German Diez was born in La Habana, Cuba. In 1945 he won the National Music Award Competition for studies in foreign countries. He was granted a personal scholarship by the legendary pianist Claudio Arrau and his assistant Rafael Da Silva to study in the United States for 10 years. He also studied piano with Edward Steuermann and Carl Friedberg. He studied Schenker analysis with Ernst Oster.

During this time, Mr. Diez concertized in the West Indies, Cuba, the United States and appeared on radio and television. He also premiered works of American composers at American music festivals.

Mr. Diez has been in the education world since 1948. Many of the outstanding young pianists he has taught have won prestigious piano competitions, including the Chopin Piano Competition of the USA, and Artist International. In demand as an adjudicator, he has been on many piano competition juries, including the first William Kapell Piano competition; the AMSA of Cincinnati, Ohio; The National Federation of Music; and The Governor’s Award of the New York City Public High School Piano Competition. From 1990-1993, he served on the national screening committee of the Fulbright Awards.

In 1997 Mr. Diez was honored by the Greenwich House Music School when they established a fund for the German Diez Piano Scholarship.

Since 1968, Mr. Diez has served as chairman of the Piano Department at the Greenwich House Music School. He has been on the piano faculty of Bard College since 1975; adjunct professor of Piano at SUNY Purchase from 1980-1988; visiting professor in 1991, and currently adjunct faculty at Hunter and Brooklyn College.

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