Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Sergio Tiempo had early piano lessons from his mother, Lyl Tiempo, before studying at the Fondazione per il Pianoforte in Como, where he worked with Dmitri Bashkirov, Fou Tsong, Murray Perahia and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.

At the age of 14, he made his highly acclaimed debut at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw – and with a musical versatility that ranges from Beethoven, Chopin and Prokofiev to Villa-Lobos and Ginastera, soon became internationally renowned. He received further inspiration from Martha Argerich and Nelson Freire, who became his mentors. Tiempo has made guest appearances with the major orchestras of New York, Boston and Los Angeles, with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, with the Simón Bolívar Orchestra, with whom he enjoys a close artistic partnership, as well as with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, where he served as Artist in Residence in 2018.

Tiempo works with distinguished conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Marin Alsop, Christoph Eschenbach, Myung Whun Chung, Emmanuel Krivine, Leonard Slatkin, Sir Mark Elder, Thierry Fischer, Ken-David Masur, Ludovic Morlot, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Alondra de la Parra, Rafael Payare, Alexander Prior, Michael Tilson Thomas, Xian Zhang. He also performs regularly with his fellow countryman Gustavo Dudamel, with whom he premiered Esteban Benzecry’s Universos Infinitos with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, later performing the work with the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. Their collaborations also include Ginastera’s Piano Concerto No. 1, featured in Tiempo’s debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker.

Tiempo has given solo recitals at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Konzerthaus Vienna, Wigmore Hall, and the Berliner Philharmonie. He has also appeared at the Martha Argerich Festivals in Lugano and Hamburg, performing with partners such as Mischa Maisky, Nelson Freire, and his sister and duo partner Karin Lechner. Additional festival appearances include the Edinburgh International Festival, Klavier Festival Ruhr, George Enescu Festival, Oslo Chamber Music Festival, Warsaw Chopin Festival, Brussels Chopin Days, and Music Days in Lisbon, in addition to tours across China, Korea, Italy, North and South America.

Tiempo’s earliest recordings include Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky, Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit, and three Chopin Nocturnes for “Martha Argerich Presents” on EMI, produced under the mentorship of Martha Argerich. He later recorded several albums for Deutsche Grammophon with Mischa Maisky and Karin Lechner. Tiempo and Lechner also premiered and recorded Federico Jusid’s Tango Rhapsody for two pianos and orchestra, written especially for them and the RSI Lugano. In 2018, Tiempo released his solo album “Legacy” on the Avanti label, featuring works that reflect his artistic evolution and deep personal connections. His latest recording, “Hommage”, released in 2023, is a tribute to his mother Lyl Tiempo and to the musicians who have shaped his life and artistry.