Milica Lawrence
Pianist and Harpsichordist
Founder, Director, CEO at Malta Piano Academy ®
Founder, Director, CEO at Malta International Piano Festival ®
Founder, Director, CEO at Malta International Music Competition ®
Founder, Director, CEO at Malta International Piano Competition ®
Founding member of Piano Foundation Malta
Christian Christopher Muhama
MPA Assistant
Andy Falzon
MPA Assistant
Rising pianist of Maltese-Polish heritage, distinguished by his technical foundation and artistic dedication. With eight years of formal study, Andy has spent the last six years cultivating a sophisticated musical voice at the Piano Academy Malta, where he studies piano and music theory under the dedicated guidance of Dr. Milica Lawrence and Ms. Slavica Azzopardi. Andy has established a formidable international profile through consistent success in high-level competitions. He is a recurring top-prize winner at the Malta International Piano Festival and Competition (2022–2025), where he has earned multiple first and second prizes. Notably, in 2024, he was honored with a special award for the Best Performance of a Contemporary Piece, showcasing his ability to navigate complex modern works alongside the classical canon. His 2025 season was marked by significant international milestones, including 1° Prize at the MusicArte Festival and Competition in Tiggiano, Italy, and a prestigious Third Prize representing Malta at the Vienna Classic Stars Music Festival in Austria. His competitive success also includes top honors at the XIV Amigdala International Music Competition (Italy), S.E. Aphrodite Voice (Cyprus), and the Piccolo Piano Talents. Dedicated to artistic excellence, Andy continues to refine his virtuosic technique through superior masterclasses with the celebrated Prof. Maurizio Moretti, as well as world-renowned pedagogues including Prof. Albert Mamriev and Prof. Michael Bulychev-Okser. For this concert tour in Italy, Andy brings his refined touch to the sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti, blending his unique European heritage with a vibrant, modern flair.
Born on the 8th of March, 2008. Ilaria started attending piano lessons at the age of 6 and never stopped since then. She completed her theory of music and performance grade exams and is currently reading for the ATCL Piano Diploma and tutored by Mr Francis Camilleri. Ilaria took part in various local piano concerts, including 2 Trinity College of London concerts. In 2022 she was also part of the Malta International Piano Festival competition, in which she was a second prize winner. She has also attended a masterclass led by Ms Corrina Simon in 2022. She is an active member of the Gozo Youth Orchestra as a pianist, and takes part in numerous concerts both in Gozo and Malta. In September 2023 Ilaria was part of an Erasmus exchange with this orchestra and performed with the Gozo Youth Orchestra under the direction of Mro Joseph Grech and the Eurode Jugendorchester under the direction of Mro Martin Eibach. Ilaria is looking forward to this new venture as a Piano Teacher with the Malta Piano Academy to share her love and passion for music and piano with her students.
Giorgia Ragni
Head of Paola branch
Soprano, pianist and linguist, Giorgia Ragni studied piano at the G. Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro, (Italy) and graduated with a Bachelor in Vocal studies in 2007 with a thesis focused on the duets of the Mozart trilogy: Don Giovanni, Le Nozze di Figaro and Così Fan Tutte. Simultaneously, she obtained a university bachelor’s degree in foreign languages and literatures at the Alma Mater Studiorum University in Bologna with a thesis focused on Children learning and language development. She taught piano, and vocal studies both in private and public schools: at the Conoscendo music school, at the Piano summer camp school of Nataliya Bazhanova, and Choir at the G. Nolfi High School in Fano (Italy). She composed 5 CDs of songs for children for the Learn with Mummy English School, Verona, Italy She has been performing opera, church music and chamber concerts, in duo with organist Maestro Stefano Vagnini, in theatres and cathedrals in Italy and abroad: U.S.A. (‘99, ’08,’09,’10, ’11, ‘12), Spain (’05, -’07 Tenerife-), France (’06, ’12,’19), Switzerland (‘10), England (’11), Germany (’12,’24), Scotland (’12), Holland (’12), Poland (’12), Finland (’12), Denmark (’12), Korea (’12, ’13,’14,’15,‘16), China (’17,’18), French Polynesia (’19).In the Academic year 2011-2012 she performed and presented new composing/ performing experimental projects based on a new methodology called Modul Art to the University of west Georgia (Georgia U.S.A.) as Artist in Residence, and the following year to the Strathclyde University in Glasgow (Scotland). Throughout the years she has been organizing prestigious Festivals in Italy and America, such as: The Zoo World Modular Project. The Zoo Project Miami 2009 involved 15 composers worldwide in collaboration with Sunny Isles Beach Government Center, Miami Arts Charter School, Arts Ballet Theater of Florida, and Fine Art for Youth, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami FL, USA, 2009. The MCube Festival -Movie, Music Modul Art-: in collaboration with the University of West Georgia, Carrollton GA, USA, 2012. The Sono Ergo Sum Festival: Baroque, Contemporary and Modular Festival at the S. Domenico Pinacoteque, Fano Italy, 2014.
Gerardo Lucero
Head of Victoria Branch
“Life is like a piano...what you get out of it, depends on how you play it.” Undeniably, Gerardo Lucero had been living with this quotation in mind. From the time he was five, he developed the talent of just playing the piano freely all by himself. He derived his inspiration from Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Beethoven- some of the greatest masters of music. With a degree of Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Piano Performance, Mr. Lucero graduated from the University of Santo Tomas, Conservatory of Music – Manila, Philippines. He began his career by working as a piano teacher at the Yamaha School of Music, Philippines and then moved to Dubai where he worked as a piano professor. Apart from being a regular teacher, he also performs as a solo pianist in Dubai. Mr. Lucero has also performed as a solo artist at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and at Paco Park Manila during the Philippine-German Month Week. He attended the Sewanee Summer Music Festival inTennessee, USA in July 2007. He has also participated in various piano master classes of both local and international artists, chamber music and piano ensemble groups. He also took part in the Junior Music Course conducted by Yamaha Music Foundation, Japan. Mr. Lucero is also a piano accompanist for the ABRSM, Trinity, LCM exams and also plays in various choir groups. He also served as a ballet accompanist in ballet examination. He earned his Master of Music degree in Piano Performance in St. Paul’s University Manila, Philippines.
Vassilis Gavvaris
Piano
Greek pianist of Greek and Cypriot descent, distinguished for the energy, intensity, and expressiveness of his performances. He recently completed his Master of Music in Classical Piano at Conservatorium Maastricht. He previously graduated with top honours from The American College of Greece as a Frances Rich Scholar and Outstanding Graduate Awardee. He also holds the National Piano Soloist’s Diploma from the Panarmonio Conservatory of Athens, awarded with “Excellent Unanimously” and First Prize. He studied with Dr. Katia Veekmans and Dr. Tatiana Papageorgiou, while his postgraduate studies were supported by the A.G. Leventis Foundation and the Greek Ship-Owners Union (Onassis Scholarship). Originally from Sparta, Vassilis began studying piano at thirteen at the National Conservatory of Sparta under Maria Velmachou. He has participated in masterclasses with renowned pianists and pedagogues including Nikolai Lugansky, Jorge Luis Prats, Jean Saulnier, Tamás Ungár, Péter Nagy, Andrzej Jasiński, Jean-Louis Steuerman, Martino Tirimo, Elena Mouzala, and Dimitri Toufexis. Vassilis has performed across Europe, including in Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Malta, Sweden, and Portugal, at venues such as Megaron – The Athens Concert Hall, Parnassos Literary Society, the Acropolis of Ancient Sparta, the House of Cyprus, the Ionic Center (GR), Theater aan het Vrijthof, PLT Theater Heerlen (NL), Academie Tongeren (BE), the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (SE), and Casa da Arquitectura (PT). His festival appearances include Porto PianoFest, Piano City Athens, the Gina Bachauer Festival, Akademifestivalen Stockholm, and Moving Music Festival Maastricht. In 2025, he appeared as a soloist with the Conservatorium Maastricht Orchestra. His distinctions include the Audience Prize as one of four finalists of the Maastricht Music Award – Piano Edition 2025 and the 2024 Emerging Soloist Award from the Gina Bachauer International Music Association. He has also received First Prize at the Georgios Felouris Piano Competition, Second Prize at the Maria Chaerogiorgou-Sigara Competition, Second and Third Prizes at the Filonas Competitions, and distinctions at the Montecatini International Piano Competition and UNESCO TLEE Competition. Alongside performing, Vassilis is active in teaching, chamber music, collaborative piano, and research. He has taught in Greece and the Netherlands, including at Junior Conservatorium Maastricht, and completed advanced studies in music pedagogy at Conservatorium Maastricht. His research interests encompass piano pedagogy, gender and music, performance practice, and Mediterranean musical traditions. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Panteion University in Athens. Vassilis crafts recital programmes that combine the standard repertoire with hidden gems, often reflecting his own cultural background and artistic identity. Upcoming engagements include recitals in Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Portugal, and the Netherlands, as well as Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Nefelibata Sinfonietta (NL). From the 2026–27 season, Vassilis teaches at the Malta Piano Academy and begins doctoral studies in Music Performance at the University of Malta.
