Biography

Norah Wanton is 12 years old, her mother is Italian and her father is Cuban. She was born and lives in Granada (Spain). She began to play the piano at the age of 4. Two years later, her great passion for music led her to start studying the classical guitar and at the age of 8 she began taking singing lessons. She is fluent in 5 languages (Italian, Spanish, French, English and Russian).

In 2016, at the age of 7, she obtained the 5th Grade Diploma with Merit in Music Theory from the ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal School of Music).

In June 2021, at the age of 12, she obtained her Intermediate Professional Degree in piano (specialising in composition) at “Ángel Barrios” Conservatory in Granada.

At her young age she has performed as a soloist in several international venues such as the Alexander Scriabin Memorial Museum (Moscow), the Krasnogorsk Music Festival (Krasnogorsk, Russia), The Small Guild, (Riga, Latvia), the Vilnius City Hall (Lithuania), the University of Rzézow (Poland), the Cavtat’s House of Culture (Croatia), the Auditorium Parco della Musica (Rome, Italy), the Bellini Theatre (Catania, Sicily), Bangor University (Wales), Wells Concert Hall and Longleat House (UK), Falcone-Borsellino Theatre, the Arezzo di Trifiletti Palace, (Ragusa, Sicily, Italy), and in several Spanish concert halls such as the Villamarta Theatre (Jerez de la Frontera), the Museum of Romanticism (Madrid), the Ralli Museum (Marbella), the Guitar Museum (Almería), the “El Pósito” Auditorium (Sigüenza), the Granada City Council, the Tower of Justice of the Alhambra, etc.

She has also been chosen to participate in the 17th edition of the “Moscow Meets Friends” Festival, the largest project of the Spivakov Foundation, with the participation of UNESCO.

To date she has been awarded 52 prizes in various national and international competitions in piano, classical guitar, singing, chamber music and poetry in the Russian language.

She has been awarded 3 scholarships, one for piano by the Piano Institute of the University of Kent, Ohio (USA), another by the Russian Children’s Centre Orlyonok (Russia) and in May 2021 the Liceu Junior Scholarship by the Higher Conservatory Liceu in Barcelona where she is currently studying piano.

Her hobbies include travelling and knowing new places, skating, cycling, reading, going to the cinema and going out with friends.

2021

3rd Prize in the London Youth Piano Competition, in the 4-hand piano section, under 13 years of age category, London, United Kingdom.

1st Prize in the “Tokyo Stars” competition, in the piano and 4-hand piano sections, Category 11-12 years old, Tokyo, Japan.

3rd Prize in the 2021 American Music Talent Competition, in the piano section, Category 11-14 years old, United States.

1st Prize in the 6th International Music and Theatre Competition “LiveMuseArt“, in the piano section, Category 10-12 years, Arad, Romania.

1st Prize, in the International Competition of music, art and folk art, “Русская сказка” in the section of classical instrumental music, specialties of solo piano, piano 4 hands and classical guitar in the Category 11-12 years. St. Petersburg, Russia.

1st Prize at the 1st International Music and Arts Competition “Vienna Waltz“, in the section of classical instrumental music, in the specialities of solo piano, piano 4 hands and classical guitar, Category 11-12 years. Vienna, Austria.

2nd Prize in the 3rd International Competition for Strings, Winds and Percussion “Glory“, Category 11-14 years, in classical guitar. She is also awarded with the Audience Award. London, United Kingdom.

2nd Prize in the 2nd International Festival-Competition “Art Parad“, Category 11-14 years, in the section of classical instrumental music, in the specialty of solo piano. Vitebsk, Belarus.

1st Prize in the 21st International Competition of Music and Arts “Slavic Meetings” in the section of classical instrumental music, specialities of solo piano and piano 4 hands and in the section of singing, Category 11-12 years. Minsk, Belarus.

2020

“Grand Prix“ in the International Online Competition “Rose of the East”, in the section of classical instrumental music, in the speciality of classical guitar, Category 9-13 years, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

1st Prize in the 4^th International Online Festival-Competition “Tu onda”, in the section of classical instrumental music, in the specialities of piano and classical guitar, category 11-14 years old, Marbella, Spain.

2019

1^st Prize in the 2^nd Ricard Viñes Piano Kids and Youth International Competition in Category 1 (up to the age of 11). Lleida, Spain, 2019.

1^st Prize in the 5^th EPTA-Spain Piano Competition, in the Children’s Category (up to 10 years old). Madrid, Spain, 2019.

1^st Prize in the 8^th “Carlos Ros” Conservatory of Music Competition of Musical Interpretation, in the piano section, Advanced Professional Category. Guadix, Spain, 2019.

