Professor at the Sommerakademie in Salzburg and at the University Alfonso X el Sabio in Madrid. Exclusive Artist of Yangtze River Piano (China), Artistic Director and Founder of Maria Herrero International Piano Competition (Granada), La Rioja International Piano Competition (La Rioja) and the Spanish Composer International Piano Competition (Madrid) 

 

Academic member of the “Academia de Bellas Artes de Santa Isabel de Hungría” in Sevilla (Spain). 

 

Born in Cuba, is a Spanish citizen and lives in Spain since 1991. He graduated from the University of Havana under the tutelage of Frank Fernandez, a student of Victor Merzhanov, which itself was a disciple of Feinberg, so he follows the traditional Russian school. He made a postgraduate with Dmitry Voskresensky and Jacov Latainer. 

 

Leonel Morales, arrived to Spain at the age of 25 and between 26-29 he competed in a lot of international competitions winning prizes such as: 

 

- First Prize in the Guerrero Foundation International Piano Competition (Madrid). 

- First Prize at the International Piano Competition “Ciudad de Manresa” Spain.

- First Prize at International Piano Competition “Teresa Carreño” of Venezuela. 

- Second Prize at Jaen International Piano Competition, Prize to the Best Interpretation Contemporary Music and the Best Interpretation of Spanish Music, “Rosa Sabater” Prize. 

- Second Prize at International Piano Competition “Cidade Do Porto” in Porto, Portugal. 

- Prize whit Distinzione in the Concorso Pianistico Internazionale Aosta , Italy 

- Prize to the Best Concert Soloist of Korea - Prize Sommerakademie Mozarteum of Salzburgo… 

- Winner in the William Kapell, Epinal, Uneac Competitions… 

 

He has performed in two consecutive nights the integral of the concerts for piano and orchestra of Rachmaninov including the Rhapsody on a Paganini's Theme.

 

He is invited to be part of jury at major international piano competitions like Shenzen Piano and Orchestra International Piano Competition, Cleveland Competition, Pozzoli, Scriabin (Grosseto), Lyon, Valsecia, Cesar Franck, Pancho Vladigerov, Ferrol, etc. 

 

Morales give Master Classes all over the world in places such as the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Korea, Italy, Mexico, France, Belgium, China... 

 

Many of his students have been prize winners in more than 40 national and International Piano Competitions.

 

He worked as “teacher in residence” in the University of Music in San Juan - Puerto Rico, advising the department of piano. He also runs successful courses in which he analyses and interprets the 32 Beethoven Sonatas.