Slavica Azzopardi
Head of Mosta Branch
Nikola Vlaisavljevic
Piano, Solfeggio & Theory of Music Online
Born in 1996 in Serbia, Nikola showed an early interest and talent for music from the age of four, and began playing the piano at the age of nine. He completed his secondary music education at the Music High School “Isidor Bajić” in Novi Sad, where, after graduating from academy, he later worked as a teacher of solfège, musical forms, music instruments, and conducting. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Composition at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, under the mentorship of Professor Bashkim A. Shehu. During his academic studies, he focused on classical composition, orchestration, harmony, counterpoint, and solfège, building a solid foundation in traditional compositional techniques. He is currently completing his Master’s degree in the same field. From an early age, he has performed at numerous concerts as a pianist. As a composer, he has written a variety of incidental music and arrangements for different chamber and orchestral ensembles, demonstrating his versatility and strong musical sensibility.
Raúl Romero
Piano Online
“Raúl Romero, born in Bogotá, Colombia, is a professional pianist and piano educator with extensive experience in delivering personalized instruction to students of all ages and skill levels. With a keen ability to identify and develop each student’s unique strengths, Raúl designs tailored lesson plans that optimize educational outcomes and foster exceptional musical growth. In addition to his teaching career, Raúl has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician, showcasing his versatility and deep musicality across various genres. His performances have been well-received, adding to his reputation as a dedicated and accomplished pianist. Raúl has held prominent teaching positions at various institutions. From 2021 to 2024, he served as a piano lecturer at the Petrozavodsk State Glazunov Conservatoire in Russia, where he instructed undergraduate and master’s students in advanced piano performance. During his tenure at the conservatoire, he developed lesson plans aligned with the academic curriculum, evaluated and graded coursework and performances, and organized recitals to showcase student progress. Additionally, Raúl taught piano, music theory, and music history to children at the Sinisalo Children’s Music School in Petrozavodsk from 2021 to 2024. There, he designed and implemented customized lesson plans to meet each child’s learning needs, coordinated with parents and guardians to ensure effective communication, and provided regular progress updates along with advice on practice routines. Regarding his academic background, Raúl holds a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance and a Master’s degree in Piano Performance, both from the Petrozavodsk State Glazunov Conservatoire in Russia. He has also completed postgraduate training in Piano Performance at the same institution and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Music Pedagogy (Piano) at JAMK University of Applied Sciences in Jyväskylä, Finland. Among his publications, Raúl authored "The Legacy of José Antonio Abreu: The Orchestral System in Venezuela," published in the Music Journal of Northern Europe № 4 (28), 2021. This article explores Venezuela’s National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs, a social and cultural initiative founded in 1975 by José Antonio Abreu. Raúl is a native Spanish speaker, proficient in Russian, advanced in English, and currently learning Finnish. His key strengths include his adaptability in adjusting his teaching style to suit students’ needs and his intensive experience in music pedagogy. In recognition of his contributions to culture and the arts, Raúl was awarded the Medal "For Contribution to Culture and Art" by the All-Russian Union of Arts in 2023, as well as a Letter of Thanks from the city administration of Petrozavodsk for his pedagogical contributions in piano education.”
