Dear Friends and Supporters,
As we celebrate an extraordinary 28-year journey, filled with unforgettable performances, remarkable artists, and the unwavering support of our community, I am thrilled to welcome you to another inspiring season of the Miami International Piano Festival.
This season is particularly meaningful. After nearly three decades devoted to discovering, nurturing, and presenting exceptional pianists, the Festival has reached an exciting new chapter on the international stage. For the first time, major musical institutions abroad are establishing significant artistic partnerships with us—recognizing the distinctive artistic vision that has guided the Festival since its beginning.
The Miami International Piano Festival and the Festival Internacional de Piano Rafael Orozco of Córdoba have established a lasting artistic exchange—a bridge between Spain and the United States inspired by the enduring legacy of the great Spanish pianist Rafael Orozco and by our shared belief that music transcends borders, cultures, and languages.
The partnership begins in Miami on October 10, 2026, at Newman Hall at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami, with Córdoba in Miami, featuring two distinguished artists representing the Rafael Orozco Festival: Daniel Pino and Emin Kyourktchian.
On November 5, the bridge extends across the Atlantic with Miami in Córdoba, when three pianists closely associated with our Festival—Ilya Itin, Josu De Solaun, and Kemal Gekić—join the Orquesta de Córdoba, conducted by Salvador Vázquez, at the Gran Teatro de Córdoba for an extraordinary evening of three great piano concertos.
This partnership represents much more than an exchange of concerts. It creates new opportunities for artists, connects our audiences across continents, and establishes a permanent artistic relationship between Miami and Córdoba.
We are equally proud of our new partnership with the prestigious Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition of Bolzano, Italy.
On November 15, 2026, the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center will become an international selection stage for the Competition as we present the inaugural Glocal Piano Festival in Miami.
Outstanding young pianists from around the world will perform before a live audience in a unique piano marathon. And in a remarkable feature of this event, our Miami audience will become the jury, selecting one pianist to advance to the final stage of the Busoni Competition in Bolzano.
For a Festival whose mission has always been centered on discovering extraordinary talent, this collaboration feels especially significant.
Six Pianists • One Stage • One Unforgettable Celebration
Our 2026–2027 Season Gala on Sunday, October 18, brings together six internationally acclaimed pianists who are cherished members of our Festival family:
Albert Cano Smit • Julien Libeer • Reed Tetzloff • Stephen Beus • Kemal Gekić • Ilya Itin
Performing beloved masterpieces for two pianos, these extraordinary artists will share the stage in a celebration of artistry, friendship, and collaboration—the qualities that have been at the heart of the Miami International Piano Festival throughout its history.
Our season at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center continues with artists whose journeys reflect one of the most important aspects of our mission: from discovery to the concert stage.
Nick van Bloss returns on January 24 to perform Bach's monumental Goldberg Variations. Dmitry Yudin, introduced to our audiences through the Discovery Series in 2025, performs on February 21. Ariel Lanyi returns on March 21, followed by our beloved Ilya Itin on April 25.
These are artists in whom we have believed, many from the earliest stages of their careers, and there is a special joy in welcoming them back as their artistic journeys continue to flourish.
At the heart of the Miami International Piano Festival remains our celebrated Discovery Series, presented at the iconic Wolfsonian–FIU Museum in Miami Beach.
For nearly three decades, Discovery has been the place where we search for something exceptional—not simply technical brilliance, but individuality, imagination, artistic courage, and a distinctive musical voice.
Many pianists first introduced to Miami through this series have gone on to distinguished international careers. This season, we continue that tradition by presenting four compelling artists:
Lika Bibileishvili (Georgia) — a pianist of remarkable versatility, temperament, and technical command.
Vladimir Petrov (Russia/Mexico) — praised for his rare musicality, dazzling technique, imagination, color, and generosity.
Mateusz Dubiel (Poland) — an extraordinary young musician whose understanding of Chopin combines lyricism, contrapuntal clarity, and remarkable artistic intention.
Mehdi Ghazi (Algeria) — a pianist of tremendous expressive power and an exceptional ability to communicate emotion.
This is where extraordinary pianists are discovered—and where Miami audiences often hear them first.
One of the initiatives closest to my heart this season is our new program at Newman Hall at the Frost School of Music, dedicated to exceptional emerging young pianists and prodigies at the very beginning of their artistic journeys.
We will introduce three remarkable young musicians:
Olivia Lin, age 8 — March 13, 2027 · Nicolás Marin, age 14 — March 13, 2027 · Felipe Diez, age 18 — March 14, 2027
There is something profoundly inspiring about witnessing extraordinary talent at such a young age. But this program has another purpose that is equally important to us: the impact these young artists can have on other young people.
Seeing someone of your own generation accomplish something extraordinary can awaken curiosity and possibility. We hope these concerts will inspire young audiences to discover classical music and show them what imagination, discipline, dedication, and passion can achieve.
We care deeply about the South Florida community that has supported us throughout these 28 years.
As part of our Miami International Piano Festival Academy, we are therefore delighted to once again offer a remarkable series of FREE concerts, January 5–11, 2027, at the Miami Beach Woman's Club.
Our audiences will have the opportunity to hear some of our most important artists and mentors: Ilya Itin • Kemal Gekić • Albert Cano Smit • Stephen Beus • Reed Tetzloff • Josu De Solaun • Carter Johnson. We are also thrilled to welcome the extraordinary violinist Gilles Apap.
These free concerts embody something we believe deeply: great music should be shared. They allow our community to experience extraordinary artists while giving the young musicians of our Academy the opportunity to learn from them at the highest level.
Every pianist we present has something individual and deeply personal to say. That has always been the essence of the Miami International Piano Festival.
After 28 years, I still believe there is nothing quite like the thrill of experiencing an extraordinary artist live—being in the hall at the very moment when an interpretation is created and music becomes a shared experience between performer and audience.
I invite you to discover this extraordinary season with us. Come hear the artists we believe in, encounter the young pianists whose journeys are just beginning, welcome back the artists who have become part of our Festival family, and celebrate with us as the Miami International Piano Festival builds new artistic bridges around the world.
Your presence and support have made these 28 remarkable years possible, and it would mean the world to all of us to share this next chapter with you.
With warmth and music in our hearts,
Giselle
Giselle Brodsky · Founder & Artistic Director · Miami International Piano Festival
