Roy Howat - Piano

howatr.jpg (7767 Byte)Roy Howat is internationally known as a pianist of outstanding finesse and insight, with a large repertoire ranging form before Mozart to the present day. His concerts, masterclasses and broadcasts regularly take him worldwide, and have included recent premières of major works composed for him by Robin Orr and Wendy Hiscocks, Mozart pianos concertos in Hong Kong, and live broadcasts in the UK, France, Switzerland, the USA and Australia. He regularly teaches and performs at summer academies and various continents.
A graduate and former Fellow of Cambridge University Roy Howat made a special study of French music in Paris with the distinguished pianist Vlado Perlemuter. He knows much of his repertoire from study of the composers’ manuscripts, is author of the influential book Debussy in proportion, and with Pierre Boulez is one of the c0-founders of the Paris-based New Complete Debussy Edition (Œuvres complètes de Claude Debussy). Among his other publications are a Dover edition of Chabrier’s piano music, several editions of Fauré for Peter Edition, and book chapters on Schubert, Chopin, Chabrier, Debussy, Ravel and Bartók.
His recordings include a CD of Chabrier piano music on the French STIL label, and Debussy’s complete piano music (currently in progress) for the Tall Poppies label. Born in Scotland, Roy Howat lives in London with his Australian composer-pianist wife Wendy Hiscocks, with whom he also performs internationally as a piano duo.
Not only has Roy Howat made a speciality of French music, he performs it with sovereign skill, attaining a perfection that demands a rare finesse of touch, a technique that allies ‘pearled tone’ with a very wide palette of colours, a very special use of the pedals, and above all a profound awareness of the composers’ intentions. Rare are those who approach French music of the early 20th century with such happy results."(L’Express, Neuchâchtel)
"... Howat’s playing is masterful, gently precise in attack and agreement and exceptionally beautiful in is balance of registers and sonorities..." (The Sydney Morning Herald)
"... In short, imagination and elegance characterize the playing..." (International Piano Quarterly)

Roy Howat on Guild Music

  • GMCD 7171 Johann Carl Eschmann (1826 - 1882)
  • GMCD 7163 Philipp Christoph Kayser - Goethe Lieder - Chamber Music

Page revised 03.09.2000