Vincenzo Pinturo
Piano Online
Born in Catania, Italy, Vincenzo started early in his study and practice of the piano and later the flute. He completed his classical studies at the Conservatory “Vincenzo Bellini” in his hometown, receiving his degree in 1997 and later continued with Jazz at the “ARTEMUSICA” Academy of Mº Enrico Scandurra. Vincenzo perfected his studying with Alessandro Bruno, Nuccio Sferro and has attended workshops, interpretation seminars and music education with Franco Donatoni, Giovanni Bietti, Gabriella Cosentino. All the while he continues to work as a professional musician playing in various groups of Jazz, Big Band and chamber ensembles, among which include “Universal Studio’s Penitence Big Band” (Spain) and “The Blue Eyes Orchestra” (Germany). Vincenzo also works as a session musician on tour, on theatrical and musical productions and as the national director of a polyphonic choral. Vincenzo has performed piano recitals in Italy, Germany and Spain, playing as a guest artist at the International Competition “Maria Canals” of Barcelona and the Salonhalle at the “Kurt Müllenhaupt Museum” in Zepenick Berlin. His multifaceted musical ability has been channeled into teaching which is delivered with passion and a creative methodology. His many years of musical experience as well as being the author of didactic pieces, studies and written arrangements translates well to suit the individual needs of each of his students.
Stefano Vagnini
Organ, Improvisation & Jazz Piano
Composer, organist, harpsichordist and music theorizer with a long and varied career in classical and contemporary music. Stefano obtained degree in Organ and Organ Composition from the "G. Rossini" Conservatory of Music in Pesaro in 1986, completing a ten-year program with full marks. In the same year, he got a master at the Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. In 1988, I earned a degree in Electronic Music from the "G. Rossini" Conservatory. Between 1983 and 1985, he participated in organ masterclasses with internationally renowned organists such as Monserrat Torrent (early organ music), Liuwe Tamminga (organ improvisation), Andre’ Isoir (early French music), and Michael Radulescu (J.S.Bach organ works). From 1988 to 1992, Stefano worked as a professor of Organ and Composition at the "A. Casella" Conservatory of Music in L'Aquila and the "E. F. Dall’Abaco" Conservatory of Music in Verona. He conducted the Slave Song gospel choir in from 2000 to 2008 and for the Mezio Agostini opera choir from 1999 to 2006. Stefano has performed organ concerts in Italy and abroad, in countries such as the USA, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, China, Spain, England, Scotland, Denmark, Poland, Finland, Nerland, South Korea, Japan, and France. From 1986 to 2014, He served as the artistic director of the prestigious Santa Maria Nuova International Organ Festival. Stefano has published numerous works, including LPs, CDs, and books. Some of his notable works include: Isola di Koch recorded at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (Nautilus ed.), the Nicolaus (Bongiovanni ed.), the book The modular method in music (Falcon Valley ed.); the modular oratorio Via Crucis (Falcon Valley ed.); Messa Picena; De revolutionibus (for organ and soprano) and in 2018 the book Ergo sum, a deep music experience. In 2007 the Campanotto editions published his book of poems Salmodiesubliminali together with a DVD of his works. In 1997, Stefano developed a new composition methodology called Modular Music which is also applied to other art forms under the name ModulArt. He has conducted monographic research on artists such as Giorgio Gaber and Samuel Beckett. Stefano has conducted masterclasses and conferences at various universities and cultural centres internationally (West Georgia University Georgia-USA; G.D’Annunzio Chieti-Italy; University of Strathclyde Glasgow-Scotland), sharing his experience and knowledge on modular music and other compositional techniques.
Stefano Vicelli
Piano, Organ, Solfeggio & Theory of Music
Italian pianist, conductor, continuo player, composer and music educator. After the graduation at “G. Cantelli” Conservatory in Novara and “A. Vivaldi” Conservatory of Alessandria, where he completed his piano studies with highest honours, he has developed a versatile musical career combining solo and collaborative performance, composition, conducting and teaching. His musical training has always extended beyond the piano itself: alongside his principal studies (at the European Conducting Academy. Scuola di Alto Perfezionamento di Saluzzo, Berklee College of Music) he pursued composition, orchestral and choral conducting organ, harpsichord and continuo, developing a particular interest in the relationship between keyboard technique, vocal phrasing and harmonic understanding. His advanced studies brought him into contact with musicians including Luis de Pablo, Emilia Fadini, Fabio Bonizzoni and others. The experience of working closely with famous baroque singers like Roberto Balconi and Luca Abete became particularly significant in shaping his understanding of phrasing, breathing and musical gesture. As a pianist and keyboard player, he has subsequently collaborated with musical and cultural institutions including Milano Classica, Teatro Coccia and Teatro Faraggiana in Novara, Palazzina Liberty in Milan, Teatro Sociale di Como and Teatro alla Scala, Grand Théatre de Genève alongside concert, theatrical and educational projects. He has received recognition in several composition and performance competitions, including Castagneto Carducci Composition Competition, and distinctions at “Simone Ciani” competition (Siena), Premio Caracciolo (Napoli), Le Note Ritrovate, Silenzio Musica (Rimini), Premio “Egidio Carella”, International Music Prize (Athens), Lake George Music Festival and others. He is an Honorary Member of the Colorado Academy of Music, which awarded him a Certificate of Mastery in Composition. His music has been published by Ricordi, FENIARCO, Zenit, Melos, EMW, Fons Musicae and Orpheus Music. This background in composition strongly influences his work as both performer and teacher. Rather than approaching a score as a sequence of notes and technical problems, Vicelli encourages pianists to understand the musical architecture behind the written page: harmonic direction, tension and resolution, the relationship between individual voices and the aesthetic language of the composer. His approach to piano playing is consequently built around three closely connected principles: posture, singing and harmony. This does not simply meanonly technique, solfège or identifying the correct pitches, but experiencing the melody through the voice, discovering its breathing, direction, points of tension and release, and developing a clear inner idea of its character. The same principle applies to harmony. Students are encouraged to recognise harmonic functions, inner voices and structural relationships, connecting them with the compositional process and, ultimately, with the thought and aesthetic world of the composer. Stefano Vicelli therefore proposes an approach in which the goal is to develop an independent musician capable of reading beyond the printed score, understanding the composer's language and transforming that understanding into sound.
Vasiliki Papaioannou
Piano
Greek pianist and music educator with a strong foundation in classical piano performance, music theory, and pedagogy. Vasiliki completed her piano studies at the Ignatios Tigkerman Conservatory in Athens, where she was awarded the Piano Diploma with the highest distinction, Excellent (Άριστα) in 2005. During her studies, Vasiliki also received a Commendation in recognition of her outstanding progress and musical achievement. She further advanced her theoretical training by earning the Degree in Specialised Harmony from the European Conservatory in Patras in 2007, again graduating with the highest distinction, Excellent (Άριστα). Her conservatory education provided comprehensive training not only in piano performance and harmony but also in a broad range of core musical disciplines. As part of Vasiliki's diploma examinations, she was assessed in Music History, Music Morphology (Form and Analysis), Solfège, Ear Training, Choral Studies, Harmony, Piano Pedagogy, and other compulsory subjects, achieving Excellent in all examined courses. Vasiliki began her teaching career in 2005 at the Mozart School in Patras, where she worked as a piano teacher while at the same time pursuing her university studies in Philosophy. During this period, she was also an active member of her university choir, developing musicianship through ensemble singing and choral performance. Throughout her career, Vasiliki has been committed to inspiring students of all ages, combining technical excellence with expressive musicianship. Her teaching philosophy emphasises a solid classical foundation while encouraging individuality, musical understanding, and a lifelong appreciation for music. Drawing upon her extensive academic and practical training, she seeks to cultivate confident, expressive musicians who appreciate both the technical and artistic dimensions of performance.