About the London Piano Festival

Katya Apekisheva, described as being a “profoundly gifted artist” by Gramophone magazine, is one of Europe’s most renowned pianists, in demand internationally as both a soloist and as a chamber musician. She has been marked out as a pianist of exceptional gifts, performing with many of the world’s leading orchestras, and has received widespread critical acclaim for her interpretations. Katya is a Professor of Piano at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Regarded as one of the finest interpreters of Classical and Romantic repertoire, Imogen Cooper is internationally renowned for her virtuosity and lyricism. She has a widespread international career, in addition to performances at the BBC Proms and with the major British orchestras. Imogen received a DBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2021. Other awards and acolades include the Queen’s Medal for Music (2019) and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2007). She founded the Imogen Cooper Music Trust in 2015.

Described by The Times as “a pianist worth watching”, Dominic Degavino has performed in major venues from the UK and beyond, including performances at Wigmore Hall and alongside the Manchester Camerata. His competition successes include 3rd Prize at the Concours International de Piano d’Epinal, and keyboard section prizes at Tunbridge Wells International Young Concert Artists Competition and Royal Over-Seas League Arts Competition. He studied with Charles Owen and Noriko Ogawa at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Described by the New York Times as “a social conscience, multimedia collaborator, system builder, rhapsodist, historical thinker and multicultural gateway,” Vijay Iyer has carved out a unique path as an influential, prolific, shape-shifting presence in twenty-first-century music. A composer and pianist active across multiple musical communities, Iyer has established himself as a leading music-maker of his generation. He has received a MacArthur Fellowship, a Grammy nomination, and was voted Downbeat Magazine’s Jazz Artist of the Year four times in the last decade.

Noriko Ogawa has achieved considerable renown throughout the world since her success at the Leeds International Piano Competition. Noriko’s “ravishingly poetic playing” (Telegraph) sets her apart from her contemporaries and acclaim for her complete Debussy series with BIS Records, confirms her as a fine Debussy specialist. Noriko is Chairperson of the Jury for Japan’s prestigious 10th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition since 2018 and is a professor at Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Described by Gramophone magazine as “one of the finest British pianists of his generation”, Charles Owen has enjoyed an extensive international career performing a wide ranging repertoire to outstanding critical acclaim. Charles Owen is a Professor of Piano at the Guildhall School in London and was appointed Steinway & Sons UK Ambassador in 2016.

Pianist, writer, lecturer, inspiring teacher – and a leading authority on the music of Debussy and Ravel – Paul Roberts has earned the admiration of audiences, critics and fellow professionals worldwide. Invited every year to the summer festival of Portland Piano International since its inception in 1999, Paul Roberts has established a unique profile in Portland, where he regularly performs, gives master classes and private tuition

Tamara Stefanovich, described as “fearless, dazzling, exceptional” by The Guardian, has become renowned worldwide. Performing a range of repertoire, from early music to contemporary, she has performed with major orchestras including Cleveland, Chicago Symphony, London Symphony, and Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, in high-profile venues such as the Albert and Wigmore Hall. She has also received an Edison Award, a Grammy Award nomination and critical acclaim for her recording discography.