The COSTA RICA PIANO FESTIVAL is one of the most important cultural initiatives of recent years in Costa Rica, focusing on the artistic development of young local and international pianists.
We offer a space of personal and professional growth to young pianists as well as musical performances of the highest level for the Costa Rican audiences.
We are an international platform that promotes the talent of the new generations, focusing on a world-class artistic formation within a space of coexistence, learning, personal development and fun.
TEAM
LANZO LUCONI
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Born and raised in San Jose, Costa Rica, Lanzo Luconi has been the recipient of multiple scholarships, competition prizes, and festival awards around the world. He has performed in prestigious concert halls of Costa Rica, Europe, and the United States, where he made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2008 and was honored with the International Outstanding Professional Artistic Performance Award.
He has been invited to perform in many notable events including the Scarlatti World Marathon, the Kosciuszko Foundation Winner’s Recital, and the 6th Musical Composition Seminar, where he performed music by Costa Rican composers. Other engagements include performances at MusicFest Perugia in Italy and with the World Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Lanzo belongs to one of the earliest generations of concert pianists from the Instituto Superior de Artes, the premier pre-college arts academy of Costa Rica. His formal music studies began under the guidance of Dr. Alexandr Sklioutivsky, Dra. Tamara Sklioutovskaia, M.M Ludmila Melzer, and Dr. Luis Monge. After completing his undergraduate studies at the National University of Costa Rica, Lanzo moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he obtained his master’s degree at Carnegie Mellon University under the guidance of the renowned pianist and professor Enrique Graf.
Mr. Luconi is a devoted educator, continuously making extraordinary efforts to provide top quality educational opportunities, proving the undeniable positive impact in our society. He believes that the talent and passionate dedication of young musicians must be celebrated and shared with audiences worldwide. His students have won numerous national and international competitions, scholarships, college auditions, festivals and special performances.
Beyond the stage and teaching studios, Luconi has a great passion for learning and developing new projects, continuously pursuing studies in the fields of psychology, pedagogy, communication, business, and entrepreneurship.
In 2014, Lanzo founded the Costa Rica Piano Festival, which is the first of its kind in Central America, created to provide international musicians with the best learning opportunities through lessons with world renowned artists, competition, solo and orchestra performances, and valuable seminars, while enhancing Costa Rica’s growing music culture. This successful initiative led him to create other successful international projects such as the Costa Rica Chamber Music Festival, Music Entrepreneurship Seminars and consult as a business and cultural advisor for several companies, music studios and independent events.
He has taught masterclasses and participated as a speaker in numerous events from prestigious institutions like MTAC, HSPVA Houston, Booker T. School for the Performing Arts in Dallas, Lone Star College Montgomery, University of North Texas and the Music Entrepreneur Conference at Harvard University. He is also a frequent guest in the world famous podcast The Authenticity Show.
Lanzo is a faculty member at the Opus119 Conservatory of Music and teaches privately in his home studio.
LUIS MONGE
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Luis Monge is a Costa Rican pianist and composer with academic studies in Mexico, Costa Rica, Germany, and New York. Among his tutors are Karl-Heinz Diehl, Wilhelm Killmayer, Ludwig Hoffmann (Superior School of Music-Munich) and Gyorgy Sandor (Julliard School-NY). His early sensitivity and affinity for diverse Latin American music styles and jazz allowed him to develop, not only improvisation, but also arrangement and composition skills.
He has taught at universities in Germany, New Jersey, the United States, Costa Rica, and given master classes at universities in Guatemala, Mexico and Vilnius/Lithuania. Currently, Mr. Monge teaches piano and improvisation at the National University of Costa Rica and the Higher Institute of Arts. He is an active soloist, accompanist, and composer, as well.
His career includes solo concerts and recordings with classical music and chamber music collaborations with recognized artists of modern Latin American music and Latin jazz. As a co- founder of the modern music and jazz quartet Swing en 4, he has recorded four CDs and has toured South America, Cuba, Canada, and Europe. He has been continuously researching on African roots in the music cultures of the Americas, and obtained his Music Ph.D. in 2015 from the National University of Costa Rica. He was also the president of the Association of Composers and Authors of Costa Rica (ACAM) from 2009 to 2017 and is co-founder and board member of the Latin American Composers Alliance (ALCAM). His compositions have received awards in Costa Rica and Belgium. He has ongoing audio productions with a variety of his piano solo compositions and other orchestral works.
PAMELA BEINE
Production and Community Manager
Since she started her path through music, Pamela has been recognized by her detail, her musical sensitivity and her way of communicating through music. Born in 1998, Pamela Beine is an belgian-costarrican international classical pianist and music teacher. She started her music lessons at the age of 5 under the Yamaha method. Later on, she coursed the Preuniversity Program from the National University of Costa Rica, under Dr. Alexandr Sklioutovski's direction and his team.
She coursed her carrier studies at the Conservatori Liceu in Barcelona, with Stanislav Pochekin. She graduated top of her class and obtained an excellence scholarship to study a Master Degree also at the Conservatori Liceu. Recently, she graduated from her Master Degree at the Utrecht's Conservatorium in the Netherlands.
Pamela has played international concerts and won several competitions around the world. In Costa Rica, she has played at the Salón Dorado, Eugene O'Neil Theatre, Auditorio Nacional, as well as the Foyer and Main Hall of the National Theatre. Internationally, some of the venues Beine's played are the Weil Hall in Carnegie Hall, New York, Barclay Theatre in Los Angeles, Jardi dels Tarongers and Sala Parés in Barcelona. Also, the Lithuanian Academy of Music in Vilnius, Lithuania, JM Fentener van Vlissingenzaal and Tivoli Vredenburg in The Netherlands. She debuted with the Kostromá Symphonic Orchestra in Kostromá, Russia, conducted by Pavel Gershtein.
Pamela is active as a soloist and as a chamber music musician. She founded the Beine-Margalef piano duo, which has been active since 2019 playing in venues around Spain. Beine has collaborated and received guidance by great musicians internationally. She has worked with institutions such as Musical Innovators, Intel, Yamaha and Q Foundation. Actually, she has been named CREA Ambassador. Pamela stands out as a musician with her delicacy and musical conversation.
PABLO BRENES
Graphic Design & Advertisement
Pablo Brenes, partner and founder of ChepeStudio, a company of graphic design and advertising focused on provinding services in areas of sports, health and culture nationwide.
Throughout his career he has had the privilege of working for large nationally renowned brands in diverse industries such as automotive, healthcare, customer service and home appliances.
Entrepreneurial by nature and explorer of new horizons, Pablo plunges with great experience in the conceptualization and development of advertising campaigns within your company.
For more information at:
AL FOCO FILMS
Audivisual Production
PUNTO Y APARTE
Communications