Kathryn Stott

English pianist Kathryn Stott has made a name for herself with her taste for the French repertoire of Debussy, Fauré, Saint-Saëns and Ravel, and her chamber music collaborations with cellists Christian Poltéra and Yo-Yo Ma. Born in Nelson, Lancashire, on December 10, 1958, she learned to play the piano from the age of five with her mother, who taught her at the conservatoire. A student at the Yehudi Menuhin School for Young Artists, her teachers included Nadia Boulanger, Marcel Ciampi and Vlado Perlemuter. After completing her studies at London's Royal College of Music with Kendall Taylor, she won fifth prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 1978 and made her London debut at the Purcell Room the same year. Alongside a solo career that has seen her perform all over the world and record for the Chandos and Bis Records labels, Kathryn Stott teaches at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and directed Bridgewater Hall from 2000 to 2003. In addition to her recitals devoted to works from the French piano repertoire, she also tackles the music of British composers such as Frank Bridge, Herbert Howells, William Walton, John Ireland and George Lloyd. Her meeting with cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1978 led to a friendship and an ongoing series of collaborations, culminating in the albums Songs from the Arc of Life (2015), Songs of Comfort and Hope (2020) and Merci (2024). The pianist also maintains musical ties with another cellist, Christian Poltéra, with whom she records numerous pieces. Popular in her homeland, Kathryn has appeared a dozen times at the BBC Proms and spent three years with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, notably in works by Kabalevsky. Her solo recitals include the albums Dance (2008) and Solitaires (2015).