La Voix released

La Voix, my new CD with violinist Callum Smart, is out now on Orchid Classics. Here’s our introduction to the repertoire: The starting point for the disc was French music for violin and piano, but a theme that emerged as we rehearsed and explored these works was that of the voice. As such, we decided […]

Michael Cutting commission

Michael Cutting‘s This Is Not A Faux Wood Keyboard is probably the most unusual piece I’ve had written for me so far, and it had an interesting way of coming into being too. A year or so ago I spotted a photo Michael posted on Facebook (below) of an instrument he’d bought himself, a Fender Rhodes […]

hcmf// recital review (Sunday Times)

Paul Driver (The Sunday Times) “… Naomi Pinnock’s new Lines and Spaces, included in a brilliant recital at Phipps Hall by the pianist Richard Uttley, was explicitly inspired by Martin screenprints and a canvas. The alternation of “Space” sections — static, evacuated, quiet — with the plain mini toccatas of the “Line” ones was satisfying, […]

hcmf// recital reviews (Guardian, Telegraph, 5:4)

Reviews from my recital in the opening weekend of Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival 2015: Kate Molleson (The Guardian) “Some of the day’s most arresting moments came in a recital by Richard Uttley. I was enthralled by his composure, lyricism and ability to hold a moment without forcing it. Tristan Murail’s La Mandragore was tender and soft-hewn; […]

Naomi Pinnock commission

As part of the Philip Langridge Mentoring Scheme, through which I was mentored by Rolf Hind, the Royal Philharmonic Society were able to commission a new piece for me. I took the opportunity to ask Naomi Pinnock to write me something. I’d wanted to ask her for a solo piano piece since hearing her arresting, […]

In Tune

The Radio 3 In Tune interview and live performance is available to listen here on iPlayer for the next 30 days. I played the Mazurka from Matt Kaner’s Dance Suite, and three movements from Bach’s Partita No.4. Sean Rafferty interviewed both Matt and me.

Planet Hugill review

Review of Ghosts & Mirrors, from Robert Hugill for Planet Hugill. Pianist Richard Uttley sees the works on his new disc, Ghosts and Mirrors (on the Artists Recording Company label) as each being a reflection upon something. What the pieces also have in common, in addition to their 20th and 21st century origins, is a concern with the re-invention of […]

NTS Radio

First radio play for Ghosts & Mirrors this week – some of the Berio Encores as part of a set by Kit Records for NTS Live. Listen to the broadcast here.

Old dogs, new tricks, new dots

On 3 November we had our biggest New Dots event so far – an evening concert at King’s Place showcasing four new pieces by composer-filmmaker pairs plus a new work by Dutch composer Jan Vriend, performed by Ensemble Matisse. We called it Interference Patterns. The idea behind the project was to have composers and filmmakers working together on equal footing from […]

Ghosts & Mirrors released

Delighted to announce that Ghosts & Mirrors has now been released, on the Artists Recording Company label. It’s available on Amazon. The launch event was reviewed in the Telegraph by Ivan Hewett, and by Frances Wilson on her blog The Cross-Eyed Pianist.

Ghosts & Mirrors launch review (Telegraph)

Wednesday’s launch was reviewed in the Telegraph by Ivan Hewett: Richard Uttley, The Forge, review: ‘amazing decisiveness’ Video was a mixed blessing at the launch recital of Richard Uttley’s new album, Ghosts and Mirrors, says Ivan Hewett Sound and vision: Richard Uttley performing with video at the launch of his album Ghosts and Mirrors Photo: NAT […]

Ghosts & Mirrors London launch 15 October

On Wednesday 15 October I’m launching my new CD, Ghosts & Mirrors, at The Forge in London. I will be joined onstage by Nat Urazmetova, who has created the artwork for the disc and will mix live visuals on the night, following our first performance together at St John’s Smith Square in the Occupy the […]

