MIAMI, United States. – The life of Cuban pianist Leonel Morales, 58, has been marked by passion, discipline and self-improvement. From his admission to the Higher Institute of Art of Cuba at the age of 21, to his renown in the classical music circuit in Spain and other countries, Morales has known how to face challenges and become one of the pianists of the greatest international caliber.
In a recent interview with the media CubaNews360, Morales said that his incipient career in Cuba was crowned with the Teresa Carreño award, among other national and international awards, and that his time at ISA allowed him to be part of “a golden generation”, thanks to the quality of the Cuban school of music during those years.
“It was the golden age of the Cuban music school because there were great teachers and great discipline in the studio and a special camaraderie,” he recalled.
In its beginnings, Morales was a student of Ileana Batista and the renowned pianist Frank Fernandez, who was crucial in his career. “When I start with Frank, he already put me to work at a very high level. I was 18 years old”, commented the pianist.
However, despite his success in Cuba, Morales felt that his career could not grow in his native country. “I realized that he had reached a great level but I had to eat it by myself and play at home. There was no way to grow, ”he explains. For this reason, he decided to settle in Spain, where he began working in a piano bar and later won a contest that allowed him to make the leap to the Spanish music scene.
Today, Morales has worked as a professor at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and at the Alfonso X El Sabio University in Madrid, has created various international piano competitions, and his work is celebrated throughout the world of classicism. However, one of his greatest desires is to play for the Cubans, something that he has not been able to achieve up to now.
Despite the difficulties and the distance, the musician continues to carry Cuba with him. “No Cuban likes to leave his Island. We love our land,” he assured.
