2024 Trester Festival for Latin American Piano Music

Described as “a phenomenal talent” by the Atlanta Audio Club, pianist Priscila Navarro is the first prize winner of several international competitions, including the Liszt-Garritson International Competition in Baltimore, Maryland, Beethoven Sonata Competition in Tennessee, Chopin International Competition of Texas, Artist Series of Sarasota, Florida, Imola City Awards, Italy, and the Heida Hermanns International Music Competition in Connecticut. Priscila made her Carnegie Hall solo recital debut in 2013 as an international competition winner and returned there in 2022 for further concerts. She received a Special Bach prize at the International City of Vigo Competition in Spain, where she was one of five finalists from over 400 participating pianists, with a jury presided by Martha Argerich. Her performances in England last summer were streamed on BBC public radio as well as the Medici TV channel.

Last year, Priscila made her Kennedy Center debut with a sold-out concert. She also received the Christa-Marshall Bach Prize at the Bach competition in Leipzig, a prize founded by a descendant of the Bach family in one of the oldest and most prestigious competitions honoring Bach.

Highlights of this season include a concert featuring works by Cuban American composer Tania Leon, as well as soloist with orchestras throughout the US and South America. Priscila also recently won the Astral Artists competition, joining their roster alongside other phenomenal artists. Priscila is a champion and advocate of Latin American music, conducting research and creative activities to further the propagation of Latin American art. Her most recent project included the development of a piano method for children based on Peruvian folk tunes. This past season, she presented a program of Latin American dances at the Bravo Piano Festival in Hilton Head Island.

Priscila holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance and pedagogy from the Frost School of Music, where she also completed Master and Artist Diploma degrees as a student of Santiago Rodriguez and Kevin Kenner. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Florida Gulf Coast University where she studied with Dr. Michael Baron. Priscila began her music studies at the age of 9, in the National Conservatory of Peru with Professor Lydia Hung.

Besides her busy performance career, Priscila is a passionate pedagogue and has been on the jury at several international competitions, including the Chopin International Competition for Latin American pianists, the Heida Hermanns International Competition, the Piano Stars competition and the Parnassus International Competition. She is currently the artistic director of the Parnassus Music Society, organizing cultural events throughout Peru and Latin America. This fall, she joined the faculty at Whitworth University as director of keyboard studies.