Giovanni Umberto Battel began his piano studies when he was four years old, under the guidance of his father Camillo, and graduated with full marks and honors and honorable mention at the G. Tartini Conservatory of Trieste, under the direction of Luciano Gante.  Under piano player Lya De Barberiis he obtained, with full marks and honors, the post-graduate diploma at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Roma.  In the meantime, having an education in classical studies, Battel obtained a degree in musicology, with full marks and honors, at Bologna University, and published articles on new methodologies of performing analysis.

Between 1974 and 1979, Battel won six important Italian piano competitions.  Between 1978 and 1982, he won prizes in seven international piano competitions, proving his value in different places and times.

After his debut as a soloist in 1976 at Venice's theatre "La Fenice" and his first orchestra performance in 1980 at the Sanremo theatre, he has given many concerts in Italy.  Since 1986, Battel has also performed in many countries around the world.  He played with chamber and symphony orchestras conducted by De Bernart, Gavazzeni, Steinberg, Scimone and many others.  He recorded for Italian radio and television, and has made several CD recordings of, among others, Busoni's Piano Concerto Op. 39a (Bongiovanni ed).

When he was twenty, Battel obtained the Piano Chair at the B. Marcello Conservatory of Venice, and has been Director of the same Conservatory from the academical year 1997/98.  He has taught master classes in Italy, France, Spain, Serbia, Turkey and Japan, and has been a member of the commission of piano competitions and music consultant for concert seasons.