Ana-María Vera, an American pianist of Dutch-Bolivian descent, commenced her musical journey at the tender age of three under the guidance of her mother. By the time she turned eight, she had made her professional debut and has since captivated audiences around the world.
At eleven, Vera recorded her first album with Edo de Waart and the Rotterdam Philharmonic, earning a Gold Record from Philips for her efforts. The following year, she had the honor of performing a recital at the White House for President and Mrs. Carter. In recognition of her accomplishments, she was celebrated with a commemorative postage stamp issued by the Bolivian people.
Vera studied under renowned instructors Ylda Novik and Leon Fleisher. She has collaborated as a guest soloist with many prestigious orchestras globally, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, and the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Notable conductors with whom she has worked include Riccardo Muti, Yoel Levi, David Zinman, Eliahu Inbal, David Stern, Sergiu Commissiona, Maximiano Valdes, Michael Schønwandt, Ken-Ichiro Kobayashi, and James Conlon. Her solo recitals have taken her to iconic venues, such as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Herkulessaal in Munich, Tivoli Theatre in Copenhagen, Salle Gaveau in Paris, and Wigmore Hall in London.
In recent years, Vera has focused on chamber music, forming significant duo partnerships with distinguished artists such as Ivry Gitlis, Joshua Bell, and Steven Isserlis. Notably, she made her joint New York recital debut with Isserlis at the 92nd Street Y in 2006 and recently performed alongside Bell at Wigmore Hall to critical acclaim.
Additionally, Vera has organized a series of concerts in Bolivia, collaborating with a select group of world-class musicians and local talent to present a diverse array of chamber and orchestral performances throughout the country. This initiative has been met with great success, and plans are underway to make it a regular event.
Her latest recording, featuring Granados' "Goyescas" piano suite, was released on the Signum label in 2009. Currently, Ana-María Vera resides in London.
Born on April 15, 1965, Vera gave her first public recital in 1970 and achieved various first-place awards in piano competitions for young musicians in 1973. That same year, she made her debut in the Netherlands at The Hague and her first orchestral appearance in the United States. In 1975, she performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra under Arthur Fiedler, as well as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra with Sergiu Commissiona, and continued to concertize in South America with Eduardo Mata and in Europe with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under prominent conductors such as Hans Vonkin, Edo de Waart, and David Zinman.
In 1977, Philips released her first recording, featuring Mozart's "Lutzow" Concerto, K.246, and Haydn's Piano Concerto in D, H.XVIII No. 11, with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under Edo de Waart (6833 199). She received a gold record in 1981 for selling over 15,000 copies of this initial album. In 1982, she was honored by Bolivia with a special postage stamp and recorded her second album during a summer holiday in Amsterdam, after returning to the Washington International School and continuing her piano studies with Leon Fleisher.
