THE LEON FLEISHER ACADEMY
Photo source: My Nine Lives: A Memoir of Many Careers in Music, Leon Fleisher with Anne Midgette (2010).
Our artistic inheritance
From Schnabel to Fleisher.
The search continues.
A phrase has direction. A harmony carries tension. A silence has something to say. The Schnabel–Fleisher tradition invites us to listen for these things, and to keep asking what the music reveals.
At LFA, we return to the score with curiosity and care, discovering the life within its black and white pages. Through close study and shared music-making, a new generation learns to turn understanding into expression.
Our teaching philosophy · Search for musical truth
“I believe that a performer’s highest goal is to discover what the music is about. You find that in the score.”
From the Academy’s original teaching statement · 2021 ↗
STUDY AT THE ACADEMY
Choose your programme.
Compare all three programmes ↗PERFORMANCES & INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE
Beyond the Academy.
Selected moments from our students’ musical lives.
England · 2026
Salisbury & Wells.
Cathedral concerts and international ensemble collaboration during LFA’s England tour.
See the England tour
Maryland · Prince George’s Philharmonic
Twenty-four hours’ notice.
Zihan Zhu stepped in to perform Shostakovich with Prince George’s Philharmonic.
Read Zihan’s story & see the photos
Germany · Klassik im Klösterle
Recitals in Germany.
Dudley Du and Mingze Li shared recital performances and musical exchange with listeners in Weil der Stadt.
See the Germany concertsMUSIC IN THE COMMUNITY
Music Across Generations ↗Young musicians, older listeners, and the conversations music begins.
Every summer, we invite young pianists to dive into an in-depth exploration of great music. In-depth discovery of musical material and elements, understanding the shape and relations within, will give the key and tools to unlocking the composer's message.
Join us for an unparalleled musical experience that you won't find anywhere else! At the Leon Fleisher Academy, we follow in the footsteps of musical legends Artur Schnabel and Leon Fleisher by offering a one-of-a-kind educational model. Our participants will have the chance to work closely with world-class artists and collaborate with top chamber musicians while also engaging in visual arts and injury prevention classes. Come join us on an exceptional musical journey that you'll never forget!
“I believe that a performer’s highest goal is to discover what the music is about. You find that in the score. All the information you need is right there. The printed music is full of clues. Why did the composer use an eighth note here and a sixteenth note there?... What is the point of this musical statement, and why is he making it? Why did he write this line the way he did? Every piece is a unique combination of tones. And any feelings that emerge when you play it is based primarily on that.”
- Leon Fleisher
Upcoming performances
Upcoming performances
