Graham Scott
Head of School of Keyboard Studies and Professor of Piano
FRNCM
Email: [email protected]
Hailed by the Gramophone magazine as ‘an exceptional talent,’ Graham Scott has performed extensively throughout the world notably in London (Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Barbican Centre,) New York (92nd St. Y), Washington DC (Kennedy Center), Los Angeles (Ambassador Auditorium), Beijing (Beijing Concert Hall and Forbidden City Concert Hall), Paris (Bagatelle) and Tokyo (Suntory Hall),
He has performed as soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras, notably the London Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National, Monte Carlo Philharmonic, Belgium National Symphony, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinlandpfalz (standing in for Martha Argerich), South African National Symphony Orchestra, Cape Town Symphony, Singapore Symphony, St Louis Symphony, Ulster Orchestra and the New York Chamber Symphony under such conductors as Sir Charles Groves, Marin Alsop, Paul Daniel, Bernhard Klee, Barry Wordsworth, Nicholas Cleobury, Gregorz Nowak and Alexander Lazarev. His numerous chamber music appearances include performances with members of the Australian Chamber Orchestra in the Huntingdon Festival in New South Wales, Australia. He has also collaborated with the Chillingirian, Heath and Vertavo quartets.
Graham’s discography includes CDs of works by Scriabin, Gershwin, Chisholm, Macmillan (with French cellist Henri Demarquette) and a live recital CD from Los Angeles. He has broadcast extensively on BBC Radio and National Public Radio in the USA. He has previously collaborated with actor Sir Ian McKellen in a masterclass situation play for BBC Drama.
Graham studied with Professor Ryszard Bakst at both Chetham’s School of Music and the RNCM. He became the first artist to win both the YCA Inc. auditions in New York and the YCAT auditions in London. He also won the Dudley National Piano Competition, the Jaen International Piano Competition in Spain and the Stefania Niekrasz Prize (awarded every 5 years to an outstanding exponent of Chopin.)
Since 2007 he has held the position of Head of Keyboard Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) and is Artistic Director of the RNCM James Mottram International Piano Competition. As a committed teacher many of his students have gone on to win top prizes in celebrated competitions including the ‘Top of the World’ competition in Norway, Rina Salo Gallo Competition in Monza, Jaen International Piano Competition, Hastings International Concerto Competition and the Harbin International Piano Competition in China to name a few. As an artistic director he has directed 12 piano festivals at the RNCM including the complete works of Frederic Chopin in his anniversary year with 153 pianists taking part.
Graham has been a member of the jury of the Horowitz Competition in Kiev, the Gilels Competition in Odessa, the Alessandro Casagrande Competition in Terni Italy, the Rina Salo Gallo Competition in Monza Italy, the Jaen International Piano Competition in Spain, the Robert Schumann International Piano Competition in Dusseldorf and the YCAT auditions in London. Graham has performed and taught at many summer schools most notably Musicfest Perugia in Italy, the Colburn Festival Academy in Los Angeles, Kei Arts (Taiwan), the Duszniki International Chopin Festival in Poland, Mantta Festival in Finland, Malaga International Piano Festival in Spain, Kyungsung International Piano Academy in Pusan Korea, Chetham’s International Piano Summer School in Manchester, Pianale 2023 in Fulda, Germany and the Beijing International Music Festival and Academy.
In 2023 he was made an honorary fellow of the RNCM.
