Laura Ballestrino (Madrid, 2000) is a Spanish pianist and composer. Laura started to play the piano at the early age of 5 and now she is one of the great promises of music in Spain. She has been awarded at prestigious national and international competitions such as:
- 1st Prize at the 99th competition “Juventudes Musicales de España” (2021)
- 1st Prize at the XI International Piano Competition “María Herrero”, Granada (2021)
- 1st Prize “Arkadi Volodos” at the VII International Piano Competition “Gran Klavier”, Alcalá de Henares (2021)
- Prize to the Best Performer of Spanish Music at the XXI International Piano Competition “Compositores de España”, Las Rozas (2021)
- Prize to the Best Performer of Contemporary Music at the XX Soloist Competition “Intercentros Melómano”, Alicante (2021)
- Chamber Music Prize “Jesús de Monasterio” with Dúo Armos, Madrid (2021)
- 2nd Prize at the IX International Piano Competition “Antón García Abril” (2023)
Laura has toured and performed all around Spain, including some of the most renowned concert halls: Auditorio Nacional de Música, Teatro Monumental, Auditorio Miguel Delibes, Ateneo de Madrid, Auditorio de CentroCentro, etc. and also abroad like Solitär concert hall at Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg. Furthermore, Laura has made her debut with orchestras such as Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León and she has participated in important festivals like Piano City Madrid, Diacronías and Kuraia.
Her career as a classical pianist is combined with her facet as a composer. Laura currently works as the composer and producer of the Original Soundtrack of the upcoming videogame Archaelund. She also composes and performs original jazz-fusion music for piano, usually being part of the program of her concerts.
Laura also develops her career overseas; in 2022 she was invited by the Spanish embassy in Washington D.C. to meet the university Georgia Tech in Atlanta and offer piano masterclasses, guest lectures, a piano recital and a concert as a soloist with the GT Symphony Orchestra, which also premiered her original composition Archaelund: the orchestral suite.
At the age of 15 Laura played as a soloist with the Symphonic Orchestra of Rodolfo Halffter Conservatoire, where she graduated with the Extraordinary End-of-Degree Award under the tutelage of María García. In 2022 she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree at Madrid Royal Conservatoire with Prof. Elena Orobio. During her last year of Bachelor’s Degree she placed first in the Soloist Competition and made her debut in Teatro Monumental performing Piano Concerto nº 4 by L.V. Beethoven under the conducting of maestro Sebastián Mariné.
In the summer of 2019 she met the pianist and pedagogue Leonel Morales, who would become his ongoing Professor. After one year of being his pupil at Musical Arts School of Music she was unanimously awarded the Virtuoso Diploma. Laura currently pursues her Master’s Degree with Leonel Morales and Leo de María as she was granted a scholarship by Universidad Alfonso X.
In addition, Laura has received masterclasses and advice from grand pianists such as Galina Eguiazarova, Natalia Trull, Pascal Nemirovsky and Josep Colom, among others.
