Background
DMA, University of Texas at Austin
Pianist Christopher Guzman enjoys an international performing career, known for his versatility in styles ranging from the Baroque era to the avant-garde. Since winning top prizes in international competitions such as the Walter M. Naumburg Competition (USA), the Seoul International Music Competition (S. Korea), and the Isang Yun Competition (S. Korea), Mr. Guzman has performed across Europe, North and South America, and Asia. His victory at the Concours International de Piano d’Orléans in Orléans, France, led to extensive tours and masterclasses throughout France.
Mr. Guzman has appeared in major international venues such as Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, Leipzig’s Gewandhaus, Buenos Aires’s CCK, Carnegie’s Weill Hall, and London’s Wigmore Hall. As a chamber musician, he collaborates regularly with members of the world’s most prestigious orchestras and soloists. He is also a sought-after orchestral pianist, and as such has performed with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. Mr. Guzman joined Chicago’s Grant Park Symphony Orchestra as a keyboardist in 2024.
While Mr. Guzman has earned several international accolades for performing the traditional Western canon, many of his performances showcase music written after 1900. His performances have included world premieres by Donald Martino, Nico Muhly, and Paul Schoenfield. The New York Times hailed his performance of Christopher Theofanidis’s Statues as “coiled” and “explosive.” His CD of German and Austrian music from the past one hundred years, Vienne et après, is available on the Tessitures label. His CD of Paul Reale’s compositions, Chopin’s Ghosts, on the Naxos label, was included in Fanfare magazine’s Top Five releases of 2018. Other world premiere recordings include solo works by Peter Ablinger and Jörg Widmann.
Born in Texas, Christopher Guzman began studying piano at age nine and violoncello two years later. He later studied at the University of Texas at Austin, the New England Conservatory, and The Juilliard School. In addition to performing, he is also a Professor of Piano at the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. He previously taught at Penn State University and has taught masterclasses throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please visit christopherguzmanpiano.com.