ÁLVARO BALTANÁS
MELIVEO
CONCERT PIANIST
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Mussorgsky
"Pictures at an Exhibition"
"HE RISKS IT ALL IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY AND, WITH THIS ATTITUDE, HE BECAME A REVELATION AT THIS YEAR'S EDITION OF EMIL GILELS FESTIVAL.
HE FIGHTS FOR EVERY NOTE, STRIVING FOR THE GREATEST POSSIBLE AUTHENTICITY.
A SOFT-WASHED TICKLING OF THE KEYS, WITHOUT CORNERS OR EDGES, IS NOT HIS THING"
PIANO NEWS MAGAZINE
About Álvaro
The story
My name is Álvaro Baltanás Meliveo and I am a pianist from Málaga. Actually, music came to me from my mother’s side. In her home there were instruments, opera at all times and a beautiful grand piano at which I would sit for hours just touching the keys and making some mysterious noises that captivated me. That piano ended up in my home and that’s when I started going to the conservatory. My first teacher, Ana María Silva, gave me the fundamentals of piano technique, and she prepared me for the quality leap that was awaiting me in my Bachelor’s years.
CHRISTOPHER AXWORTHY
MUSIC CRITIC
Pathways
2009-2013
Bachelor Diploma
Conservatorio Superior de Badajoz
In Badajoz, I had the privilege of studying with Ángel Sanzo, one of Spain’s finest pianists and pedagogues. It was there that my interest in the piano began to grow into a true passion. Those years were very special: I met friends who remain an important part of my life to this day. My fellow musicians and I spent countless hours talking about music and philosophy, practicing and studying without pause, and sharing unforgettable moments. During this time, I gave my first solo recitals, took part in national competitions, and had the joy of winning my first prizes.
2014-2018
Master's Degree
HMT Leipzig
By the time I finished in Badajoz, I already considered myself a pianist. I was determined to continue my studies in Germany, a country where classical music holds a central place in society. I chose Leipzig, probably the city with the richest musical history in Germany. Figures like Bach, Wagner, Schumann, and Mendelssohn left an indelible mark on the city as they lived and worked there. At the Hochschule für Musik und Theater “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy,” I met and collaborated with outstanding musicians in some of the country’s most important concert halls. My artistic perspective broadened greatly thanks to the diverse approaches to music and piano playing I encountered throughout my international experience.
2016-2020
Corso di Perfeccionamento
Scuola di Musica di Fiesole,
Florence
During my years in Leipzig, I met what would become one of the greatest influences on my piano playing: Eliso Virsaladze. I studied with her at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole in Florence, another city steeped in art and history. Alternating her lessons with my studies in Germany, I had the privilege of receiving invaluable guidance from one of the last representatives of the legendary generation of 20th-century Russian pianists, which left a permanent mark on the way I think about music and piano performance.
2019-2023
Konzertexamen Diploma
HfMT Hamburg
2023-2026
Today
My work in Greiz
Album Project
I spent my final years of studies in Hamburg, a city full of life and music, where I studied with Professor Stepan Simonian. My pedagogical career also flourished there, as I held a teaching position at the University for four years, gaining new perspectives on teaching and learning. I had the opportunity to perform with the Symphoniker Hamburg and in its finest concert halls. Hamburg was also where I met the love of my life, with whom I formed a chamber music duo: flutist Begüm Baltanás Meliveo.
After fourteen years of traveling, studying, and performing across Europe, I am now based in Greiz, Germany, where my artistic and pedagogical life has found a strong sense of continuity and purpose. I currently teach more than fifty students, combining my concert activity with an intense and deeply rewarding pedagogical work. Alongside my teaching, I am regularly invited to give masterclasses, an aspect of my career that allows me to share my experience with young pianists and to remain in constant dialogue with new generations of musicians.
In Greiz, I have also taken an active role in shaping the city’s cultural life by creating and organizing my own concert series. This project reflects my belief in music as a living, shared experience and in the importance of bringing high-quality piano repertoire closer to a broad and curious audience. A central part of my concert activity is devoted to the dissemination of Spanish piano music, a repertoire that I feel deeply connected to and that continues to inspire my artistic identity.
In these concerts, I place special emphasis on communicating directly with the audience. I enjoy introducing the works, sharing historical context, anecdotes about the composers, and musical insights that help listeners connect more closely with the music. This approach is, for me, a way of maintaining a strong bond with my cultural roots while actively contributing to the dissemination of Spanish musical heritage abroad.
All these artistic and educational projects will soon take a concrete form in a recording that I will make in October 2026 for an important record label. This album represents the synthesis of many years of study, performance, reflection, and cultural dialogue, and marks a new step in my ongoing artistic journey.
"A GREAT MUSICIANLY PERFORMANCE OF THE SCHUMANN FANTASIE AT THE SERMONETA FESTIVAL PLAYED BY ÁLVARO BALTANÁS MELIVEO
WITH GREAT INTELLIGENCE AND FEELING.
... NOT AN EASY TASK"
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