Ian Jones

pianist, Great Britain

ian_jones

In 1984 Ian Jones was awarded a Scholarship to study piano at the Royal College of Music in London where he won many prizes including the prestigious Chappell Gold Medal, leading to a critically acclaimed London debut recital at the Purcell Room. A performance of Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto at London’s Royal Festival Hall was equally well received and there followed a series of concerto performances at the Barbican Hall with the National Symphony Orchestra, repertoire including Rachmaninov’s Second Concerto and Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto and the concertos by Grieg and Schumann.

He was also awarded the Vlado Perlemuter Piano Scholarship, the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians and awards from the Countess of Munster and Ian Fleming Musical Trusts. His piano studies in London, Paris, California and Canada exposed him to the influence of some of the world’s finest teachers - Phyllis Sellick (Royal College of Music), Jerome Lowenthal (Music Academy of the West, USA), Maria Curcio (London), György Sebök (the Banff Centre, Canada), Alain Planès (Paris), Bernard Ringeissen (Académie Maurice Ravel).

In 1993 he was a prizewinner at the Leeds International Piano Competition and shortly afterwards he was made a Steinway Artist. He has performed throughout the UK in most of the major venues, in Europe (including concerto performances with the Ensemble International de Paris) and the United States, playing recitals, concertos and chamber music. He has broadcast for BBC Radio 3 (including a series of programmes "Glière Revealed"), as well as Radio France Musique and French television’s Arte channel. A CD of music by Rebecca Clarke, recorded with members of the Locrian Ensemble (Dutton, 2000) was enthusiastically received by Gramophone magazine.

A second CD of more of her unpublished works is planned for release in 2003. Other projects include a cycle of all Mozart’s Piano Concertos at St. Martin-in-the-Fields with the Locrian Ensemble. He teaches piano at the Royal College of Music Junior Department, devotes time to giving piano masterclasses around the country and is much in demand to adjudicate at music festivals. He also examines for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in the UK and abroad. Ian Jones is also an occasional composer, most recently writing some piano music for the Oscar-nominated film Hilary and Jackie.