Luis Urbina was born in Caracas, Venezuela on July 16, 1991. He began his musical studies at the age of 9 on the piano and then began learning cello at the age of 10. He was considered a prodigy in his developmental years. He studied with Dr. Paul Posnak from ages 13-17 and won many local and state competitions as a pianist. He also took voice lessons with Chesne Ryman and competed as a singer during his high school years. Luis earned spots as a finalist in competitions such as the Lennox International piano competition and auditioned for the Gina Bachauer as well.

In 2009 Luis began his studies with Giselle Brodsky, the Artistic Director and Co-Founder the Miami International Piano Festival, which regularly brings in world-class artists and performers. With Mrs. Brodsky, Luis learned about the Taubman approach and greatly improved his technical awareness and musical knowledge and had the opportunity to work with great artists associated with the festival, such as Kemal Gekic, Misha Dacic, Jorge Luis Prats, Francesco Libetta, Dr. Frank cooper and Ilya Itin, just to name a few. He started his college studies at the University of Miami in 2009 with Dr. Frank Cooper, and later transferred to FIU where he got his Undergraduate Degree and studied with Kemal Gekic. During his time at FIU, he played in many ensembles, both jazz and classical, and won the Concerto Competition playing the Liszt 2nd with the School Orchestra. One of his biggest opportunities came when he got the chance to perform with Ida Haendel, the legendary violinist in concerts in Manhattan and Santa Barbara in between 2010-2012. Luis considers this to be one of his biggest honors as a musician.

Since his graduation at FIU, he has worked as a collaborator with many different musicians, especially singers. He played as a part of the MIPF’s “Opera and Piano Transcriptions” series as a collaborator, which sprung into the opportunity to give a recital with world-renowned soprano Eglise Guiterrez in December 2019. He has performed with names such as Gilles Apap, Simone Porter, Oliver Aldort and Chelsea Guo. He has also taken part in Miami Piano International Festival Academy, which had its inception in June 2015. This academy has been an amazing experience for him, gaining immeasurable insights into music and the world of piano with the fantastic roster of artists the Academy offers. Luis has been an integral part of the MIPFA, beginning as a student and now with a veteran role in the Academy, teaching and being a mentor to many younger pianists that attend. MIPFA has had its last two summer session in Briosco, Italy in the Villa Medici Guilini, which has been an amazing experience as well. Luis has also participated in a variety of concerts in the MIPF as a collaborator, accompanying names such as Chelsea Guo, Simone Porter, Eglise Guiterrez, Oliver Aldort, and many others. Luis will make his debut for the festival in the 2024/2025 season as a soloist. In March of 2024 Luis will also be pursuing an Artist Diploma in Musical Arts Madrid with Misha Dacic.

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