Biography

Callum McLachlan, finalist of the 18th Schumann Competition Zwickau and semi-finalist at both the Leeds and Santander International Piano Competitions, has been described as “a born Schumann player” with “a magical sense of colour and extraordinary technical prowess.” His performances at the Leeds were broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and Medici.tv, viewed by thousands worldwide. The Leeds described him as “continuing to captivate audiences with his profound musicality and virtuosic performances.”

Following his success there, he was the only British pianist selected for the 17th Van CliburnInternational Piano Competition. Gramophone magazine praised him for “the warmth and body of his gorgeous sonority,” with his first-round described as “luminescent, clear, virtuosic, and balanced.”

He currently studies with Professor Kirill Gerstein at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin.

He has recently made major debuts at Yamaha Hall (Tokyo), Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Menton International Music Festival, Mallorca Piano Festival, Lake District Summer Music, Wasserburg Klavier Sommer, Allerheiligen Hofkirche Munich and Van Cliburn Concert Hall (Fort Worth). Last season he made his debut with Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg and John Fiore, performed the Swiss premiere of Eric Tanguys Piano Quartet for Classeek, and was invited for Solo Recitlas at Verdi Hall Milan and Bechstein Hall London.

A finalist of the Royal Over-Seas League Piano Competition in London and nominee for the
International Classical Music Classeek Award, Callum has performed across the UK, Europe, and the USA, with appearances at venues including the Meistersingerhalle Nürnberg, Laeiszhalle Hamburg, Wien Konzerthaus, Pereda Hall (Santander), Leeds Great Hall, Bridgewater Hall, and Stoller Hall.

He is an active chamber musician, having collaborated with renowned ensembles such as the Casals Quartet and Kaleidoscope Ensemble, and regularly performs with Queen Elisabeth Laureate cellist Jeremias Fliedl.
In previous seasons, he made concerto debuts at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, with the Sheffield Chamber Orchestra, and performed Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto with Paul Mann at the RNCM Concert Hall and again at Turner Sims Concert Hall in Southampton. He also performed chamber arrangements of concertos with students from the Royal College of Music in London. He receives frequent re-engagements at leading UK venues and festivals.

Callum was born into a family of musicians and began piano lessons with his father at age 7. He entered Chetham’s School of Music at age 11, studying with Dina Parakhina, and was later awarded the highest diploma from Trinity College London (FTCL). He completed his Bachelor’s degree with Professor Claudius Tanski at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg, then pursued further studies in Salzburg and Cologne with Jacques Rouvier and Claudio Martínez Mehner.
He has worked in masterclasses with distinguished artists including Stephen Kovacevich, Leif Oves Andsnes, Christopher Elton, Grigory Gruzman, Andrei Gavrilov, Stephen Hough, and Boris Berman.
He is a prizewinner of numerous competitions, including First Prize at the Welsh International Piano Competition, the Scottish International Piano Competition, and the RNCM Chopin Prize. In 2019, he made his New York recital debut to critical acclaim and recorded Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg in collaboration with G. Henle Verlag for the Beethoven 250
celebrations.