Born in Cuba, Leonel Morales is a Spanish citizen who has lived in Spain since 1991. He has been awarded many international prizes, including First Prize in the Guerrero Foundation International Piano Competition in Madrid, the International Piano Competition “Ciudad de Manresa” and at the International Piano Competition “Teresa Carreño” of Venezuela. He graduated from the University of Havana where he studied under Frank Fernandez, a student of renowned Moscow Conservatory professor Victor Merzhanov, firmly establishing Morales in the Russian pianist tradition.
He is a professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts “Alfonso X El Sabio” of Madrid and in the Sommerakademie in the Mozarteum University of Salzburg, Austria. Leonel has performed all over the world and has toured with many orchestras, including the Spanish National Orchestra, Spanish Radio and TV Orchestra, Symphonic Orchestra of Hamburg, Frankfurt-Oder Orchestra, among many others. While on tour with the Spanish National Orchestra, he was praised by the Washington Post for his “… extraordinary interpretation and power.”
Leonel is known for his remarkable virtuosity and deep emotion used in his interpretations of the German, Russian and French romantic piano repertoire. He is one of the only pianists in the world to have performed all Rachmaninov concerti – including the Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini – during two consecutive nights. In 2008, he was awarded the prestigious Tasto D’Agento prize in Alexandria, Italy, reserved for pianists with distinguished international concert careers.
Leonel worked as “Professor in residence” in several American, Chinese and European universities. He is recognized as one of the most prestigious professors in the world and has been invited to take part in numerous music courses and masterclasses. Visit leonelmorales.com to learn more.