HISPANIC STANDOUT:  Meet Mexican-American Piano Prodigy Daniela Liebman

You might not know who Daniela Liebman is but to truly appreciate her you must hear her.  Liebman is a Mexican-American piano prodigy who at the tender age of 11 is getting ready for her Carnegie Hall debut.

The 11-year-old was born in Guadalajara, Mexico in 2002 to a Mexican mother and an American father that had music in their blood.  She started playing the piano at the age of three and by the age of six became a professional musician, hence the word “prodigy”.

You can say it’s in the genes, her father is an accomplished violinist and her grandmother is a concert pianist.  Her mother Maria Luisa Martinez, a native of Guadalajara, saw right away that even at the age of three she had a gift for understanding rhythm and possessed an excellent memory for music. 

In 2010, she participated in the “Varallo International Piano Competition” and won a scholarship for summer studies in the United States.

In 2012 she made her solo debut with the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra and was chosen by Lang Lang, the most famous living pianist, to perform with him at the O2 World concert.

This year she will accomplish another milestone in her young career, playing at Carnegie Hall.  In October she will perform a solo with the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony at Carnegie Hall at the ripe old age of 11.  Keep in mind that Yo Yo Ma made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 12. 

Regardless of her natural gifts she practices for hours everyday under the guidance of Mexico’s renowned composer and conductor Anatoly Zatin, who is also the director of the Instituto Universitario de Bellas Artes. 

She calls Colima, Mexico home and the world her stage.  We wish this Hispanic Standout all the luck and success such gifts, as hers deserve.

¡Felicidades Daniela!

Published in Latino Daily News