María Hanneman Vera was born on March 27, 2006. At the age of 3 she started to show an increasing interest and ability in music, specialy for the piano. One year later she started her musical education with piano teacher Leslie Mizrahi. She was invited to participate in different music festivals throughout Mexico, Peru and Costa Rica. In two occasions she won first prize in the Laredo International Piano Competition in Laredo, Texas (2013 and 2014), and also won first prize in her category in the National Piano Contest Parnassos in Monterrey, Mexico (2014 and 2016).
At the age of 9, she took part of the International Academy and Music Festival in Tequila, Jalisco. Since then, she started her professional formation in the National Music Conservatory of Mexico with the conservatory´s director, Dr. David Rodríguez de la Peña, as her teacher. She also began with the Reynol Arredondo as her piano coach.
In 2016 and 2017 she participated in the Semper International Music Festival in Italy and also the Todi International Music Masters Festival in Todi, Italy.
During 2017 she won first prize in her category in the 10th Biennial International Piano Competition in Mexicali, Mexico; third prize in level 3 in the National Piano Contest Parnassos in Monterrey, Mexico; first prize in the International Russian Music Festival and Competition in Vancouver, Canada; and also won the second prize in the 13th Festival and International Young Piano Competition in Villahermosa 2017.
She was selected to make her debut as solist with the Celaya Conservatory Orchestra in May 2017. In September 2017 she was selected as one of 12 participants to take part of the Ricardo Castro Chair by the National Institute of Fine Arts. She was the youngest participant in the Chair.
In November 2017 she has que first solo concert in the “Museo de Arte de la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público” of Mexico City, with a repertoire of approximately 60 minutes. In December 2017 she performs her second solo concert in the “Fondo Histórico de Hacienda Antonio Ortiz Mena” within Mexico´s National Palace.
2018 was a year full of activities for María. In March 2018 she wins second prize in her category in the First International Piano José Cuervo Petrof Contest in Tequila Jalisco.
In March 2018 she is invited by the Ricardo Castro Chair for a recital in Mexico´s National Palace. In that same month she participates as a special guest performer in the 10th Value Investing Forum that took place in Mexico City´s National Conservatory of Music with an audience of approximately 800 assistants. In that same month se represented de National Conservatory of Music giving a recital in the Vasconcelos Library for an audience of aproximately 300 people for the celebration of the Children´s Day Festivity.
In May 2018 she is selected as one of five participants of the Ricardo Castro Chair to play in concert with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Armed Marines Secretary of Mexico in the Silvestre Revueltas Auditorium of the National Music Conservatory. She played the Concerto No. 23 en A, K. 488, Allegro by Mozart, conducted by Dr. David Rodríguez de la Peña (Director of Mexico´s National Music Conservatory). In July she is chosen to play in the National Palace as a solo pianist within the program Young Pianists that is organized by The Institute of Fine Arts and Music of Mexico.
During the summer of 2018 she took master classes with Antonio Pompa Baldi in Naples, and she also assisted to the Todi International Music Masters Festival in Todi, Italy. While in Todi she played with the Naples Youth Orchestra. She also took part of the Semaine Internationale Piano et Musique de Chambre in Blonay, Switzerland.
In September 2018 she participated with a musical intervention in the 104th aniversary of the chilean poet Nicanor Parra celebrated in Mexico City. In November she gave some street concerts to help raise funds for the Teletón Foundation. The final concert was in the Bankers Club in Mexico´s City Center. During this month she was also invited to give a learning recital during the 30th Festival of Music in Morelia Miguel Bernal. This was held in the Conservatory of the Roses in the city of Morelia, Michoacán. She was an honorary guest, invited by the pianist and teacher Irina Samodaeva tu participate in the activitied of the 14th Festival Competition Children and Young Pianists Villehermosa 2018. She closes 2018 playing in New York City, in the winner’s concert of the BMTG International Piano Competition held in Steinway Hall in the Carnegie Hall. She won 3rd place in her age category and 2nd place for best interpretation of a piece written by a living composer.
