Born in Scotland, Roy Howat enjoys an international reputation as both pianist and scholar.  His teachers included Vlado Perlemuter, who worked closely with Fauré and Ravel, and Jacques Février who for many years was Poulenc’s piano duo partner.  Roy knows much of his concert repertoire from the composers’ manuscripts, and is one of the co-founding editors of the Paris-based New Complete Debussy Edition, whose piano volumes are now widely available from Editions Durand.  He has also produced highly-regarded editions of Fauré piano and chamber music for Peters Edition, and a Dover edition of Chabrier’s piano music.  His writings include book chapters about various composers, but above all the two influential books Debussy in proportion and The Art of French piano music (the latter published in 2009 to widespread critical acclaim).

Roy’s concerts and masterclasses regularly take him worldwide. Besides his renowned specialisation in French repertoire, he enjoys a wide repertoire and has premièred numerous works, some of which were written for him and others discovered by him. His recent performances with the Panocha Quartet of Prague have brought the house down at festivals in Japan, the Czech Republic and England, including a sold-out Wigmore Hall in London. Since the 1980s he has been closely connected with Australia, where he has performed and broadcast widely and held various lecturing or research positions.

Roy has appeared as concerto soloist with orchestras from Scotland to Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia, including performances of Poulenc’s Concert champêtre with The Queensland Orchestra in 2008.  His recordings include Debussy’s complete solo piano works (on Tall Poppies), several CDs of chamber music, a CD of Chabrier piano music and, most recently, Belle Epoque, a 2-CD album of Fauré piano music on ABC Classics, including duets with Emily Kilpatrick.  Based in London and Paris, Roy holds the post of Keyboard Research Fellow at the Royal Academy of Music.

Click here to visit Roy Howat’s website.