About
Magnus Villanueva is a conservatory-trained pianist, weaving multiple genres together in his creative practice. Currently based in Manhattan, he works as a soloist, collaborative artist, educator, and consultant for film and television production companies. His students perform regularly at iconic New York venues such as Steinway Hall and Carnegie Hall.
I am constantly inspired by the creation of composers. As an interpreter of these musical scores, it is a privilege to discover and reveal the sounds of these texts in real time. Every day is a unique experience and being present with the music comes with hidden surprises.
Photo Copyright Beatriz Jiménez
Biography
Magnus Villanueva is a Filipino American pianist and educator based in Upper Manhattan. He holds a BM and MM in piano performance from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University under the tutelage of Marian Hahn. He studied at the Music Institute of Chicago with Emilio del Rosario and Ralph Neiweem.
Magnus currently studies privately with Edna Golandsky where he is refining his approach to the piano. Influenced by the Taubman Approach, neuroaesthetics, quantum listening, and Jungian active imagination, he treats flow, attention, and memory as partners to tone, color, and form. He performs classical and contemporary repertoire where rhythm, color, and narrative migrate between sound and image.
Recent highlights include a solo recital at the 16th Concours international de piano d’Orléans (2024) and a series of improvisation-driven intermedia duets with painter Claire Zakiewicz (2025), where blindfolded gestures translated the piano’s voice in real-time call-and-response.
His past festival appearances include solo and chamber music performances at the Cortona Sessions (Italy), Atlantic Music Festival (Maine), Orford Music Festival (Quebec), Gijón International Piano Festival (Spain), and Festival Pablo Casals de Prades (France).
In 2023, Magnus collaborated with the FilAm Music Foundation at Rush Hour Concerts (WFMT), foregrounding his Filipino heritage and a commitment to community.
Magnus serves on the piano faculty at Great Neck Music Conservatory and teaches privately in Manhattan; his students have appeared at notable venues: Steinway Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Smalls Jazz Club. As an experienced ballet accompanist, he has worked with Mark Morris Dance Group, Joffrey Ballet, and the Hyde Park School of Dance. Magnus also consults with film and television production companies such as Apple TV and National Geographic on musical direction, performance coaching, pedagogy, and soundtracks.
Photo Copyright Beatriz Jiménez