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).

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NEWS

2020 November, 2020

NEW CD RELEASE!

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 exploration of Haydn’s rich and varied sonatas following on from highly acclaimed Volumes 1 and 2. Look out for Volume 4 next year!

1919 October, 2020

‘PURE POETRY’: EXCELLENT REVIEW OF WIGMORE HALL RECITAL

Leon has received an excellent review in Seen and Heard International of his solo recital and livestream at Wigmore Hall on 10th October: “He displayed enormous sensitivity and tenderness while also breathing life into the more dramatic elements of the work [Schubert Sonata D664] and the strong dynamic contrasts. McCawley’s playing [in Janáčeks’ On an Overgrown Path] was nuanced and insightful, crystallising the very […]

3030 August, 2020

A CONCERT, AT LAST!

After several months of being unable to perform due to COVID restrictions, Leon is delighted to announce that he will give a solo recital at Wigmore Hall on 10th October. The programme will feature works that were scheduled in his cancelled April recital: Schubert’s Sonata in A major D664, Janáček’s On an Overgrown Path Book 1 and Schumann’s Kreisleriana. The concert will be live-streamed […]

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CONCERTS

LEON’S AUTUMN 2020 SOLO RECITAL AND LIVESTREAM FROM WIGMORE HALL IS AVAILABLE TO LISTEN HERE 

Schubert: Sonata in A major D664
Janáček: On an Overgrown Path (Book 1)
Schumann: Kreisleriana Op. 16

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19th March 2021 LONDON (to be confirmed)
Solo recital at Wigmore Hall (7.30pm)

Janáček: In the Mists
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 Spring Dance)
Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze Op. 6

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21st June 2021 LUTON (to be confirmed)
Solo recital at Luton Music Club

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 Spring Dance)
Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze Op. 6

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24th June 2021 ISLE OF MAN
Solo recital at Mananan Festival (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 Spring Dance)
Schumann: Davidsbündlertänze Op. 6

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5th-10th July 2021 LOFOTEN, NORWAY
Concerts at Lofoten Chamber Music Festival

Programmes to be confirmed

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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 Spring 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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14th September 2021 ALNWICK
Solo recital at Alnwick Music Society

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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17th September 2021 RINGWOOD
Solo recital at Avon Valley Concerts

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 (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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24th September 2021 SARRATT
Solo recital at Sarratt Festival

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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25th September 2021 SEVENOAKS
Solo recital at Sevenoaks Music Club

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 Ilkley Concert Club

Elgar: Piano Quintet

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16th October 2021 WELWYN GARDEN CITY
Solo recital for Welwyn Garden Concert Club

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

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7th November 2021 EASTBOURNE (TBC)
London Philharmonic Orchestra/conductor TBC

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1

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12th November 2021 WITNEY
Solo recital at Witney Music Society

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 Cockermouth Music Society

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

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

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18th November 2021 LANARK
Solo recital at 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

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 (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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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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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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RECORDINGS

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

List of recordings

PHOTO GALLERY

Click on images for downloadable high res files

VIDEO

Featured videos from LEON McCAWLEY’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL: