Leah Gavilan is a 15-year-old pianist from the Dwight-Englewood School and was born in New York, NY to a prominent musical family. Leah started her piano studies with Jin-Kyung Park, continued with Dr.Yiheng Yang, and has been studying with Dr.Yoheved Kaplinsky in Juilliard’s Pre-College Division since 2019 at age 9. She won awards in various competitions as a soloist such as receiving Grand Prix in the Concert Festival International Competition and First Prize in the Vivo International Music Competition. Also, she won the IMM Concorso, NYYVC, Vivo, ENKOR, Bella Grande, and CAIC competitions as a member of the Tres Gracias trio. In addition, she participated in the Juventus Pro Musica chamber program in May and June of 2023 and participated in a masterclass with Dr. Mikhail Voskresensky. Leah has performed at Gordon Hall, Paul Hall (Juilliard School), and has also been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall. In addition, Leah participated in a televised 2018 New Year’s Eve family concert in Havana, Cuba, and is featured in a PBS documentary about the Gavilan family titled Los Hermanos / The Brothers – Patchworks Films (2019). In December of 2024, she debuted as a soloist with the Havana Chamber Orchestra. Moreover, she is a member of the Back to Bach project, where she promotes music education within schools, and is a fellow of the Artemisia Foundation. In school, she participates as a member of the ethics bowl team, school newspaper, student government, chamber club, and stage band. Leah was accepted into the Valissima Institute for young female conductors and attended the Bowdoin International Music Festival. Additionally, Leah also attended the Kaufmann Summerfest. Besides playing the piano, Leah enjoys writing and playing the cello in her free time.
Watch Leah Lopez Gavilan performs Ballade No.1 in G Minor by Chopin for the 2025 International Piano Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.