1^st Prize in the 8^th “Carlos Ros” Conservatory of Music Competition of Musical Interpretation, in the classical guitar section, Initial Professional Category. Guadix, Spain, 2019.

2^nd Prize in the 5^thInternational Subcarpathian Chopin Competition for young pianists, in Category 1 (up to the age of 12). Rzeszow, Poland, 2019.

2018

1^st Prize in the 6^th International Alhambra Guitar Competition for Young People, in Category A (up to the age of 10). Valencia, Spain, 2018.

1^st Absolute Prize in the Piano section, Category A (up to 10 years old) of the 27^th Gianluca Campochiaro International Music Competition. Catania, Italy, 2018.

1^st Prize in the Piano section at the 27^th Gianluca Campochiaro International Music Competition, Category B (up to the age of 13). Catania, Italy, 2018.

1^st Absolute Prize in the section of Chamber Music Category A (until the age of 16) as a singer, in the 27th Gianluca Campochiaro International Music Competition. Catania, Italy, 2018.

2^nd Prize in the 7^thInternational Competition of Riga for Young Pianists in the Junior B Category (9-10 years). Riga, Latvia, 2018.

1^st Prize in the 4^th International Music Competition of Marbella, in Category A (up to 10 years old). Marbella, Spain, 2018.

1^st Prize in the “Vila de Xàbia” International Piano Competition, in the Small Performers Category (up to the age of 9). Xàbia, Spain, 2018.

3^rd Prize in the “Vila de Xàbia” International Piano Competition, in the Children’s Category (up to the age of 12). Xàbia, Spain, 2018.

1^st Prize in the 7^th “Juan Crisóstomo de Arriaga” International Guitar Competition for Young Performers in Level I (up to the age of 10). Bilbao, Spain, 2018.

1^st Absolute Prize in the 9^th “Small Great Pianists” International Piano Competition, in Category C (until the age of 9). Sigüenza, Spain, 2018.

3^rd Prize in the 2^nd “Leganés City” International Piano Festival and Competition, in Category A (up to the age of 10). Leganés, Spain, 2018.

2^nd Prize in the 7^th International Polish Piano Competition dedicated to Frederick Chopin. Vilnius, Lithuania, 2018.

1^st Prize in the Francisco Calleja 2018 Competition for Young Guitarists, in Category B (between 8 and 11 years old). Logroño, Spain, 2018.

2017

1^st Prize in the “Rome Grand Prize Virtuoso” International Music Competition, in the Piano section, Category “Young Musician” (until 9 years old). Rome, Italy, 2017.

1^st Prize in the 2^nd“Jerez City” Piano Competition, in the Benjamin Category (until the age of 10). Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, 2017.

1st Prize in the 6^th “Carlos Ros” Conservatory of Music Competition of Musical Interpretation, in the piano section, Initial Professional Category. Guadix, Spain, 2017.

2^nd Prize in the 7^th María Herrero International Piano Competition, in the Children’s Category A, (up to the age of 10). Granada, Spain, 2017.

3^rd Prize in the 5^th “Vila de Xàbia” Rotary International Piano Competition of, in the Category Small performers (up to 9 years old). Xàbia, Spain, 2017.

2016

2^nd Prize in the 3^rd EPTA-Spain Piano Competition, in the Children’s Category (up to 10 years old). Madrid, Spain, 2016.

Special prizes

Special prize for the best interpretation of a piece by a Lithuanian composer at the 7th Polish International Piano Competition dedicated to Frederick Chopin. Vilnius, Lithuania, 2018.

“Bravo” Special Prize at the International Riga Competition for Young Pianists in the Junior C Category (up to the age of 13). Riga, Latvia, 2018.

Special prize for the best interpretation of a piece by F. Chopin in the 9th “Small Great Pianists” International Piano Competition, in Category C (up to the age of 9). Sigüenza, Spain, 2018.

Special prize for the performance of a piece by Tchaikovsky at the 26th IBLA GRAND PRIZE International Music Competition, Piano section, where she was also considered as a Most Distinguished Musician. Ragusa, Sicily-New York, 2017.

Prizes won in competitions of artistic reading in the Russian language:

1^st Prize in the International Competition of Music, Art and Folk Art, “Руссская сказка”, in the Category 11-12 years, St. Petersburg, Russia.

1^st Prize at the 21^st International Music and Arts Competition “Slavic Meetings”, in the Category 11-12 years, Minsk, Belarus.

Winner of the 10^th International Pushkin Competition “ЧТО В ИМЕНИ ТЕБЕ МОЁМ?..”, children’s category up to 14 years old, Moscow, Russia.

1^st Prize in the 2^nd International Vocal and Poetic Contest of Russian Culture “Istoki” – 2020 in the nomination “Artistic Word”, Moscow, Russia.