Leonardo Merlini

Described by Villa Rufolo as capable of “keeping the audience literally glued to their seats”, Leonardo Merlini stands out for his powerful and brilliant piano playing with a mature approach to the interpretation and attention to details. He performed in solo recitals, chamber music concerts and as a concerto soloist in Italy, France, Switzerland, Turkey, Georgia. Born in 2003 in Italy, he resulted prize winner in numerous international piano competitions, including 1st prize at the “Elsa and Emilia Giubitosi” International Piano Competition in Capri 2025, 3rd prize at the VI international Istanbul Piano Competition in 2024, 1st prize absolute winner at the "Andrea Baldi" International Competition Bologna 2023, 1st prize winner at the International Piano Competition "Città di Minerbio" 2021, 1st prize winner at the International Competition "Sergio Cafaro" Rome 2020. “Merlini demonstrated an uncommon musical maturity, highlighting technical confidence, sound control, and the ability to build a coherent and engaging narrative path.” Villa Rufolo , Ravello. He has appeared at numerous international festivals, among them the Festival dei due Mondi in Spoleto, Pianofortissimo e talenti in Bologna, Musica al tempio in Milan, Young Piano Series in Bern and played in prestigious halls as Cappella Paolina at the Quirinale, Cortile dell’Archiginnasio, Teatro Niccolini, Teatro Ristori, Auditorioum di Villa Rufolo, Università della Tuscia, Casa Menotti, Zentrum Paul Klee, Spazio Officina, LAC Hall, Cemat Resil Rey Hall and others. He also collaborated with Orchestra Sion, Orchestra dell’Università degli Studi Milano Bicocca and Ensemble900 in Lugano. Leonardo began studying piano with M. Alessandro Gagliardi at the age of five having private lessons and continued to study and grow musically with him until 2022, when he moved to Switzerland to study with acclaimed pianist Anna Kravtchenko in Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Music. He was awarded as best student of the Institute in years 2022 to 2025. He’s now completing a Master in Music Performance with Anna Kravtchenko in the same conservatory. “It was the absolute clarity of this young man’s playing that was so remarkable allied to a scrupulous attention to detail.” Christopher Axworthy. Leonardo Merlini's repertoire spans from Baroque works to 21st century contemporary music with a particular attention to lesser known composers and less performed pieces of music. He often proposes pieces by baroque and pre-baroque Italian composers, as well as less performed composers such as Mompou and Albeniz, and combines them in unique concert programmes proposals.