In February 2019 she is invited by the Institute of Fine Arts and Music to play in the Manuel M. Ponce Hall inside the Palace of Fine Arts. She played with two other young pianists during program called Young Piano Promisses. During this month she also plays as a solo pianist with the University of Zacatecas Youth Orchestra. Within the learning program of the National Conservatory of Music, María plays a recital for childre 8 years old and under.
In June she plays as a solo pianist with the Synphonic Orchestra of the Autonum University of the State of Hidalgo, with Gaetan Kuchta as director. In August she participates as a special guest in the event Synphinic Kids of the Conservatory of Celaya, where she plays the 3rd movement of the Mozart´s piano concerto No. 23 with the Synphonic Youth Orchestra Silvestre Revueltas directed by Jesús Almanza. In September she is invited to participate in the 3rd edition of the event PopUp Experience Mexico 2019, where she plays alongside recognized artists such as Jorge Viladoms and Kristina Winiarski. During this month she plays the opening concert of the season Fall 2019 of the Chamber Orchestra of Zapopan with Mozart´s piano concerto No. 23 with director Allen Vladimir Gómez. And she forms part of the Second Ricardo Castro Chair of Mexico´s National Conservatory of Music.
In October she gives a recital during a gala dinner of the Foundation Sin Dolor of Guadalajara in the Cabañas Hospice that helps people that suffer of lupus.
In November 2019 she participates as an honorary guest in the 2nd edition of the International Piano Festival of Papantla, Veracruz, where she plays a small recital.
Finally, during December, she plays two concerts in Los Faros social centers. One in Tláhuac and the other in Milpa Alta.
María had more recitals programmed for 2020 in Los Faros, but they were put in pause because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Other things that were put in pause are: 2 concerts in Verona, Italy, 2 presentations in the Lerdo de Tejada Library invited by the cultural divition of the Secretary of Finance; one concert with the Institute of Fine Arts and Music within their program called Young Piano Talents; a small tour of concerts throughout Spain with the pianist and cultural promoter cuban-russian Victoria Fernández.
During these months of the pandemic, María has given 6 online recitals. One of them organized by herself; another one as a guest on the Stary at Home program by the Mexican Senate; two organized by the Teatro de la Paz of San Luís Potosí´s Musica en Casa; one for a Brazilian Festival called Jovens Pianistas and another for the Mexican School of Orthopedists.
In August she wins the first prize of her category in the 2020 International Music Competition Salzburg Gran Prize Virtuoso. She traveled to Austria to play in the winner’s concert and prize ceremony in Salzburg´s prestigeous Mozarteum. She algo won the secong prize in the Masters of Piano Concerto Great Composers Competition in London, England. Also, in this month she became brand ambassador of the nonprofit organization called Sempiterno Foundation, that helps communities in extreme poverty.
In September she is invited by TEDx Talks Mexico City to talk about her life experience with the piano. Her talk is called The Day I met Mozart. Available in Youtube with the name in spanish “El día que conocí a Mozart”.
In October she was invited by the mexican consulate in Dallas Texas to participate in their annual Cience Fair.
In November 2020, she was invited by the Synphinic Orchestra of the State of Puebla, as a solo pianist in their program Young Mexican Talents to give an online concert. She played Mozart´s No. 23 concerto directed by David Hernández Bretón from the Auditorio de la Reforma. She also took part in the documentary Mar es Dentro produced by Fungi Films. And whe was selected by Quien magazine as one of the 50 most important people in Mexico that is doing something transcendental in the country.
Finally, during December, she was invited as a guest performer in the Ciudad de las Ideas in Puebla. Her participation was during a segment called “MEX-I-CAN”, where outstanding mexicans where featured.
Also in December she played “White Christmas” alongside world renowned opera singer Javier Camarena. This video is available in Youtube.
During her 10 years as a pianist, she has taken masters classes with Silvia Navarrete, Mauricio Nader, Naoya Seino, Jorge Federico Osorio, Rosita del Sordo, Edna Diemecke, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Eduardo Delgado, Yunjie Chen, Enrico Elisi, Pierre Reach, Eteri Andjaparidze, Boris Konovalov, Tatiana Gerasimova, Vladislav Kovalsky, Caroline Fraser, Fey Adams, Flor Canelo, Victor Rodríguez.
