As part of our mission and for 26 years, the Miami International Piano Festival has continuously  featured some of the most extraordinary and unique artists in the world today. The debut of these  exceptional artists marks only the beginning of an important journey. Through our diverse  platforms we provide them with a space to develop their relationship with audiences not only in Florida but throughout the world.  

Kristina Miller’s debut proved to be one of the most impressive in the last 26 years. She is a  passionate artist that energizes and inspires. She embraces the most challenging repertoire with great joy, aplomb and sensibility. Her technical and musical abilities are simply astonishing.  

She opened her program with Bach Toccata in c-minor and Toccata e-minor with depth, sheer brilliance and in a quasi-improvisatory way, as Bach intended, giving musicians the opportunity to demonstrate their skill, as all sorts of unusual paths, hidden embellishments, ingenious turns and  ornaments are produced. These toccatas were written by Bach in his younger years and can be  

regarded as a conclusion to his early period as a composer. 

What followed was Rameau’s 4^th movement of Suite Le Rappel des Oiseaux’, (Conference of the Birds). It  was simply magical, with colors and fantasy that transported the audience into a different world. 

The organic transition from the haunting, soulful, and passionate Scriabin’s Prelude Op. 9 No. 1 for the  Left Hand to Rachmaninoff Etude-Tableaux es-moll, Op.33 Nr. 6 was special and effective, enhancing the  experience for the audience. Rachmaninoff's Études-Tableaux, Op. 33 is a set of eight miniature masterpieces, intended to be picture pieces evoking musical external visual stimuli.

The Bizet- Horowitz Carmen Variations concluded the first half of the program and it was  spellbinding. In these variations Kristina Miller displayed the heights of her musical powers and  technique. 

The music of Oscar Peterson has an important place in Kristina’s heart. Mesmerized by his genius, she  has spent a great deal of time transcribing his live performances and sharing them with audiences, as a  tribute to him. The virtuosity she displayed when performing Peterson’s music was simply stunning,  seldom seen in a live performance. 

After a long-standing ovation, she returned to the stage and concluded her program with Bach-Busoni  Ich ruf zu Dir, Herr Jesu Christ. A performance framed by Bach provided the audience with a unique and  unforgettable experience.  

Her performance was powerful; and we can hardly wait to bring her back.

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