István I. Székely

Biography

István Székely is a concert pianist and internationally recognized pedagogue, currently teaching at the Katarina Gurska Superior Conservatory in Madrid and the Franz Liszt Center for Special Talents in La Nucia, Spain. He has been invited to give masterclasses worldwide, including in Budapest, Novi Sad, Forum Musikae (Madrid), Bucaramanga and Manizales (Colombia), Alicante and Dénia, and at major international piano festivals in Valencia and beyond.

A frequent jury member at international competitions, he has served on panels for the Franz Liszt International Competition (Rome), Takács Competition (Austria), Bucaramanga (Colombia), IMFV Valencia, Ibiza International Competition, and Villa de Xabia International Contest. Winner of numerous national and international awards, István has performed since age 15 across Europe, the United States, South America, and Asia, including venues such as Palacio de Cibeles (Madrid), Palau de la Música (Valencia), Auditorio Mediterrania (La Nucia), and the Kolarac Concert Hall (Belgrade). He has also performed private concerts for H.R.H. Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol of Thailand. 

His teachers include Aleksandar Madzar, Orsolya Szabó, Michael Boguslavski, Mátyás Molcer, Valéria Utasi, and Milica Dundjerov at prestigious institutions such as the Brussels Royal Conservatory, Jerusalem Rubin Academy, and Kodály Institute of Kecskemét. Founder and member of the international Camerata Universal Music, he has collaborated with artists such as Clara Novakova, Joaquin Palomares, Joan Enric Lluna, and soloists of the Orchestra of Valencia. In 2017, he recorded five Chopin Études for the animated short Impromptu, which was shortlisted for the 2018 Goya Awards and screened in over 50 festivals worldwide, earning multiple awards including Best Art Animation (Los Angeles) and Best Short Film (Montreal).