Michael Leonardo Davidman
Winner, 2025 American Pianists Awards
Third Prize and Orchestra Prize, 2022 Long-Thibaud International Piano Competition
Winner, 2019 Juilliard Gina Bachauer Competition
Michael started piano lessons at age five at the Greenwich House Music School, and continued piano studies with Efrem Briskin at the Manhattan School of Music. Michael completed his Bachelor of Music degree under the guidance of Robert McDonald, also with mentor and teacher Ford Mylius Lallerstedt at the Curtis Institute of Music, his Master of Music degree at the Juilliard School with renowned pianists Jerome Lowenthal and Stephen Hough. Michael completed his Artist Diploma studying with renowned pianist Stanislav Ioudenich at the International Center for Music (ICM), Kansas City, MO. Presently, Michael has completed his studies at the Reina Sofia Music School in Madrid, Spain studying with Stanislav Ioudenitch and Vadim Gladkov.
Prodigiously gifted from early childhood, in his precollege studies at the Manhattan School of Music, Michael won First Place in the Precollege Concerto Competition in all three age categories: first at age ten, then at twelve, and again at age sixteen. At age thirteen, he was chosen by Lang Lang's management to perform in the 2010 Lang Lang masterclass at Manhattan School of Music; his rendition of Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 10 was warmly praised by Lang Lang: “You play beautifully and are technically brilliant!”
A dedicated and disciplined young musician, Michael has gone on to win numerous piano competitions, Michael Davidman is the winner of the 2025 American Piano Awards and the Christel DeHaan Fellowship at the University of Indianapolis, the 2022 Long-Thibaud International Piano Competition - third place and Orchestra prize, the 2021 American Pianists Association finalist award, first place winner 2019 Juilliard Gina Bachauer Competition, first prize 2018 New York International Piano Competition chamber ensemble, first prizes in both soloist and concerto categories at the 33rd Ithaca College of Music Piano Competition, Grand Prize at the LISMA Foundation 9th International Music Competition, and first place in the 2011 Mary Smart International Concerto Competition. Michael also received a four year scholarship from the Chopin Foundation of the United States.
As soloist, he has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Orchestre Symponique de la Garde Republicaine, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Freixenet Encuentro Symphony Orchestra, Reina Sofia Orchestra, Symphonicity, Monterey Symphony, Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra, Yonkers Philharmonic Orchestra, Ithaca College Orchestra, Manhattan School of Music Philharmonic Orchestra, Summit Music Festival Orchestra, Bronx Arts Ensemble Orchestra, New York Concerti Sinfonietta, Doctor’s Orchestra of NY, the NY Chamber Orchestra and the West Point Band.
He has performed at Salle Cortot, Théâtre du Châtelet, Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center, Carnegie Recital Hall, Kimmel Center, Sandler Center, Symphony Space, Merkin Concert Hall, Hilbert Circle Theater, given recitals in Spain at the Burgos International Music Festival, in Italy at Teatro Alfieri, in St. Petersburg Russia with the International Academy of Music, and at numerous music festivals, including the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival (Yale), the Music Academy of the West, Kneisel Hall, Summit Music, Music@Menlo, and PianoFest. Michael has also performed on WHYY “Curtis On Stage”, WQXR McGraw Hill Young Artist Showcase - “The Robert Sherman Show”, WSKG-FM radio Expressions Series, NPR’s radio program “From the Top", "Piano Evenings with David Dubal."
An opera enthusiast from a very young age, Michael delights in uploading historical and rare opera recordings to his YouTube channel called PucciniMD and accompanying opera singers.
