Cristina Ortiz, piano

Cristina Ortiz’s natural musicality, masterful craftsmanship and timeless commitment to refined playing have ensured her a place among the most respected pianists in the world. Throughout her extensive career she has performed with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Wiener Philharmoniker, and the Chicago Symphony, Philharmonia and Royal Concertgebouw orchestras amongst many others. She has collaborated with conductors such as Neeme Järvi, Mariss Jansons, Kurt Masur, André Previn and David Zinman.

In possession of a remarkable technique and an acute sense of musical adventure, particularly evident in her wide-ranging repertoire, Ortiz is a popular choice for promoters and audiences around the world. She has recently worked with the Sydney Symphony, The Philadelphia, NHK Symphony, Czech Philharmonic and The Cleveland orchestras; WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln; Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Orquesta de Valencia; and the St Petersburg and Warsaw Philharmonic orchestras. Highlights of the 2010/11 season included debuts with the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra and the Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz, and performances with orchestras across South America including the Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra. Upcoming engagements include performances with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias and Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra Katowice as well as recitals at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, throughout the UK and France and on tour in South Africa.

A recording career of some thirty albums on EMI Classics, Decca, Collins Classics, and most recently on Intrada, Naxos and BIS, prove that Cristina Ortiz’s unique skills as a pianist reach well beyond the concert platform. Her recordings continue to enjoy sustained public and critical acclaim for interpretations of a most eclectic repertoire, ranging from Beethoven and Brahms to Rachmaninov, Villa Lobos and Stenhammar. She has also recorded solo pieces by Clara Schumann, Waxman and a number of French and Spanish composers. Her visceral connection with the music of her homeland is clear in her recent CD, Alma Brasileira, featuring the music of some of her favourite Brazilian composers.

Between recitals and concerto performances, Ortiz is a passionate and committed teacher, giving master-classes worldwide as well as private peripatetic lessons. She has recently held workshops at Hong Kong Cultural Centre, The Australian National Academy of Music, The National Centre for the Arts in Mexico, The Tokyo College of Music, and Per Piano Solo Festival in Amandola, Italy, as well as throughout the UK.

Cristina Ortiz began studies in her native Brazil before moving to Paris with a scholarship where she worked with Magda Tagliaferro. After winning a Gold Medal at the third Van Cliburn Competition in Texas, she went on to complete an invaluable period of tuition under the guidance of the legendary Rudolf Serkin at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia before choosing to settle in London.