Alasdair Beatson, piano

Highly regarded as a distinctive and accomplished musician, Scottish pianist Alasdair Beatson continues to make an impact on the classical music scene. Recent highlights include the release of his debut CD for SOMM Recordings, and a tour of the UK with the Scottish Ensemble, performing Shostakovich's Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings.

Also a sought-after chamber musician, Alasdair was invited to join the tours of International Musicians Seminar, Prussia Cove, in the UK, and Musicians from Steans Institute, Ravinia Festival, in the USA, after his participation in their masterclasses and concerts. He was awarded major chamber and collaborative piano prizes from the Royal Over-Seas League, in addition to the ROSL Ensemble Prize for his chamber group Ensemble na Mara.

As soloist, Alasdair received awards from the Kirckman Concert Society, the Philip and Dorothy Green (Making Music) Award for Young Artists, and in 2003 won the 2nd Prize in the China Shanghai International Piano Competition. For the Park Lane Group, Alasdair gave critically acclaimed recitals at the Wigmore Hall and the Purcell Room, receiving excellent reviews in five national papers.

Forthcoming and recent performances include collaborations with the Doric String Quartet and violinist Pekka Kuusisto, chamber recitals in New York's Carnegie Hall and the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, and a further solo Wigmore Recital on 1st March 2010, presented by the Kirckman Concert Society.  This spring Alasdair will be artist in residence at Perth Concert Hall.

Alasdair studied with John Blakely at the Royal College of Music, London, graduating in 2002 with First Class Honours and a Director's Golden Jubilee Award. He subsequently completed a Performer's Diploma at Indiana University, studying with Menahem Pressler. In masterclass he has played to Leon Fleisher, Alicia de Laroccha, John Lill, Murray Perahia and Ferenc Rados. Last year, Alasdair was recipient of a Dewar Arts Award and a grant from the Hope Scott Trust, enabling the purchase of a piano.

Alasdair's debut recording features the Opus No 1s of Schumann, and Grieg, Brahms and Berg and is available on CD at Amazon.

Press Reviews For Alasdair Beatson

Michael Tumelty, Glasgow Herald, 29/8/09

...The lightness, clarity and intellectual coherence of Schumann's underrated Abegg Variations are gleamingly poetic in Beatson's hands.  He is equally at home with the purity of Grieg's Four Pieces, the relatively massive textures of Brahms 1st Sonata, very compact here, and Berg's great expressionist sonata where the pianist achieves a transparency rare in performances of this one-off composition.

Nicholas Salwey, International Record Review, September 2009

[the Berg Sonata] receives the most commanding performance...an entirely convincing reading to rank alongside the finest.

Calum MacDonald, International Piano Magazine, July/August 2009

...There's no question that Beatson is a gifted pianist... a deeply impressive debut disc.

Rising Star of BBC Music Magazine, July 2009

Musical Opinion, March - April 2009

...hugely enjoyable performance... outstanding calibre.

Alasdair's website:  http://www.alasdairbeatson.com