ABOUT LEON McCAWLEY

“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 first prize in the 1993 International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna and second prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition the same year. 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 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).

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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

Listen HERE to Leon’s Livestream recital at Wigmore Hall (recorded in March 2021)

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

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29th June 2021 LONDON 
Solo recitals at Proms at St. Jude’s (5.30pm and repeat performance at 8pm)

Book tickets

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

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5th July 2021 LUTON 
Solo recital at St. Mary’s Church (7.45pm)

Book tickets

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
No. 2 Jon Vestafe’s Springdans
Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze Op. 6

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

Book tickets

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
No. 2 Jon Vestafe’s Springdans
Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze Op. 6

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

Schubert: Sonata in G major D894

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

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 at Alnwick Playhouse (7.30pm)

Book tickets

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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24th September 2021 SARRATT
Solo recital at Sarratt Festival (7.30pm)

More info

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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30th 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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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)

Book tickets

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 High St. Methodist Church (7.30pm)

Book tickets

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)

Book tickets

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 (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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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, April 18th 2021
Solo Recital at Wigmore Hall, March 19th 2021
[In] Schubert’s Drei Klavierstücke McCawley captured the driven febrile quality of the first piece with its racing triplets and there was close attention to detail and richly varied tonal and dynamic contrasts. The second piece in E flat received a ravishing performance here. The opening section was enchanting and a rare moment of poetic beauty. Both here and in the ensuing two episodes McCawley gave a masterclass on how to make the piano sing. The third piece with its syncopations was robust and lively in equal measure and I loved the handling of the modulation ushering in the central section. McCawley’s virtuoso technique came to the fore in the coda driving the set to an exhilarating conclusion.

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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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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

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Complete list of recordings

PHOTO GALLERY

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