EDUCATION

PROFESSIONAL STUDIES (P. S.) - Piano Performance, Manhattan School of Music  (New York, United States)

MASTER OF MUSIC (M.M). - Piano Performance, New York University (New York, United States)

POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE - Piano Performance and Pedagogy, L'École Normale Supérieure de Musique “Alfred Cortot” (Paris, France)

MASTER OF MUSIC (M.M.) - Piano Performance, Andalusia International University (Andalusia, Spain)

POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE - Chamber Music, Liceu Conservatory (Barcelona, Spain)

POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE - Piano Performance, Liceu Conservatory (Barcelona, Spain)

UNIVERSITY EXPERT DIPLOMA - Piano Performance, Andalusia International University (Andalusia, Spain)

BACHELOR OF MUSIC (B.M.) -  Piano Performance, Liceu Conservatory (Barcelona, Spain)

CLASSICALLY TRAINED

María Manzano is a Spanish pianist whose restless and dynamic temperament has brought her to many of the world’s most important music schools in cities such as Cadiz, Granada, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris and New York. Having learnt from great musicians, like her main piano teacher and mentor Albert Attenelle, and also Christopher Elton, Pascal Rogé, Antonio Sánchez Lucena, Ramzi Yassa, Guigla Katsarava, Deirdre O’Donohue and Horacio Gutierrez, among others, her keen ear for poetry in musical performance has made her a sensitive and committed pianist.  Her performances of Romantic and Spanish Music have been praised by the critics “for their style and technical accuracy” and for “the intense expression she infuses into her communicative playing”.

She has given concerts in many major European concert halls, such as Salle Cortot in Paris, Collège d’Espagne at La Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, Fondation Biermans-Lapôtre of Belgium and Luxembourg, Liceu Auditorium and Gaudí’s La Pedrera Concert Hall in Barcelona, The National Concert Hall in Madrid, Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao, and others. She has appeared in Classical Music programs on TV and has played before such personalities as Her Majesty the Queen Sofia of Spain and Princess Alexandra Elli Maria of Greece. María has also given recitals at important American venues, such as Carnegie Hall, Provincetown Playhouse, Blackbox Theater and Saklad Auditorium, and at the Seattle International Piano Festival. She is committed to new music and includes contemporary works in her programs. The renowned Spanish composer Víctor Estapé dedicated his work “Lit from Within” to her and she premiered it in Barcelona.

In her extensive academic career she has studied at some worldwide renowned music schools such as: Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona, Andalusia International University, L’Êcole Normale Supérieure de Musique “Alfred Cortot” in Paris, New York University and Manhattan School of Music, where she graduated from Professional Studies with the highest honors (Dean’s List), after studying with the legendary Cuban pianist Horacio Gutierrez. 

After being selected as the best pianist at the music competition of Ferrer-Salat Music Foundation in Barcelona, the foundation decided to support her studies in Barcelona, Paris and New York with full tuition scholarship, what was a turning point in her career.

She has been awarded several other scholarships and prizes. Among them are those given by the Pedro Pons Foundation, New York University (NYU Talent Scholarship), the Spanish Association for Performer Musicians, the Andalusia International University, Artmusic, Ferrer-Salat Foundation Young Talents Grant, Madrid Conservatory First Prize, the Spanish College Music Competition at the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, the “Paper de Música” International Competition and the “Cambra de Barcelona” Competition. María has been awarded the Culture Prize - Chiclana City Award, an award of merit for her career, granted by the Chiclana City Council (Andalusia, Spain). In March 2024, Ms. Manzano received the “Outstanding Leadership Award” for her extraordinary achievements to the education sector at the Education 2.0 Conference, held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, USA.

Besides her prolific career as a soloist, María has focused on chamber music as one of her major points of interest. She has been a member of the “Liceu Conservatory Piano Trio”, a selected ensemble to represent the Liceu Conservatory in concerts and competitions both within and outside Spain and a founding member of the “Attenelle Trio”, regarded as one of the more promising young ensembles of its kind in Spain. She has worked on chamber music with Albert Attenelle and Chantal Debuchy (members of “Trio de Barcelona” and “Trio Ravel” respectively) and received advices of renowned chamber musicians such as Laurentiu Sbarcea and Emile Cantor (Orpheus Quartet).

She has always had a strong passion for teaching and sharing all the knowledge and valuable advices that has been receiving during her career. Proof of this are her many years of experience teaching privately and in music schools, conservatories and universities in Cadiz, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris and New York. María has been a member of the Piano Faculty at New York University and currently serves as a member of the piano faculty at The British International School of New York, at New York City Piano Academy and at Third Street Music School Settlement. She is regularly invited to serve as a jury member in piano exams and national and international competitions.

María Manzano is the Founder and President of New York City Piano Academy (NYCPA) and of New York Music Center (NYMC), and Founder and President of the Board of Directors at Barcelona Piano Academy (BPA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to provide learning and professional opportunities to young talented pianists from all over the world. BPA offers an international summer piano program and a competition in Barcelona featuring recitals, masterclasses and workshops with a faculty that includes many internationally renowned pianists and every year attracts global candidates including students from American Ivy League Universities and top conservatories across Europe and the world.