struggling for a spot in the international limelight which eludes all but the most brilliant.

All the more reason, then, to sit up and take notice when words like "stunning'', "magical'', "breathtaking'' are bandied about by the usually restrained pens of European and American music critics.

They are talking about Artur Pizarro, the young Portuguese pianist who not only won the Leeds International Piano Competition in 1990 but, more unusually, did so with the unanimous vote of the jury.

Along with Moscow's Tchaikovsky's Piano Competition, this is the one you have to win if there is to be any hope of an international career.

Immediately after this triumph, Pizarro earned more rave reviews when he began a year-long lap of honour with a series of concerts under the baton of Simon Rattle. It proved to be an inspired partnership between the two young musicians, for Rattle has himself breathed new fire into the British musical scene and, as the resident conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, taken it to new and undreamed-of heights.

Now, the pianist who has already conquered several international music barriers since that victory, is Bermuda Festival-bound.

This Friday, he will make his first appearance on the City Hall stage as guest artist with the English Chamber Orchestra in Beethoven's 2nd Piano Concerto.

This will be followed by recitals on Monday, February 8, when he will play music by Schumann, Debussy and Chopin, and on Tuesday, February 9, the music of Liszt, Granados and Turina.

This great-grand-pupil of Franz Liszt (by direct descent from Vianna da Motta and step-father Sequeira Costa), Pizarro began his studies at the age of five in Lisbon. After graduating from the National Conservatory of Music there, he went on to win first prizes in the l987 International Vianna da Motta Competition, Lisbon and, a year later, the Greater Palm Beach Symphony Piano Competition in Florida.

After hearing him play the Rachmaninov 3rd Concerto (the piece that secured the Leeds Competition for him), leading British critic Michael Temulty described him as "one of the best pianists of the younger generation -- and, arguably, of any other generation. His performance ... was stunning, no other word for it ... This really was one to write home about. And to shout about: which the audience did''.

His career has already taken him to most of the major music centres of the world. After a highly acclaimed debut at London's Wigmore Hall, Pizarro has played with the London Symphony Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Halle, BBC Symphony, Moscow Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestras.

Pizarro made such an unforgettable debut at the 1991 BBC Proms with his performance of Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major, that he was immediately invited back the following year to play the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto -- probably the most popular in the whole piano repertoire.

His travels around the world have also taken him to the USA, Canada, Australia, France, Germany and, of course, his native Portugal.

All tickets have been sold for Mr. Pizarro's appearance with the English Chamber Orchestra but there are still a few available for his solo recitals.

PORTUGUESE PIANIST -- Artur Pizarro, winner of the famed Leeds Piano Competition, makes his City Hall debut this week.