Cristian Leal – (forte)piano

Pianist, fortepianist and chamber musician focused on historically informed performance. “Leal surprised from the beginning with the quality of his sound, and his condition prevailed until the last note of the concert” Jaime Donoso – El Mercurio.

His performances have taken him to Germany, Austria, Slovakia, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, China, Thailand, Japan and his native country Chile; he performs as a soloist on the piano and fortepiano, as well as a chamber musician, in major festivals and concert halls such as: Opus Erasmus – France, the Sixth NCPA Festival – China, ORF Radio Kulturhaus – Vienna, Uhara Hall – Japan, KHG – Frankfurt, Conservatory of Boulogne Billancourt – Paris, Siam Ratchada – Bangkok and the National Center of the Performing Arts – Beijing. Furthermore he collaborates with the Orquesta de Cámara de Chile and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Antofagasta, among others

Cristian Leal also seeks to bring music to the most isolated corners of the world, for instance by touring the desert and the Pampa Tamarugal in the North of Chile, providing musical education and concerts.

Leal started his musical education in Iquique (Chile) studying with Edith Fischer Elisa Alsina at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Chile. Later on he moved to Vienna, Austria, where he studied at the Joseph Haydn Konservatorium of Eisenstadt, the University of Arts of Slovakia and the MUK University of Arts of the State of Vienna. He specialized on piano, fortepiano and chamber music under the guidance Ralf Heiber, Marcel Stefko, Luca Monti and Mikayel Balyan.

Alongside his musical activities, Cristian Leal is currently researching on the technique and musical aesthetics of Frederic Chopin. He is also the founder and director of the “Gesellschaft für Fortepiano” (Society for fortepiano) in Vienna, Austria.