The Spanish pianist Cristina Bruno (Elyseï), of Swedish-German parents, studied in Madrid with José Cubiles and Manuel Carra. She then moved to Bucharest to work with Florica Muzicescu, the teacher of the legendary pianist Dinu Lipatti. Muzicescu gave her the foundation for a new pianistic and musical consciousness, illuminating the scores they studied together with a new vision. After Muzicescu’s death shortly afterwards, Bruno was wisely counselled by Zubeldia in Bilbao, Hansen in Hamburg and Curcio in London.

Subsequently, she met Sergiu Celibidache, playing at an audition for him. He immediately accepted her as a soloist in one of his concerts. This was decisive for her further musical development. Having had Muzicescu and Celibidache, both Romanian, in her musical life was an immense and unique privilege, and Bruno considers them her musical parents.

Apart from music, her other great passion is the inherent potential of the human being. Many years ago, new faculties arose in her which enabled her to broaden her professional activity by developing a totally intuitive capacity for empathy and connection with other people, for whom she improvises their personal music. She also gives concerts in which she improvises for significant situations concerning Humanity and the Earth. She has delivered lectures, based on musical examples, on “Therapeutic Effects of Music” and “Music, Education and Consciousness” at the Auditori of Barcelona and the University of Granada.

Cristina Bruno also gives masterclasses; she considers it both a privilege and a sacred duty to share her experience with young musicians.

She made her debut in Madrid and Hamburg at the ages of 23 and 25 respectively, with several recitals and a concert with the Hamburger Symphoniker. Shortly thereafter, international doors opened for her after performing the Schumann Concerto under Celibidache. She has played with European orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Hamburger Symphoniker, Moscow Virtuosi, Holland’s Chamber Orchestra, Romanian RTVO, Bulgarian National Orchestra, Solisti Sofia, Novosibirsk Philharmonic, Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, as well as with the most important Spanish orchestras, under the direction of Celibidache, Ahronovith, Benzi, Blech, Georgiadis, Jóo, Spivakov, Katz, Kazandiez, Romansky, Strugala, Sondeckis, among others, and the majority of Spanish conductors. Bruno has given recitals and performed with orchestras in London, Berlin, Hamburg, Moscow, Geneva, Basel, Leningrad, Novosibirsk, San José de Costa Rica, Sofia, Bucharest, Belgrade, and throughout Spain.

Bruno’s repertoire ranges from Baroque to contemporary music. Several modern composers have dedicated works to her, including Luis de Pablo, who wrote a substantial piece for her when she was only twelve years old, as well as Bernaola, Cruz de Castro, Rincón, J. L. Turina, T. Madigan and S. Ruscio.

She has made many recordings for Spanish and European broadcasters, and has recorded Baroque, Romantic and contemporary repertoire with RCA, Hispavox, Ernos and EMI Classics. 

For her improvisations, Cristina Bruno becomes Eliyseï.

https://cristina-bruno.com/

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