Fernando, fourteen years old, is a third-year high school student at Gymnasium Haganum in The Hague. At a very young age, he discovered a lot of joy with the piano. What began as simple curiousity about the small piano toys soon grew into formal lessons at the age of five with Christa Korsten, followed by nearly five years of private study with Hülya Keser. Since 2023, Fernando has been a student at the Sweelinck Academy (Young Talent Program) of the Conservatory of Amsterdam, where he studies with Robert Kulek.
Fernando’s talent was recognized early on. At the age of eight, he won the First Prize and the Podium Beast Challenge Prize at the Muziekwedstrijd 2020. He went on to win the First Prize and the Encouragement Prize at the Maassluis Young Talent Competition 2022 edition. In 2023, he reached the semifinals of Holland’s Got Talent. The following year, he was selected for the “All of Bach” talent program of the Netherlands Bach Society. And in the same year, Fernando was named a Young Hero on the NPO 2 television program Podium Klassiek. In 2025, Fernando reached the finals of the Royal Concertgebouw Competition, made his solo recital debut at the Grachtenfestival Amsterdam 2025, and performed a lunchtime concert at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
Fernando is inspired by many great pianists and he believes that every note carries echoes of voices from centuries past. This particularly drives his deep passion for studying piano music pieces that were composed long ago — works that he feels both a privilege and a source of profound joy to explore the piano’s vast richness and tonal colors. Immersed in the world of classical music, he finds endless inspiration in uncovering the stories, emotions, and artistry embedded within each piece as well as the endless possibility held within the piano’s black and white keys.
Fernando is veertien jaar en klas 3 leerling aan het Gymnasium Haganum in Den Haag. Al op zeer jonge leeftijd ontdekte hij veel plezier met de piano. Wat begon als simpele nieuwsgierigheid naar de kleine speelgoedpiano groeide op vijfjarige leeftijd uit tot echte pianolessen bij Christa Korsten. Daarna volgt hij bijna vijf jaar privé pianolessen bij Hülya Keser. Sinds 2023 studeert Fernando aan de Sweelinck Academie (Jong Talent) van het Conservatorium van Amsterdam bij Robert Kulek.
Zijn piano talent werd al snel herkend - op achtjarige leeftijd won Fernando de 1e Prijs en de Podiumbeest Challenge Prijs bij de Muziekwedstrijd 2020. Gevolgd won hij de Eerste Prijs en de Stimuleringsprijs bij het Maassluis Jong Talent Concours 2022 editie. In 2023 bereikte Fernando de halve finale van Holland’s Got Talent. In 2024 werd Fernando geselecteerd voor het talenttraject “All of Bach” van de Nederlandse Bachvereniging. Datzelfde jaar werd hij uitgeroepen tot Jonge Held in het TV NPO 2-programma Podium Klassiek. In 2025 stond Fernando in de finale van het Koninklijke Concertgebouw Concours. Daarnast maakte Fernando zijn solorecitaldebuut tijdens het Grachtenfestival Amsterdam 2025 en speelde hij ook een lunchconcert in het Concertgebouw Amsterdam.
Fernando laat zich inspireren door vele grote pianisten en gelooft dat elke noot de echo draagt van stemmen uit eeuwen vervlogen. Dit voedt in het bijzonder zijn diepe passie voor het bestuderen van pianomuziek die lang geleden werd gecomponeerd — werken waarin hij het als een voorrecht én een bron van diepe vreugde ervaart om de enorme rijkdom en klankkleuren van de piano te verkennen. Volledig ondergedompeld in de wereld van de klassieke muziek vindt hij eindeloze inspiratie in het onthullen van de verhalen, emoties en kunstzinnigheid die in elk stuk verborgen liggen, evenals in de grenzeloze mogelijkheden die schuilgaan in de zwarte en witte toetsen van de piano.
The Journey with the Piano - the piano is more than an instrument, it is one of Fernando's ways to explore both the world around him and himself. Within its eighty-eight keys, Fernando finds both joy and challenge — the thrill of creating beautiful music and the quiet satisfaction that comes from mastering each new piece.
Performing is where everything comes together. Each time Fernando steps on stage, he strives not only to play the notes, but also to share a part of himself. Every piece he studies tells a story of his growth and dedication.
Learning piano is a feeling and an ongoing journey that live deeply within Fernando. There is something sparkling special in sitting at his piano - discovering new melodies as they unfold beneath his fingers. That sense of discovery drives Fernando forward — inspiring him to keep going as a young piano talent striving to grow and reach new heights.
Fernando has already built an impressive and steadily growing repertoire, performing works by composers such as Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Bach, Debussy, and many others. His musical curiosity motivates him to explore an exceptionally broad range of styles—moving effortlessly from the refined elegance and structural clarity of the Classical era to the emotional intensity, poetic lyricism, and technical brilliance of the Romantic repertoire.
For Fernando, each composer opens a new world of expression. Mozart teaches him transparency and balance; Beethoven challenges him with dramatic contrasts and profound architecture; Chopin invites him into a realm of nuance, color, and freedom; while Schubert and Schumann enrich his playing with narrative depth and emotional subtlety. By engaging deeply with such diverse musical voices, Fernando continues to refine his own artistic identity.
As Fernando studies, interprets, and performs these works, he is constantly expanding his understanding of musical language — discovering how phrasing, tone, articulation, and emotion can be shaped uniquely for every piece. Each new composition he learns presents both a challenge and an opportunity to grow, to listen more closely, and to convey the beauty of the classical music to his audience. Through this ongoing journey, Fernando is developing not only as a pianist, but as a storyteller and interpreter of the beautiful classical music.
