A Meeting Place for Aspiring Pianists

From June 16 to 21, Havana will host the International Musicalia Piano Competition and Festival, a biennial event organized by Cuba’s University of the Arts in collaboration with the Lyceum Mozartiano de La Habana and under the artistic direction of Maestro Ulises Hernández.

Now in its ninth edition, the festival will gather renowned international pianists and educators who will contribute to the event’s artistic and academic development through masterclasses, recitals, and joint performances with the Lyceum Orchestra of Havana.

Musicalia has become a vibrant platform for young pianists seeking professional training. Its mission is to foster academic exchange, promote dialogue on pedagogical approaches, and strengthen connections between students and teachers from diverse backgrounds.

The festival’s main venues—the Oratorio San Felipe Neri and the Lyceum Mozartiano de La Habana—will feature guest artists such as Ulises Hernández, Víctor Díaz Hurtado (Cuba–United States), Ludmila Georgievskaya (Russia–United States), Leonardo Gell (Cuba–Costa Rica), Rodrigo García Ameneiro (Cuba), Luca Chiantore (Italy), and Juan Coronado (Colombia).

Chiantore and Coronado will headline the opening concert, performing alongside the Lyceum Orchestra of Havana under the direction of Maestro José A. Méndez Padrón.

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez