Biographical Info

Callum McLachlan, finalist of the 18th Schumann Competition Zwickau and semi-finalist at both the
Leeds and Santander International Piano Competitions, has been described as “a born Schumann
player” with “a magical sense of colour and extraordinary technical prowess.”
His performances at the Leeds were broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and Medici.tv, viewed by thousands worldwide. The
Leeds quoted “continuing to captivate audiences with his profound musicality and virtuosic
performances.”

Following his success there, he was the only British pianist selected for the 17th Van Cliburn
International Piano Competition. Gramophone magazine praised him for “the warmth and body of
his gorgeous sonority,” with his first-round described as “luminescent, clear, virtuosic, and
balanced.”
He currently studies with Professor Kirill Gerstein at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin.

He has recently made recital debuts at Yamaha Hall (Tokyo), the Klavier-Festival Ruhr, the Menton
International Music Festival, the Mallorca Piano Festival, Lake District Summer Music, Wasserburg
International Festival, and London’s Bechstein Hall. He also gave the Swiss premiere of Eric Tanguy’s
Piano Quartet for Classeek in Aubonne. In 2024, he debuted with the Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg
and Haffner Orchestra, and performed in Milan’s Verdi Hall.
A finalist of the Royal Over-Seas League Piano Competition in London and nominee for the
International Classical Music Classeek Award, Callum has performed across the UK, Europe, and the
USA, with appearances at venues including the Meistersingerhalle Nürnberg, Laeiszhalle Hamburg,
Wien Konzerthaus, Pereda Hall (Santander), Leeds Great Hall, Bridgewater Hall, and Stoller Hall.
He is an active chamber musician, having collaborated with renowned ensembles such as the Casals
Quartet and Kaleidoscope Ensemble, and regularly performs with Queen Elisabeth Laureate cellist
Jeremias Fliedl.

In previous seasons, he made concerto debuts at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, with the Sheffield
Chamber Orchestra, and performed Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto with Paul Mann at the RNCM
Concert Hall and again at Turner Sims Concert Hall in Southampton. He also performed chamber
arrangements of concertos with students from the Royal College of Music in London. He receives
frequent re-engagements at leading UK venues and festivals.

Callum was born into a family of musicians and began piano lessons with his father at age 7. He
entered Chetham’s School of Music at age 11, studying with Dina Parakhina, and was later awarded
the highest diploma from Trinity College London (FTCL). He completed his Bachelor’s degree with
Professor Claudius Tanski at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg, then pursued further studies in
Salzburg and Cologne with Jacques Rouvier and Claudio Martínez Mehner.

He has worked in masterclasses with distinguished artists including Stephen Kovacevich, Leif Ove
Andsnes, Christopher Elton, Grigory Gruzman, Andrei Gavrilov, Stephen Hough, and Boris Berman.
He is a prizewinner of numerous competitions, including First Prize at the Welsh International Piano
Competition, the Scottish International Piano Competition, and the RNCM Chopin Prize. In 2019, he
made his New York recital debut to critical acclaim and recorded Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata at
the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg in collaboration with G. Henle Verlag for the Beethoven 250
celebrations.