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'Here at last is the true heir to John Lill and Stephen Kovacevich' - Malcolm Troup
Award-winning concert pianist James Brawn was born in England but has lived around the world in New Zealand, Australia and the USA. He began to learn piano at seven, and his teachers have included Solomon pupil Margaret Schofield, Arrau pupil Ronald Farren-Price and Rita Reichman (who studied with Serkin and Horszowski). He won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London, and studied there with Frank Wibaut and Christopher Elton. At nineteen he won the keyboard final of the Royal Over-Seas League Music Competition, leading to solo recitals and chamber music partnerships at music societies and festivals around the UK.
From 2001 he taught in the music department at Scotch College, Melbourne, Australia, and during this time he performed for music societies and festivals in Australia, China and the UK.
In 2010 he returned to the UK and is now based in the Cotswolds. He is currently recording all the Beethoven sonatas for the American record label MSR Classics.
Further information: jamesbrawn.com
CD Spotlight. Great Character - Lucas Ball listens to the latest volume in James Brawn's Beethoven series. '... the sort of technical control and agility that you get from many world class artists.'
CD Spotlight. Expertly Sculpted - James Brawn's time traveller recital delights Andrew Schartmann. 'Each time a passage repeats ... Brawn shows us something new.'
CD Spotlight. Pure Magic - James Brawn's continued Beethoven Odyssey, awaited by Andrew Schartmann. '... generating excitement with raw textures ...'
CD Spotlight. True Command - James Brawn plays Bach, Liszt, Musorgsky and Rachmaninov, recommended by Andrew Schartmann. 'The "Promenade" ... is like butter in Brawn's hands.'
CD Spotlight. Masterful Handling - Volume 3 of James Brawn's Beethoven, praised by Andrew Schartmann. '... his interpretive choices are exquisite.'
CD Spotlight. Perfect Indeed - More Beethoven from James Brawn, recommended by Andrew Schartmann. '... a profound - almost spiritual - connection to the music ...'
CD Spotlight. Masterfully Controlled - James Brawn's Beethoven Odyssey, impresses Andrew Schartmann. '... the movement bubbles over with excitement ...'