Wilson Casallas

 Wilson David Casallas Palomo is a passionate and accomplished Colombian pianist whose artistry has been recognized on international stages. He has performed as a soloist in Paris during the Piano Concerto Festival under the baton of Lior Shambadal and has collaborated in the production of the CD Lugsana for the singer Svetlana Stone. Currently, he is working toward the release of his debut solo CD, featuring works by Brahms and Haydn. He premiered and recorded the First Piano Concerto by Colombian composer Luis Carlos Figueroa with Toccata Classics from London, under the direction of Guerassim Voronkov, accompanied by the orchestra of the National University of Colombia.

Currently based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Wilson is an active performer, educator, and arts leader. He serves as the director of the concert series The Listening Room @ Second, a community-focused initiative dedicated to presenting outstanding musical performances and fostering artistic engagement. He teaches at the Gilmore Education program, serves as pianist for the Kalamazoo Choral Arts and the Second Reformed Church, and is a collaborative pianist at Kalamazoo College. He has also worked as a graduate assistant at Western Michigan University, as a collaborative pianist with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, and at the Bay View Music Festival as a Piano Fellow and Music Assistant Director.

Wilson has garnered numerous international accolades. In 2025, he won First Prize at the 5th Franz Liszt Center International Piano Competition. In 2024, he received Second Prize at the International Mozart Competition in Vienna, Second Prize at the 6th Swiss International Music Competition in Lugano, and Second Prize at the Orbetello Piano Competition in Italy. That same year, he was awarded Third Prize at the Colorado International Piano Academy and Festival and at the Robert Beardsley Piano Competition in Indiana, as well as a Special Prize at the European Virtuoso Music Awards and an Honorable Mention at the America Virtuoso International Competition. His earlier international distinctions include First Prize at the BOAO Piano Festival, Second Prize at the LSH Asia Piano Competition in China, and the Special Jury Prize at the 4th International Rachmaninov Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Germany. He has also been a finalist in the 4th International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Lima, Peru, and a contestant in both the 52nd William C. Byrd Young Artist Competition in Michigan and the Teresa Carreño Master Piano Competition in Miami.

In Colombia, Wilson has achieved significant recognition, including First Prize at the 39th International Piano Festival UIS in Bucaramanga (2022), an Honorable Mention at the Young Soloists Competition of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Colombia (2023), First Prize at the 4th Iberoamerican Piano Competition Luis Carlos Figueroa, and First Prize at the Pianissimo Competition in Medellín. He also received the Best Spanish Piece Performance Award in the Iberoamerican Piano Competition and was a finalist in the Beethoven Choral Fantasy Piano Competition in Bogotá.

Additional distinctions include First Prize in the performing competition organized by the National University of Colombia, the Phyllis Rappeport Opera – Accompanist Coaching Scholarship Award (2022), and certification in the Yamaha Musical System.

Wilson holds a Master’s degree in Piano Performance from the Irving S. Gilmore School of Music at Western Michigan University. He also earned his Bachelor’s and Master of Arts degrees in Instrumental Performance and Pedagogy from the National University of Colombia. Additionally, he was awarded a scholarship to study piano performance at the College of Chinese and ASEAN Arts at Chengdu University, China.

He has studied under renowned pianists including William Mac McClure, Luz Ángela Posada, Patrick Lechner, and Lori Sims, and has participated in masterclasses with Harold Martina, Marta Zabaleta, Blanca Uribe, Eric Schoones, Jorge Luis Prats, Cyprien Katsaris, and François Dumont.