Tristan Savella

Filipino-American pianist, Dr. Tristan Savella is an active soloist and chamber musician based in Toronto. His career has taken him to performances at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in New York City, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and the Schloss Mirabell in Salzburg, Austria. Furthermore, Tristan is the recipient of multiple prizes at various national and international competitions, including third place at the Concours Flame in Paris, first place at the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition in New York City, a finalist prize at YoungArts Week (sponsored by the National YoungArts Foundation) in Miami, and third place at the Glenn Gould School's Chamber Music Competition.

Tristan’s performances in 2025-26 include a variety of solo and chamber music concerts, including programs for Piano Trio, Cello & Piano, Oboe & Piano, Voice & Piano, and Piano Four-Hands. Highlights include performances at the Doors Open for Music at Southminster (Ottawa), Concerts de la Chapelle Historique du Bon-Pasteur (Montreal), the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage Concert Series (Washington D.C.), Emerson Avenue Music Salon (McLean, Virginia), and Highlands Opera Studio (Haliburton, Ontario).

Apart from performing, Tristan works as a private teacher (piano and music theory) and as a collaborative pianist at The Royal Conservatory of Music, where he is also a member of the College of Examiners. He also regularly serves as an adjudicator for local festivals and competitions, including Kiwanis (Toronto and Kingston, ON), ORMTA (Toronto and Newmarket, ON) and the Aegio International Piano Competition (Richmond Hill, ON).

Tristan holds a B.M. from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, an M.A. with highest distinction from the Universität Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and an Artist Diploma from The Glenn Gould School in Toronto. In 2023, Tristan completed the D.M.A. at the University of Toronto, where he studied with the late Marietta Orlov, as well as with Jamie Parker and Lydia Wong. He is also an alumnus of the Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, Michigan. His principal teachers at these institutions were John O’Conor, George Kern, T.J. Lymenstull, and the late Nelita True.

Additionally, Tristan has taken part in numerous music festivals, including at the Banff Arts Centre, the Orford Music Academy, the Gijon International Piano Festival, and the Chautauqua Institute. Aside from music, Tristan is a lifelong tennis fan and his other interests include traveling & cultural exploration, learning languages, data science & analytics, soccer, and video games.

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