Staff & faculty

Dr. Andrea Benabent, a distinguished Spanish pianist, has earned recognition in numerous national and international competitions, including first prizes at the 8th Brilliant Talent Discovery Awards International Competition in Singapore (2024), the II Franz Liszt Center Piano Competition in Spain, and the “Mestre Serrano” Piano Competition in Valencia, Spain, and “Ruperto Chapí” Young Performers Competition in Alicante, Spain.

She holds a Doctorate in Piano Performance from the University of Houston, where she studied under Dr. Andrew Staupe and Dr. Tali Morgulis. Andrea also graduated from the Royal Higher Conservatory of Madrid and Sam Houston State University, where she studied with Elena Orobio and Josu de Solaun, the first prize winner of the XIII George Enescu International Piano Competition in Bucharest. During the 2015/2016 academic year, Andrea was a student of Professor Pascal Nemirovsky at the Royal Academy of Music in London and received a scholarship to attend the Alps Summer Music Festival in Tignes, France.

In 2018, she was awarded a fellowship to participate in the Miami Piano Academy and Festival, where she studied with Giselle Brodsky and Jorge Luis Prats.

Since 2022, Andrea has been a member of the Young Artist Program at DACAMERA in Houston, and the Levante Piano Duo actively promoting the musical heritage of Spain. She also performed in the successful concert series Octubre Hispánico for the Consulate of Spain in Houston. Andrea has graced prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Wortham Theater Center and Miller Outdoor Theatre in Houston, Duke’s Hall in London, and Palau de la Música in Valencia. Passionate about flamenco, she incorporates the genre into her compositions, drawing inspiration from artists such as Pablo Ruben Maldonado, David Peña Dorantes, Maria Toledo, and Lola Fernández. Andrea is a music consultant at HSPVA, the Artistic Director of the Westbury Performing Arts Series, and holds a private piano studio in Houston, TX. Her most recent performances include collaborations with Solero Flamenco, Aperio Music of the Americas and Houston Symphony Chorus.

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