The Austrian guitarist and composer Florian Palier grew up in a family of musicians and discovered his love for music at an early age. He initially studied with his father, Johann Palier, and later with Marco Diaz Tamayo. In June 2015, he graduated with honors from the class of Álvaro Pierri at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. As a composer, performer, and improviser, Florian Palier places special emphasis on bridging different musical worlds. His major influences include Olivier Messiaen, Toru Takemitsu, and Allan Holdsworth.
As a soloist and chamber musician, Palier is regularly invited to perform concerts around the world. He captivates audiences with his interpretation of the Concierto de Aranjuez (e.g., Philharmonie Luxembourg, Orchestra of the Academy St. Blasius), his solo program „Poetry and Colours“ (which includes music of various styles from Dowland to Berkeley, original compositions, and improvisations), or his program „Bach and Me“ (comprising of Bach, original compositions, and improvisations).
His compositions have received excellent reviews. For instance, Dusan Bogdanovic wrote: „your Sonatina (…) is very nice, it’s new and follows new paths. It’s harmonically and formally sophisticated. Congratulations!“
Palier leads a guitar class at the Gustav Mahler Privatuniversität in Klagenfurt and teaches at the Johann-Joseph-Fux Conservatory Graz. Additionally, he is a regular guest lecturer at masterclasses in renowned institutions such as the Taipei National University, the Tokyo Conservatory, and music festivals worldwide. At the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, he was a long-term assistant to Álvaro Pierri.
Palier has won numerous competitions in Austria and abroad, securing over 20 first prizes. Concerts, radio, and television recordings have taken him across Europe, Russia, the Middle East, the USA, Japan, and Taiwan. His CDs have received international acclaim; the Austrian music critic Ernst Naredi-Rainer, for example, wrote: „he primarily acts as a gripping narrator who, in addition to lively temperament, also masters the art of immersing himself in sorrow.“