Venezuelan-American pianist Vanessa Perez has already been recognized as a virtuosa of the keyboard, endowed with an extraordinary interpretative power that captivates audiences. She began her studies at the age of seven in Caracas, Venezuela. Since the age of eight, she appeared in solo recitals and with orchestras in concert halls around the world, and at the age of 11, she gave her official debut in front of an audience of 2500 people.
Famous pianist Claudio Arrau heard her in 1989, and said “a pianist whose technique, musicality, and intelligent approach to the music she plays made a profound impression on me. It is not possible to find a young artist today better equipped with all of the necessary qualities that my school of pianists requires from a performer”. In 1998, she was awarded the Jose Felix Ribas Prize, the highest honor given by the president of Venezuela to a young performer who has contributed to the artistic enhancement of the country.
In the US she has studied with Rosalina Sackstein and Ena Bronstein. At the age of 17 she was awarded a full scholarship by the Royal Academy of Music, London, studying with Christopher Elton. After graduating she continued her studies in Italy at the Accademia Pianistica Incontri Col Maestro in Imola with pianists Lazar Berman, and Franco Scala. Later she completed postgraduate studies at Yale University with Hungarian pianist Peter Frankl. Musicians who have strongly contributed to her musical growth are Richard Goode, Lynn Harrell, Claude Frank, Boris Berman, Zubin Mehta, as well as others.
After winning top prizes at numerous young artist competitions in South America, the United States and Europe, Ms. Perez continued performing in concert halls and festivals throughout the world, like the Montpellier Festival - France; Schauspielhaus, Berlin; Festival Settembre Musica, Turin; Gothic Hall in Brussels; Keyboard Concerts Series, Fresno; Rios Reina in Caracas; Luis Angel Arango in Bogota and Wertheim Performing Arts Center Concert Hall, Miami.
She has recorded a series of recital CDs for the labels VAI, and Sony.