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 IV for SOMM Recordings is no exception: “There is real freshness to McCawley’s playing throughout, concomitant with a sense of Haydn’s delight in playing with form. Captured in superb sound, this is one of McCawley’s finest discs to date”. (International Piano, December 2021).

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NEWS | EARLIER NEWS

NEWS

NEW RELEASE!

November 28th, 2021|

Leon’s fourth volume of Haydn Piano Sonatas has recently been released on SOMM Recordings and has already been lauded as “one of McCawley’s finest discs to date” by International Piano Magazine. See the whole […]

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 RELEASE!

November 28th, 2021|

Leon’s fourth volume of Haydn Piano Sonatas has recently been released on SOMM Recordings and has already been lauded as “one of McCawley’s finest discs to date” by International Piano Magazine. See the whole […]

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 […]

EARLIER NEWS

CONCERTS

19th May 2022 ETON, UK
Masterclass at Eton College Music Department (2-5pm)

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12th June 2022 SINGAPORE
Solo recital for Singapore International Piano Festival at Victoria Concert Hall (7.30pm)

Book tickets

Haydn: Variations in F minor Hob. XVII/6
Mozart: Sonata in F major K533/K494
Schubert: Sonata in B flat major D960

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13th June 2022 SINGAPORE
Masterclass at Victoria Concert Hall Dance Studio (7pm)

Book tickets

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29th June 2022 LONDON, UK
Solo recital (Artist in Residence series) at Wigmore Hall (7.30pm)

Book tickets

Haydn: Variations in F minor Hob. XVII/6
Mozart: Sonata in F major K533/K494
Schubert: Sonata in B flat major D960

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3rd July 2022 REDON, FRANCE
Solo recital at Les Musicales de Redon (9pm)

Haydn: Variations in F minor Hob. XVII/6
Mozart: Sonata in F major K533/K494
Schubert: Sonata in B flat major D960

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30th July 2022 GUITING POWER, UK
Solo recital at The Guiting Music Festival (6.30pm)

Book tickets from May 3rd

Haydn: Variations in F minor Hob. XVII/6
Mozart: Sonata in F major K533/K494
Schubert: Sonata in B flat major D960

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3rd September 2022 PORTAFERRY, NI
Solo recital at The Portico of Ards (7.30pm)

Bach: Italian Concerto BWV 971
Beethoven: Sonata in E minor Op. 90
Mozart Sonata in F major K332
Schubert: Sonata in B flat major D960

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30th September 2022 LICHFIELD, UK
Solo recital at The Hub at St. Mary’s for Lichfield Chamber Music Festival (7.30pm)

Bach: Italian Concerto BWV 971
Beethoven: Sonata in E minor Op. 90
Mozart Sonata in F major K332
Schubert: Sonata in B flat major D960

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13th October 2022 MORPETH, UK
Solo recital at St. James’ Church (7.30pm) for Morpeth Music Society

Bach: Italian Concerto BWV 971
Beethoven: Sonata in E minor Op. 90
Mozart Sonata in F major K332
Schubert: Sonata in B flat major D960

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16th October 2022 DARLINGTON, UK
Solo recital in Central Hall, Dolphin Centre for Darlington Piano Society

Bach: Italian Concerto BWV 971
Beethoven: Sonata in E minor Op. 90
Mozart Sonata in F major K332
Schubert: Sonata in B flat major D960

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23rd October 2022 DOLLAR, UK
Solo recital at Dollar Academy for Music in Dollar (3pm)

Bach: Italian Concerto BWV 971
Beethoven: Sonata in E minor Op. 90
Mozart Sonata in F major K332
Schubert: Sonata in B flat major D960

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25th October 2022 DUNDEE, UK
Solo recital at Marryat Hall for Dundee Chamber Music (7.30pm)

Bach: Italian Concerto BWV 971
Beethoven: Sonata in E minor Op. 90
Mozart Sonata in F major K332
Schubert: Sonata in B flat major D960

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29th October 2022 STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
Solo recital at Academy of Fine Arts for Piano Visions (4pm)

Bach: Italian Concerto BWV 971
Beethoven: Sonata in E minor Op. 90
Mozart Sonata in F major K332
Schubert: Sonata in B flat major D960

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31st October 2022 STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
Masterclass at Royal College of Music, Stockholm (11am-3pm)

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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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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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VIDEO

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