Francisco Montero

Francisco Montero, piano

He has performed in some of the most important halls in the USA (Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall,Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center, Festival Ubuntu organized by Carnegie Hall,Peter Jay Sharp Theater, Klavierhaus, Paul Hall, Morse Hall in New York, Borden Auditorium, NV Hall, Esber Recital Hall, Staller Center for the Arts and 4^th Texas State International Piano Festival playing as a part of Rising Star guest. Some of these concerts have been reviewed by The New York Times with great critics); in United Kingdom (concerts at Dukes Hall, Purcell Room and Constance Pilkington Hall in London which was broadcasted by BBC Radio 4); in Germany (Konzertsaal in The University of Music and Dance Cologne playing as part of EuroArts International Festival); Austria (PalaisAuersperg, Schloss Halbturn in Vienna), Italy (Sala Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Val Tidone Festival) and most of the cities in Spain (Centro Niemeyer, Teatro López de Ayala, Fundación Eutherpe, Sala Nicolás Salmerón, XXV Festival Ibérico…)  . He has recently recorded at WQXR radio presented by David Dubal at The Greene Space for the new radio series “The Piano in Spain”, and K-Radio AM 1660 performing pieces by Couperin and Scriabin.

Francisco´s most recent competitive awards include First Prize at Windsor International Piano Competition in London this year, ENKOR International Piano Competition, Grand Prize at New York Artists International Competition, making his debut at Carnegie Hall- Weill Recital Hall as part of the award, 1^st Prize at New York International Music Concours, 2^nd Prize at Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, 1^st Prize at the Esteban Sánchez International Competition, 1^st Prize in addition to Special Prize for the best performance of Spanish music at the 19^th International Ciutat de Carlet Piano Competition.

Born in 1991, Francisco Montero studied in Seville under the tutelage of Ignacio Torner and Tatiana Postnikova. In 2009, he moved to Badajoz to study with one of the most prestigious pianists in Spain (Alexander Kandelaki).Francisco holds a Bachelor´s degree in Music from the Conservatorio Superior de Música “Bonifacio Gil”, Badajoz. From 2008 to 2012, he worked periodically with Christopher Elton, Head of Keyboard at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Francisco Montero studied his Master of Music at the prestigious The Juilliard School in New York under the guidance of the renowned teacher Julian Martin. His studies were generously supported by the Celia and Joseph Ascher Piano Fund, Nina Carasso Scholarship and Martin Canin Scholarship. He is currently pursuing his DMA in Piano Performance at The Pennsylvania State University with Dr. Jose R. Mendez.

“Mr. Montero is a pianist and artist of exceptional gifts”
Robert McDonald, Faculty at Juilliard School, Gold Medal at Busoni Competition

“A very talented pianist… with an aura of a great pianist”
Michel Schreider, North London International Piano Festival

“Francisco Montero’s poetic, mature and stylistic interpretations were most impressive”
Deniz Gelenbe, Schola Cantorum in Paris and Trinity College of Music in London

“Francisco Montero is a young pianist who plays with extraordinary verve and colour and with a tremendous technique to serve the music”.
David Dubal, Faculty at Juilliard School”