b.1972

Chicago, Illinois

Education:

Doctor of Musical Arts, Rice University Shepherd School of Music: 2003

Fulbright Scholar, Spain: 2000

Master of Music, Rice University Shepherd School of Music: 1998

Bachelor of Music, University of Michigan: 1995

Undergraduate Studies, Eastman School of Music: 1990-1992

Preparatory Studies: Music Insitutue of Chicago (Formerly Music Center of the North Shore): 1980-1990

Principal Teachers

Emilio del Rosario

Mikhail Sayamov

Nelita True

Anton Nel

Martin Katz

Dickran Atamian

Robert Roux

competitive highlights

Gold Medal 1995 Nena Wideman Piano Competition 

Gold Medal 1990 Union League Civic Arts Foundation Competition 

Gold Medal 1990 Liberty Freemont Competition

Silver Medal 1988 Stravinsky International Piano Competition

Awards & Recognitions

Certificate of Appreciation, Aspira Foundation of Chicago

Cultural Achievement Award, Steinway and Sons 

Man of the Year, Cuban Medical Association

Bingham Award for Campus Excellence, Peace College

Honorary Senate Resolution Bill #1254, Illinois 86th General Assembly

Nominee: Musical Ambassadorship, US Department of State by the Honorable Robert Etheridge

Artist biography

A Chicago native of Puerto Rican and Cuban parents, Milton Rubén Laufer began playing the piano at three years of age, and his training includes studies at the Music Institute of Chicago, the Gnessin Institute, the Eastman School of Music, the University of Michigan, and Rice University.

A Yamaha Artist, Laufer has graced some of the world’s most iconic venues including Lincoln Center, New World Center, and Tchaikovsky Hall and has shared the stage with legendary performers like Natalie Cole, Chucho Valdés, and Guerassim Voronkov. His appearances on Spanish-speaking television and radio have transcended borders, captivating audiences throughout Europe, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. 

The son of celebrated Puerto Rican Flamenco dancer, Carmen Alonzo, Laufer is internationally acclaimed as a leading interpreter and scholar of Spanish piano music.  His editions of Spanish masterpieces, 3 Improvisaciónes para Piano and La Vega by Isaac Albéniz are published by G. Henle Verlag of Munich and available worldwide.

In addition to making a commercial recording celebrating the centennial of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue on the Navona Records label, the 2023-24 season will take Laufer to France, Germany, Colombia, Korea, and select American cities including New York, Houston, Los Angeles, and Syracuse. 

He currently resides in Syracuse, New York with his wife, coloratura soprano Marina De Ratmiroff, and their two daughters, Carmen Lucía, and Veronika.

Executive profile

Apart from the concert stage, Dr. Milton Rubén Laufer has proven himself equally adept in positions of executive leadership. At age 19, he was among the youngest executives in the North American retail music scene, managing institutional sales for the Baldwin Piano and Organ Company in the Northeast region.  That spirit of entrepreneurship has guided him throughout his career.

Laufer has traveled throughout the world to work on exciting ventures with institutions and corporations including the Academy of Performing Arts in Hong Kong, the Banff Centre, SONY, G. Henle Verlag, and Knight Foundation among others. Companies including Yamaha, Zenph Sound Innovations, and Steinway & Sons, venture capital firms, as well as numerous international presenting organizations, universities, and governmental agencies have sought his counsel for special projects.

A persuasive advocate for the arts and education, Laufer has raised over 35 million dollars for the organizations he has served. In addition to fundraising and donor cultivation, his areas of expertise include program development, grant writing and compliance, arts/academic accreditation, public outreach, due diligence and executive administration in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors.

As an educator, he is guided by the principle that music students must be adaptable to the changing vocational landscape which awaits them. They must not only be skilled, expressive technicians, but also entrepreneurs and convincing communicators who understand the value of their art as a commodity in the market place and its power as a force for change within their community. 

He is a lifetime member and founding trustee of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame and an active voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Grammy awards) and Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Latin Grammy’s).

Dr. Laufer currently serves as Associate Professor and Director of The Setnor School of Music at Syracuse University. He is a founding partner of the Tacitus International  Consulting Group.