Leon McCawley

About

"One of today's most impeccably musical pianists." International Piano, January/February 2021

Programme

Bach: Italian Concerto BWV 971
Beethoven: Sonata in E minor Op. 90
Mozart: Sonata in F major K332
Interval
Schubert: Sonata in B flat major D960

About Leon McCawley

Praised for his unfailingly communicative playing, British pianist Leon McCawley has been delighting audiences worldwide since winning first prize in the 1993 International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna and second prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition the same year. His many concert performances and extensive discography have established him as a pianist of great integrity and variety, bringing freshness and vitality to Classical, Romantic and 20th century repertoire.

An acclaimed exponent of Mozart, he has performed and recorded (Avie Records) the complete cycle of Mozart piano sonatas in winning interpretations: "There's absolutely no vanity in his playing. In his hands the Mozartian oeuvre emerged with striking vividness" (International Piano). Notable recitals in past seasons include: London Piano Series at Wigmore Hall (where he is a regular performer), four invitations to International Piano Series at London's Southbank Centre, New York's Lincoln Center, Hong Kong Arts Festival and the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC. He can be frequently heard on BBC Radio 3 both in performance and interview with recent broadcasts including In Tune, Wigmore Hall Lunchtime Series and Performance on 3.

As a concerto soloist, Leon performs with many leading British orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National and Ulster Orchestras, Bournemouth and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras and Royal Northern Sinfonia. He made his sixth appearance at the BBC Proms in August 2019 performing John Ireland's Piano Concerto with BBC Concert Orchestra/Bramwell Tovey which was televised on BBC4. Further afield, McCawley has made concerto appearances with, amongst others, Cincinnati, Dallas, Fort Worth, RTÉ National and St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestras, Malaysian and Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestras, Philadelphia Orchestra and Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias and has worked with conductors such as Hans Graf, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Domingo Hindoyan, Andrew Litton, Kurt Masur, Rossen Milanov and Sakari Oramo.

Highlights of the 2021/22 season include an Artist-in-Residence series of four recitals at Wigmore Hall celebrating the late works of Haydn, Mozart and Schubert, his debut recital at the Singapore International Piano Festival and a welcome return to London Philharmonic Orchestra with Robin Ticciati performing Mozart Piano Concerto K466.

He studied at Chetham's School of Music, Manchester with Heather Slade-Lipkin before continuing his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia with Eleanor Sokoloff. He also received invaluable guidance from Nina Milkina in London.

As a collaborative musician, he has performed at many prestigious concert venues including BBC Proms Chamber Series, BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Series at Wigmore Hall and Aldeburgh, Brighton, Cheltenham, Edinburgh, Galway and Westport festivals.

Leon has appeared as juror and adjudicator of many competitions including The International Edvard Grieg Piano Competition, BBC Young Musician, Royal Over-Seas League Competition and Feis Ceoil (Dublin). In May 2020 he appeared as Television Guest for the BBC Young Musician 2020 Keyboard Final.

McCawley's discography includes: Schumann Piano Music (Avie Records), an Editor's Choice in Gramophone; The Complete Piano Works of Hans Gál (Avie), also a Gramophone Editor's Choice; The Complete Mozart Piano Sonatas (Avie) awarded a Diapason d'Or; Chopin Piano Music (SOMM Recordings) ; Barber Piano Music (SOMM), a Critic's Choice in Gramophone in November 2011; Beethoven's Choral Fantasy with Royal Philharmonic and City of London Choir/Hilary Davan Wetton (Naxos); Brahms Piano Music (SOMM), selected as Classic FM CD of the Week in July 2012; Schumann Piano Music (SOMM); Rachmaninov Complete Preludes (SOMM); Vaughan Williams Double Piano Concerto with John Lenehan and Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Martin Yates (Dutton Epoch), described as 'not been better served on record before' and awarded 5 stars by BBC Music Magazine; Haydn Sonatas and Variations (SOMM) awarded a Diapason d'Or; Stanford's Piano Concerto in B flat with Royal Northern Sinfonia/Martin Yates (Dutton Epoch); Schubert Piano Music (SOMM); and two further volumes of Haydn Sonatas with SOMM. His tenth disc for SOMM, Haydn Sonatas Volume IV was released in November 2021.

Leon McCawley is professor of piano at London's Royal College of Music. He is married to the painter Anna Hyunsook Paik.

Supported by Lottery Project Funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland