ABOUT LEON McCAWLEY

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

“A musician of great finesse.“ Diapason, February 2019

British pianist Leon McCawley has forged a highly successful career 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. Since then, his 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 recent CD of Haydn Sonatas Volume III for SOMM Recordings is no exception: “He’s a thoughtful, keenly intelligent artist in peak form, who brings a wealth of pianistic resources to this incomparable music.” (Gramophone, January 2021).

Read full biography

NEWS | EARLIER NEWS

NEWS

LIVESTREAM RECITAL ON MARCH 19TH AT WIGMORE HALL

March 7th, 2021|

Leon is so pleased to be giving another livestream recital at Wigmore Hall on March 19th, performing works by Schubert, Grieg and Schumann. This will be available to watch on all of Wigmore Hall’s social media platforms […]

NEW CD RELEASE!

November 20th, 2020|

Leon is thrilled to announce the new CD release of Haydn Sonatas Volume 3 on SOMM Recordings, now available online HERE. This is Leon’s ninth disc on the enterprising SOMM label and continues his […]

LIVESTREAM RECITAL ON MARCH 19TH AT WIGMORE HALL

March 7th, 2021|

Leon is so pleased to be giving another livestream recital at Wigmore Hall on March 19th, performing works by Schubert, Grieg and Schumann. This will be available to watch on all of Wigmore Hall’s social media platforms […]

NEW CD RELEASE!

November 20th, 2020|

Leon is thrilled to announce the new CD release of Haydn Sonatas Volume 3 on SOMM Recordings, now available online HERE. This is Leon’s ninth disc on the enterprising SOMM label and continues his […]

EARLIER NEWS

CONCERTS

19th March 2021 LONDON 
Livestream recital at Wigmore Hall

Listen HERE (link available until 17th June)

Schubert: Three Piano Pieces D946
Grieg: Slåtter (Norwegian Peasant Dances) Op. 72 –
No. 4 Haugelåt. Halling (Halling from the Fairy Hill)
No. 2 Jon Vestafes Springdans (Jon Vestafe’s Leaping Dance)
Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze Op. 6

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29th June 2021 LONDON 
Solo recitals at Proms at St. Jude’s (5pm and repeat performance at 7.45pm)

More info

Haydn: Sonata in C Hob. XVI/50
Grieg: Slåtter (Norwegian Peasant Dances) Op. 72 –
No. 4 Haugelåt. Halling (Halling from the Fairy Hill)
No. 2 Jon Vestafes Springdans (Jon Vestafe’s Leaping Dance)
Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze Op. 6

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5th July 2021 LUTON 
Solo recital at Luton Music Club (venue TBC)

Haydn: Sonata in C Hob. XVI/50
Mozart: Fantasie in C minor K475
Mozart: Sonata in C minor K457
Grieg: Slåtter (Norwegian Peasant Dances) Op. 72 –
No. 4 Haugelåt. Halling (Halling from the Fairy Hill)
No. 2 Jon Vestafes Springdans (Jon Vestafe’s Leaping Dance)
Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze Op. 6

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16th July 2021 DARTMOUTH
Solo recital at The Flavel (7.30pm)

Haydn: Sonata in C Hob. XVI/50
Mozart: Fantasie in C minor K475
Mozart: Sonata in C minor K457
Grieg: Slåtter (Norwegian Peasant Dances) Op. 72 –
No. 4 Haugelåt. Halling (Halling from the Fairy Hill)
No. 2 Jon Vestafes Springdans (Jon Vestafe’s Leaping Dance)
Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze Op. 6

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17th July 2021 DARTMOUTH
Solo recital at The Flavel (12pm)

Schubert: Sonata in G major D894

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16th August 2021 MANCHESTER
Solo recital at Stoller Hall (5pm)

More info

Haydn: Sonata in C Hob. XVI/50
Mozart: Fantasie in C minor K475
Mozart: Sonata in C minor K457

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17th-19th August 2021 MANCHESTER
Teaching and masterclasses at Chetham’s International Summer School

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10th September 2021 RINGWOOD
Solo recital at Trinity Centre (7.30pm)

Haydn: Sonata in C Hob. XVI/50
Mozart: Fantasie in C minor K475
Mozart: Sonata in C minor K457
Schubert: Sonata in G major D894

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14th September 2021 ALNWICK
Solo recital for Alnwick Music Society (venue TBC)

Haydn: Sonata in C Hob. XVI/50
Mozart: Fantasie in C minor K475
Mozart: Sonata in C minor K457
Schubert: Sonata in G major D894

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18th September 2021 SEVENOAKS
Solo recital at Ship Theatre (7.30pm)

Haydn: Sonata in C Hob. XVI/50
Mozart: Fantasie in C minor K475
Mozart: Sonata in C minor K457
Schubert: Sonata in G major D894

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22nd September 2021 LONDON
Solo recital at Wigmore Hall (7.30pm)

Haydn: Sonata in C Hob. XVI/50
Mozart: Fantasie in C minor K475
Mozart: Sonata in C minor K457
Schubert: Sonata in G major D894

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24th September 2021 SARRATT
Solo recital at Sarratt Festival (TBC)

Haydn: Sonata in C Hob. XVI/50
Mozart: Fantasie in C minor K475
Mozart: Sonata in C minor K457
Schubert: Sonata in G major D894

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6th October 2021 ILKLEY
Recital with Castalian Quartet at King’s Hall (8pm)

Elgar: Piano Quintet

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9th October 2021 BRIGHTON
London Philharmonic Orchestra/Robin Ticciati at Brighton Dome (7.30pm)

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor K466

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16th October 2021 WELWYN GARDEN CITY
Solo recital at St. Francis of Assisi Church (7.30pm)

Mozart: Sonata in B flat K570
Haydn: Sonata in E flat Hob. XVI/52
Schubert: Sonata in C minor D958

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12th November 2021 WITNEY
Solo recital at Witney Music Society (venue TBC)

Mozart: Sonata in B flat K570
Haydn: Sonata in E flat Hob. XVI/52
Schubert: Sonata in C minor D958

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16th November 2021 COCKERMOUTH
Solo recital at United Reformed Church (7.30pm)

More info

Mozart: Sonata in B flat K570
Haydn: Sonata in E flat Hob. XVI/52
Schubert: Sonata in C minor D958

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17th November 2021 KENDAL
Lunchtime recital at Kendal Midday Concerts (1pm)

Haydn: Sonata in E flat HXVI/52
Schubert: Sonata in C minor D958

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18th November 2021 LANARK
Solo recital for Music in Lanark

Mozart: Sonata in B flat K570
Haydn: Sonata in E flat Hob. XVI/52
Schubert: Sonata in C minor D958

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19th November 2021 MILNGAVIE
Solo recital at Milngavie Music Club (TBC)

Mozart: Sonata in B flat K570
Haydn: Sonata in E flat Hob. XVI/52
Schubert: Sonata in C minor D958

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27th November 2021 BRADFORD ON AVON
Solo recital at Wiltshire Music Centre (7.30pm)

Mozart: Sonata in B flat K570
Haydn: Sonata in E flat Hob. XVI/52
Schubert: Sonata in C minor D958

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1st December 2021 LONDON
Solo recital at Wigmore Hall (7.30pm)

Mozart: Sonata in B flat K570
Haydn: Sonata in E flat Hob. XVI/52
Schubert: Sonata in C minor D958

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CHECK BACK FOR MORE CONCERT UPDATES

PRESS – RECITALS

Seen and Heard International, October 17th 2020
Solo Recital at Wigmore Hall, October 10th 2020

There was much to admire in McCawley’s sterling interpretation of this work [Schubert Sonata D664].  He displayed enormous sensitivity and tenderness while also breathing life into the more dramatic elements of the work and the strong dynamic contrasts. The slow movement was poetic and eloquent, and McCawley did a wonderful job in capturing the reflective intimacy of the music. The finale was enchanting as Schubert’s scales and runs bubbled along delightfully.

Overall, this was an extremely impressive piano recital featuring a consistently high standard of playing throughout.

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Birmingham Post, February 15th 2018
Solo Recital at Artrix, Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove Concerts’ imaginative programming brings hidden rewards, there in abundance on Friday when pianist Leon McCawley led us off the beaten track with a fascinating sequence of comparative rarities. We have perhaps more media-glittering pianists, but none can surpass McCawley in his thoughtfulness of approach, and his ability to make himself as one with an instrument new to him. His pedalling on Bromsgrove’s piano was so subtly coloured, so well-contoured to the phrasing…and always so right for the music under discussion. *****

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Classical Source March 1st 2016
Wigmore Hall Solo Recital March 1st 2016

Every time in this excellent Wigmore Hall recital when I thought I’d nailed the main, generating aspect of Leon McCawley’s style, he’d confound expectations. His seemingly ascetic, self-contained persona would deftly step aside to allow comedy, fantasy and passion to hold the floor, on the back of a disarmingly profound and mercurial virtuosity, and his playing just sounded right…

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Read all recital reviews

PRESS – CONCERTOS

Cambridge Independent, 20th February 2020
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Domingo Hindoyan at Cambridge Corn Exchange

The soloist for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 was multi-award- winning British pianist Leon McCawley who in many respects, one would have to say, is the perfect pianist.

McCawley gave a spellbinding performance of this concerto…[his] understanding of this beautiful music was complete. It was impossible not to be moved by both the ability of the composer to create such a thing, and a performer who could engage with it so masterfully.
John Gilroy

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La Nueva España, Asturias 12th May 2019
Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias/Hans Graf at Auditorio Principe Felipe, Oviedo

Without a doubt, McCawley was one of the attractions of the evening. His style, intimate and technically imposing, fitted like a glove for the interpretation of the Schumann concerto, and was in evidence even more so in the ‘Liebeslied’ encore, played with such sensitivity and delicacy.
Jonathan Mallada

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El Comercio, Asturias 21st January 2017
Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias/Manuel López-Gómez at Teatro Jovellanos, Gijón

…this was a passionate and poetic Beethoven [Piano Concerto No. 3], full of energy and rhythm. McCawley is a pianist with a very lyrical and poetic touch, so transparent and precise…

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Read all concerto reviews

RECORDINGS

Click on the cover images for reviews and options to buy online

Complete list of recordings

PHOTO GALLERY

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