ALASDAIR BEATSON

PSO soloist in 2002 and 2005

Scottish pianist Alasdair Beatson began piano with Perth's own Claire Gallagher. He continued his studies with John Blakely, initially at the North East of Scotland Music School, and latterly as a Foundation Scholar at the Royal College of Music, London, graduating in 2002 with 1st Class Honours. He subsequently completed a Performer Diploma at Indiana University, USA, studying with the great octogenarian Menahem Pressler, supported by the Robertson Trust and a Sir James Caird Travelling Scholarship.

Based once again in London, Alasdair is in much demand as a recitalist, orchestral soloist and chamber musician. Past performances throughout Europe, Asia and North America have included appearances at Ravinia, Paxos, Bath and Dartington music festivals, piano trio tours in South Korea, and concerts in such venues as the Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.), Martinu Hall (Prague), Shanghai's Grand Theatre and the Wigmore Hall, in addition to frequent reappearances back home in Scotland. Alasdair has collaborated with violinist Miriam Fried, actress Prunella Scales (for a performance of Poulenc's 'Babar the Elephant' at Covent Garden), cellist Lowri Blake and the Edinburgh String Quartet. He has played in masterclass to Dmitri Bashkirov, James Conlon, Marc Durand, Leon Fleisher, Alicia de Larrocha, John Lill and Murray Perahia, and has made several live broadcasts for BBC Radio.

In 2003, Alasdair won the Second Prize in the China Shanghai International Piano Competition, after his performance in the final round of Bartok's 2nd Piano Concerto with the Poitou-Charentes Orchestra, conducted by Yang Yang. He was finalist in the 2004 YCAT auditions, winner of the 2005 Philip and Dorothy Green (Making Music) Award for Young Concert Artist, and two times participant in the prestigious Steans Institute for Young Artists at Ravina Festival in 2004 and 2005. This January Alasdair is to perform a recital of 20th and 21st Century piano works in the Purcell Room, South Bank Centre, as part of the Park Lane Group's 50th Anniversary New Year Series.

Alasdair Beatson performing Rachmaninov's
Second Piano Concerto with PSO in 2002 in Perth City Hall