Michael Leslie

Australian concert pianist, resident in Munich, Germany.

When Leslie sits down to the piano one is exhilarated by the vitality of his playing. He doesn‘t pander to the gallery, but challenges each work afresh each time he plays it. The music emerges fresh, warm, vivid, and alive. By nature drawn to the problematical and the challenging, his explorations of the greatest works of the piano literature – the “Goldberg Variations”, the Art of Fugue, the “Hammerklavier” Sonata and “Diabelli” Variations, the last Schubert Sonatas – are awe-inspiring struggles to articulate the profoundest thoughts of the profoundest minds that have ever expressed themselves in music.

During his studies at the Conservatorium of Sydney he made several appearances with leading Australian orchestras. These concerto performances included notably the Beethoven 4th and 5th Piano Concertos, the Brahms 2nd and the first Australian performance of the Bartók 1st Piano Concerto. He also took part in the first Australian performance of the Bartók Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion. As a student of Rosl Schmid at the Munich Hochschule für Musik he won 1st prize in the Competition of the West German Hochschulen and 3rd prize in the International Competition of the Bavarian Radio.

His repertoire ranges from William Byrd to Lutoslawsky and includes the Bach Goldberg Variations and The Art of Fugue, all the Beethoven Piano Sonatas and the complete piano works of Schönberg.

His concert activity includes tours of Germany, Austria, England, Scotland, France, Italy, Sicily, Norway, Ghana, Serbia, Sweden and Australia. In Sydney he was recently hailed as one of the finest musicians ever to come out of the country. “Sydney’s loss is Germany’s gain”

Masterclasses and piano tuition for students and music lovers. Preparation for music academies and piano competitions.

Inquiries: info (at) michael-leslie.eu or

Michael Leslie
Konzertpianist
Kyreinstrasse 16
81371 München
Germany