"I have followed her musical career closely and I can assure you that the young pianist possesses exceptional talent and great musical sensitivity!"

- ALICIA DE LARROCHA

Pianist Katia Michel has already dazzled critics with her “great musicality and poetic elegance,” as well as her “great intelligence and brilliant technique.”  Since her debut in the Palau de la Música de Barcelona in 1999 playing the second Rachmaninoff Concerto, she has performed extensively in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and the US, in addition to her native countries of Spain and Switzerland. 

She has been featured soloist with many orchestras, including the Spanish and Swiss Radio and Television Orchestras, the Böhmische Kammerphilharmonie, l’Orchestre des Collèges de Genève, the Sinfónica del Vallès, the Orquesta sinfónica Germinans, the Sinfónica Juventas, and the Real Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla with conductors U.Schneider, J.Mena, U.Munt, P. Béran, G. Voronkov and P. Romano. 

Also as a soloist, she has played in many of Europe’s most revered halls, such as Barcelona´s Auditori and El Palau de la Música, the Teatro de la Maestranza in Sevilla, the Teatro Monumental in Madrid, The Mallorca’s Auditorium, the Valencia’s Palau de la Música, the Stadttheater in Coire, the Salle des Abeilles in Geneva, the Bonn Beethoven’s chamber music Hall, and the Royal Dublin Society Concert Hall.

Beginning with her first award at the age of 7 in Stresa, Italy, her success in competitions has made Ms. Michel one of Spain’s best known young players.  She has garnered first prizes at the Concurso Permanente de Juventudes Musicales de España in 2004, the Andorra International Competition, and the national competitions of Vilafranca, Toledo, Palma de Mallorca, Berga, and Linares.  In 1996 she was the official representative of Spain in the European Federation of Youth Competitions, and was a finalist of the 2000 “Grand Prix Eurovision” for young musicians in Lugano, Switzerland.

This year, Ms. Michel completes her Master of Music and Artist Diploma with Claude Frank at the Yale School of Music, with scholarships from ‘La Caixa’ and Le Prix d’études Pour-cent culturel Migros.  Prior to studying in the US, she worked two years with Dmitri Bashkirov at La Escuela Reina Sofia in Madrid and with Stanislav Pochekin at the Liceo Conservatory in Barcelona.  In 2004, she received the Virtuosité SSPM in Geneva.  She has also worked extensively with pianists Ilan Rogoff and Alicia de Larrocha, whom she first played for at the age of 8.  In masterclasses, Ms. Michel has played for Joaquín Achúcarro, Vitaly Margulis, John Kimura-Parker, and Joaquín Soriano, among others. 

Ms. Michel has participated in the recording of the piano pieces of the Catalan composer Xavier Montsalvatge, published by Columna Música and in the CD “Buena nota” published by Fonocom.  In addition to her work as a soloist, she has extensive experience as a chamber musician, and performs frequently with her brother, violinist William Michel.  She has been invited to many Festivals including Barcelona’s Piano Festival, Blanes International Festival, Berguedà Internationnal Festival, the Festival de música de la Cataluña central, the Montflanquin Festival, Musique en Guyenne and the Segovia Festival.  Upcoming projects include a series of concerts with cellist Verena Sennekamp in Switzerland and Germany, as well as a recording of solo piano works by Isaac Albeniz.