British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor is internationally recognized for his electrifying performances, distinctive sound and insightful interpretations. His virtuosic command over the most arduous technical complexities underpins the remarkable depth and understanding of his music making. Described as “one in a million ... several million” by the Independent, his “astounding technical gifts, the freshness of his imagination, his intense concentration, the absence of any kind of show and the unmistakable sense of poetic immersion directed solely at the realization of music” have been lauded by Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Grosvenor first came to prominence as the winner of the keyboard finals of the 2004 BBC Young Musician Competition at age 11, and at 19, he was invited to perform with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the First Night of the 2011 BBC Proms. A pianist of widespread international acclaim, he was announced artist-in-residence at Radio France for the 2020-21 season, a title he also holds with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. In 2016, he became the inaugural recipient of the Ronnie and Lawrence Ackman Classical Piano Prize with the New York Philharmonic.
Recent and forthcoming concerto highlights include engagements with the Boston and Chicago symphony orchestras, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Gürzenich-Orchestra Cologne, the Orchestra of Komische Oper Berlin, Orchestre National de France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Hallé Orchestra, Orquesta Nacional de España, Filarmonica della Scala, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra and the London, Royal Scottish National, San Francisco and Washington National symphony orchestras, as well as a tour of China with Britten Sinfonia.
He works with esteemed conductors such as Andrey Boreyko, Semyon Bychkov, Riccardo Chailly, Elim Chan, Sir Mark Elder, Edward Gardner, Manfred Honeck, Vladimir Jurowski, Cristian Măcelaru, Andrew Manze, Ludovic Morlot, Kent Nagano, Sir Roger Norrington, Gianandrea Noseda, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, François-Xavier Roth, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Leonard Slatkin, Nathalie Stutzmann, Michael Tilson Thomas, Krzysztof Urbański and Kazuki Yamada.
In recital, Grosvenor regularly performs at major venues such as London’s Barbican and Wigmore halls, as well as the Southbank Centre, Théâtre des Champs Elysées Paris, Munich’s Herkulessaal, Cologne’s Philharmonie, Palau de la Música Catalana Barcelona, Washington’s Kennedy Center, New York’s Carnegie Hall and 92Y.
In 2011, Grosvenor signed with Decca Classics, becoming the youngest British musician ever, and the first British pianist in almost 60 years, to join the label. His most recent CD on Decca, his second concerto recording, features Frédéric Chopin’s piano concertos, recorded with Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Elim Chan. Named Recording of the Month by Gramophone, the disc also was awarded a Diapason d’Or, with Diapason’s critic declaring that the recording is “a version to rank among the best, and confirmation of an extraordinary artist.”
To date, Grosvenor has received Gramophone’s Young Artist of the Year and Instrumental Awards, a Classic Brits Critics’ Award, U.K. Critics’ Circle Award for Exceptional Young Talent and a Diapason d’Or Jeune Talent Award. He has been featured in two BBC television documentaries, “BBC Breakfast” and “The Andrew Marr Show,” as well as in CNN’s “Human to Hero” series.
The youngest of five brothers, Grosvenor began playing piano at age 6. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Christopher Elton and Daniel-Ben Pienaar, where he graduated in 2012 with the Queen’s Commendation for Excellence, and in 2016, was awarded a fellowship from the institution. Since 2013, he has been supported by EFG International, the widely respected global private banking group.
2020-21
Please note: Biographies are based on information provided to the CSO by the artists or their representatives. More current information may be available on websites of the artists or their management.
