for piano and composition in the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, and Russia among others, including First Prize at the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists (incl. special prize for the best interpretation of Bach and Canton Symphony Orchestra Prize), First Prize at the Robert Schumann Piano Competition in Dusseldorf, Second Prize and the Press Award at the Cliburn Junior International Piano Competition, Grand Prix and special prize for best Chopin interpretation at the Chicago International Music Competition, and First Prize at the Jeune Chopin International Piano Competition in Martigny. She has been a laureate and received five special prizes at Moscow’s Grand Piano International Competition. Eva also won First Prizes at the Chopin International Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Szafarnia, Poland, and Portugal’s St. Cecilia International Piano Competition, and won the Grand Prix at the International Piano Competition of Giuliano Pecar in Gorizia, Italy. Eva was awarded the Junior Prize (City Prize) at the Eppan Junior Piano Academy (Italy).

Eva is a Young Yamaha Artist. She received a scholarship from the International Academy of Music in Liechtenstein and participates regularly in the intensive music weeks and activities offered by the Academy. She also holds scholarships from YerazArt Foundation, Foundation Artis Futura, and from the Armenian Assembly.

Eva Gevorgyan was born in April 2004. After studies with Natalia Trull at the Central Music School in Moscow, she joined the Reina Sofia School of Music in Madrid, where she continues to study with Stanislav Ioudenitch. Eva was invited to the International Piano Academy Lake Como, where she participated in masterclasses with Dmitry Bashkirov, Stanislav Ioudenitch and William Nabore. She has also participated in masterclasses with Pavel Gililov, Grigory Gruzman, Piotr Paleczny, Andrea Bonatta and Klaus Hellwig.

John Zion

John Zion serves as the Managing Director of MKI Artists, one of the leading classical music management agencies in the United States where he directs the careers of a prestigious roster of artists, ensembles, and composers. He is also a co-founder of OurConcerts.live that produced and streamed more than 300 concerts during the pandemic and continues to provide access to live music to audiences around the world.

Also an active consultant, John works with artists, administrators, and arts organizations on career development, project management, and digital marketing. John serves on the board of Chamber Music America and has guest lectured and presented on arts-related issues at the Colburn School of Music, University of Michigan, Manhattan School of Music, Banff Centre, APAP|NYC, and Chamber Music America’s National Conference. He was named one of the “Rising Stars in the Performing Arts” by Musical America in 2012 and received a BM in Violin Performance from the Hartt School of Music.

Gabriela Montero

Gabriela Montero’s visionary interpretations and unique compositional gifts have garnered her critical acclaim and a devoted following on the world stage. Anthony Tommasini remarked in The New York Times that “Montero’s playing had everything: crackling rhythmic brio, subtle shadings, steely power…soulful lyricism…unsentimental expressivity.”

Recipient of the prestigious 2018 Heidelberger Frühling Music Prize, Montero’s recent and forthcoming highlights include debuts with the New World Symphony (Michael Tilson Thomas), Yomiuri Nippon Symphony in Tokyo (Aziz Shokhakimov), Orquesta de Valencia (Pablo Heras-Casado), and the Bournemouth Symphony (Carlos Miguel Prieto), the latter of which featured her as Artist-in-Residence for the 2019-2020 season. Montero also recently performed her own “Latin” Concerto with the Orchestra of the Americas at the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie and Edinburgh Festival, as well as at Carnegie Hall and the New World Center with the NYO2. Additional highlights include a planned European tour with the City of Birmingham Symphony and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla; a second tour with the cutting edge Scottish Ensemble, this time with Montero’s latest composition Babel as the centrepiece of the programme; her long-awaited return to Warsaw for the Chopin in Europe Festival, marking 23 years since her prize win at the International Chopin Piano Competition; and return invitations to work with Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony, Jaime Martin and the Orquestra de Cadaqués for concerts in Madrid and Barcelona, and Alexander Shelley and the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada.

Celebrated for her exceptional musicality and ability to improvise, Montero has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras to date, including: the Royal Liverpool, Rotterdam, Dresden, Oslo, Vienna Radio, and Netherlands Radio philharmonic orchestras; the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, NDR Sinfonieorchester Hamburg, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Zürcher Kammerorchester, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, and Australian Chamber Orchestra; the Pittsburgh, Detroit, Houston, Atlanta, Toronto, Baltimore, Vienna, City of Birmingham, Barcelona, Lucerne, and Sydney symphony orchestras; the Belgian National Orchestra, Württembergisches Kammerorchester.

A graduate and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in London, Montero is also a frequent recitalist and chamber musician, having given concerts at such distinguished venues as the Wigmore Hall, Kennedy Center, Vienna Konzerthaus, Berlin Philharmonie, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Cologne Philharmonie, Leipzig Gewandhaus, Munich Herkulessaal, Sydney Opera House, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Lisbon Gulbenkian Museum, Manchester Bridgewater Hall, Seoul’s LG Arts Centre, Hong Kong City Hall, the National Concert Hall in Taipei, and at the Barbican’s ‘Sound Unbound’, Edinburgh, Salzburg, SettembreMusica in Milan and Turin, Lucerne, Ravinia, Gstaad, Saint-Denis, Violon sur le Sable, Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Rheingau, Ruhr, Trondheim, Bergen, and Lugano festivals.

Montero is also an award-winning and bestselling recording artist. Her most recent album, released in autumn 2019 on the Orchid Classics label, features her own “Latin” Concerto and Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major, recorded with the Orchestra of the Americas in Frutillar, Chile. Her previous recording on Orchid Classics features Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and her first orchestral composition, Ex Patria, winning Montero her first Latin Grammy® for Best Classical Album (Mejor Álbum de Música Clásica). Others include Bach and Beyond, which held the top spot on the Billboard Classical Charts for several months and garnered her two Echo Klassik Awards: the 2006 Keyboard Instrumentalist of the Year and 2007 Award for Classical Music without Borders. In 2008, she also received a Grammy® nomination for her album Baroque, and in 2010 she released Solatino, a recording inspired by her Venezuelan homeland and devoted to works by Latin American composers.

Montero made her formal debut as a composer with Ex Patria, a tone poem designed to illustrate and protest Venezuela’s descent into lawlessness, corruption, and violence. The piece was premiered in 2011 by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Montero’s first full-length composition, Piano Concerto No. 1, the “Latin“ Concerto, was first performed at the Leipzig Gewandhaus with the MDR Sinfonieorchester and Kristjan Järvi, and subsequently recorded and filmed with the Orchestra of the Americas for the ARTE Konzert channel.

Winner of the 4th International Beethoven Award, Montero is a committed advocate for human rights, whose voice regularly reaches beyond the concert hall. She was named an Honorary Consul by Amnesty International in 2015, and recognised with Outstanding Work in the Field of Human Rights by the Human Rights Foundation for her ongoing commitment to human rights advocacy in Venezuela. She was invited to participate in the 2013 Women of the World Festival at London’s Southbank Centre, and has spoken and performed twice at the World Economic Forum in Davos-Klosters. She was also awarded the 2012 Rockefeller Award for her contribution to the arts and was a featured performer at Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential Inauguration.

Born in Venezuela, Montero started her piano studies at age four with Lyl Tiempo, making her concerto debut at age eight in her hometown of Caracas. This led to a scholarship from the government to study privately in the USA and then at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Hamish Milne.