LAURENT BOUKOBZA, piano

Born in Villemomble, France, Laurent Boukobza made his entrance into the world of music at the age of 10 when he began studying with Catherine Collard.  Laurent continued his studies at the Paris Conservatory where upon graduation he worked as the Assistant Piano Instructor.  He is the recipient of the First Prize of Piano and Chamber Music from the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris.  Mr. Boukobza has studied with the respected instruction of Germaine Mounier, Yvonne Loriod and Michel Beroff.  His background also encompasses Chamber Music studies with Jean-Claude Pennetier, Christian Ivaldi, and the "Amadeus Quartet".  He made his first professional recording at the age of 21.

A prize winner of many competitions, including the “International Piano Competition of Radio France” (Paris), the “International Academy Maurice Ravel” (France), the International Piano Competition of Sofia (Bulgaria), and semi-finalist in the prestigious Queen Elizabeth International Piano Competition of Brussels (Belgium), Laurent Boukobza enjoys his concert tours in conjunction with an active teaching career.  His performances in Belgium, Bulgaria, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherland, Poland, Romania, Japan, Korea, Singapore and the USA as a dazzling piano soloist and virtuosic chamber musician have earned him critical acclaim.

Mr. Boukobza immigrated to the United States in 1998, and currently is the Professor of Piano and Chair of the Piano Studies at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida.  Laurent is regularly invited to such prestigious festivals as Vichy, Fontevrault, Conques, Evian, Les Arcs, Les Ecrins (France), and Salzburg (Austria).  Mr. Boukobza is the pianist of the famous "Sirba Octet" featuring Principals of the world renowned "Orchestre de Paris". His CDs can be found at www.AMAZON.com.