Biographical Info

“One of today’s most impeccably musical pianists.” International Piano, January/February 2021

Praised for his unfailingly communicative playing, British pianist Leon McCawley has been delighting audiences worldwide since winning, in 1993, First Prize in the International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna and Second Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition. 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. McCawley’s 2024 release ‘Natural Connection’ for SOMM Recordings is no exception: “This scintillatingly varied recital combines sensuous virtuosity, compelling charm and musical probity. Highly recommended.” (Gramophone, February 2024).

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 and in the 21/22 season was Artist-in-Residence), four invitations to International Piano Series at London’s Southbank Centre, Hong Kong Arts Festival, New York’s Lincoln Center, Singapore International Piano Festival and Piano Visions series at Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm. 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 has performed with many leading British orchestras including the BBC Concert, BBC Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National and Ulster Orchestras, Bournemouth and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras and Royal Northern Sinfonia. He has made several appearances at the BBC Proms which have been 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 Sir Mark Elder, Hans Graf, Paavo Järvi, Domingo Hindoyan, Andrew Litton, Kurt Masur, Sakari Oramo, Sir Simon Rattle, Robin Ticciati and John Wilson.

Highlights of the 2023/24 season included a return solo recital at Wigmore Hall and recitals in Mexico at the En Blanco y Negro Piano Festival in Mexico City, Sala Beethoven Festival in Monterrey and Teatro Isauro Martinez in Torreón. Leon also gave masterclasses in July 2024 at the Amalfi Coast Music and Arts Festival in Italy.

Leon 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, Lofoten (Norway) and Westport international festivals. Recent chamber music partners have included Castalian and Simply Quartets, Michael Collins, Nicholas Daniel, José Franch-Ballester and recitals with baritone Roderick Williams.

Leon has appeared as juror and adjudicator of many competitions including at The International Edvard Grieg Piano Competition, BBC Young Musician, Royal Over-Seas League Competition, Feis Ceoil (Dublin) and Les Étoiles du Piano International Competition in Roubaix, France.

McCawley’s discography includes, on Avie Records, a double disc of Schumann Piano Music (Editor’s Choice in Gramophone); The Complete Piano Works of Hans Gál (also a Gramophone Editor’s Choice); and The Complete Mozart Piano Sonatas (awarded a Diapason d’Or); Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and City of London Choir/Hilary Davan Wetton (Naxos Records); Vaughan Williams Double Piano Concerto with John Lenehan and Royal Scottish National Orchestra/Martin Yates (awarded 5 stars by BBC Music Magazine) and Stanford’s Piano Concerto in B flat with Royal Northern Sinfonia/Martin Yates (Dutton Epoch); and ten albums on SOMM Recordings that include Chopin Piano Music; Barber Piano Music (Critic’s Choice in Gramophone); Brahms Piano Music (Classic FM CD of the Week); Schumann Piano Music; Rachmaninov Complete Preludes; Haydn: Sonatas and Variations (awarded a Diapason d’Or): Schubert Piano Music; and three further volumes of Haydn Sonatas. His most recent disc for SOMM, released in January 2024, is a compilation album of nature-inspired piano works entitled ‘Natural Connection’.

Leon McCawley has been professor of piano at London’s Royal College of Music since 2008. He is married to the painter Anna Hyunsook Paik.