biography

German pianist Jonas Aumiller has been described as a “poet at the piano” (Miami International Piano Festival) and praised for his “patrician musicianship and refinement” (Gramophone). At the center of his artistry lies a rare combination of inward intensity and architectural clarity: performances shaped less by display than by a search for depth, structure, and expressive truth. His recital programs reflect this aesthetic conviction, often juxtaposing core repertoire with his own transcriptions of organ and orchestral works.

Aumiller first drew international attention through major competition successes that confirmed both his technical command and artistic individuality. He is the winner of the 3rd International Brahms Competition in Detmold, silver medalist of the 12th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition, and second prize winner with three special prizes at the 27th Rina Sala Gallo International Piano Competition in Monza. At the 8th Sendai International Music Competition, he received both the silver medal and the audience prize.

In 2025, he was awarded the Raymond E. Buck Jury Discretionary Award at the 17th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and was the only German pianist admitted to the XIX International Chopin Competition in Warsaw.

These distinctions have led to performances across Europe, Japan, and the United States. He has appeared with the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, among others. Recent highlights include his debut at the Miami International Piano Festival, performances in the chamber music series of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, a tour of Japan, and appearances as soloist in Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto with the Vogtland Philharmonic and the Shizuoka Symphony Orchestra.

Equally committed to the recital stage, Aumiller has performed in Munich’s Winners & Masters series, at the Bologna Festival, and at Bellevue Palace at the invitation of former German President Joachim Gauck. As a participant in the Verbier Festival Academy, he received the Tabor Foundation Piano Award. A recent milestone was his recital marking the 250th anniversary of the Bagno Concert Gallery—Europe’s oldest freestanding concert hall—reflecting his ongoing dialogue between tradition and renewal.

Born in Munich, Aumiller began piano lessons at the age of seven. He completed his Bachelor of Music degree summa cum laude at the Conservatorio F.A. Bonporti in Trento under Massimiliano Mainolfi. Since 2018, he has worked with Sergei Babayan—first at the Juilliard School and later at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he earned his Master of Music degree and, in 2024, his Artist Diploma together with the Hope and Stanley Adelstein Prize for Excellence in Composition and Performance. During his studies, he was generously supported by the Jürgen Ponto Foundation, Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben, and the Swiss Pierino Ambrosoli Foundation.