Ben Foskett recording on NMC

Delighted to feature on this disc from NMC, Dinosaur, which showcases the music of composer Ben Foskett and will be released 23 June. The works included are: Five Night Pieces (Richard Uttley, piano) Hornet II (Mark van de Wiel, clarinet; London Sinfonietta; Geoffrey Paterson, conductor) From Trumpet (Hallé; Nicholas Collon, conductor) On From Four (Psappha; […]

Collaboration with Nat Urazmetova

From the programme notes to Occupy the Pianos festival at St John’s Smith Square: Nat and I began working together on this project when she created the artwork for my forthcoming CD Ghosts & Mirrors. The pieces we’re presenting in this concert all appear on that disc, so this is a sort of live version […]

Cheltenham review

Review of my recital in Cheltenham, by Ben Easey for the Gloustershire Echo: Meticulously positioning himself at the foot of the marvellous Steinways grand piano, youthful talent Richard Uttley began his concerto to the setting of Cheltenham’s Pittville Pump Room. Under the enchanting light of a chandelier, Uttley poured his passion for the classical genre into […]

Matthew Kaner commission

I’m delighted to announce a new commission for solo piano from Matthew Kaner. We’ve been talking about this new piece for months and have now got all the funding together, so I’m very excited that Matt can start work on it. His music is colourful, intricate and rich; as such his first big piano piece […]

Mark Simpson Sky Arts feature

Sky Arts have broadcast this feature on Mark’s project The Immortalisation Commission, which he’s working on through his Sky Arts Academy Scholarship. I’m on piano for Mark’s Echoes & Embers (clarinet & piano) and Barkham Fantasy (solo piano). We filmed in the beautiful Caroline Gardens Chapel (home of Asylum) in Peckham – a really atmospheric […]

Piano duo with Huw Watkins broadcast

The piano duo pieces (birthday pieces for Hans Werner Henze and Oliver Knussen) Huw Watkins and I played in a BBC concert at Maida Vale were broadcast yesterday on Radio 3 as part of the Hear and Now programme. Presented by Tom Service in conversation with Oliver Knussen. Listen here!

Ed Nesbit Interview

I interviewed Ed for the New Dots blog. You can read the full post here. It proved to be a very satisfying thing to do, and I was able to ask many of the questions I had about what it’s like being a composer today and about Ed’s music. I’m grateful for Ed’s full and […]

Glasgow Short Film Festival

Had a nice time recently at the Glasgow Short Film Festival giving the premiere of Dobrinka Tabakova and Ruth Paxton’s new collaboration PULSE, commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society for the PRS New Music Biennial. The work is for gamelan, percussion and piano duet, with Ruth’s film projected live. The concert also featured various chamber […]

Galway Midwinter Festival

Just back from a great time at this festival, which is part of Music for Galway. As well as the Vaughan-Williams Piano Quintet (an early work of his I did not know, but which turns out to be full of great tunes and passion), I played Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring in the piano 4-hands […]

Milton Court Recording

I recorded my new disc with Artists Recording Company last month. We were incredibly fortunate to be using the fabulous new Milton Court Concert Hall, and it lived up to expectations in every way. The sound of the piano and hall are gorgeous and it was a pleasure to record in such conditions. I’ve been producing the […]

American piano music radio broadcasts

The BBC broadcast some of my recordings as part of their Transatlantic Travel: Americana series on Afternoon on 3 earlier this week: On Tuesday, Edward MacDowell’s Fireside Tales : listen here (47 minutes in) On Wednesday, Amy Beach’s Gavotte fantastique : listen here (39 minutes in) On Friday, Henry Cowell’s Exultation : listen here (2 […]

Britten Holiday Diary BBC broadcast

My recording of Britten’s Holiday Diary (from a concert at Maida Vale Studios in February 2013) was broadcast this weekend, during the interval of the Live in Concert broadcast of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in the Barbican. You can hear it on iPlayer here (about 1 hour in) for the next week or so and […]

Recording project

One of the main things I’m working on at the moment is a disc for Artists Recording Company. They gave me carte blanche on what repertoire I would record, so I had a lot of fun putting the programme together. My starting point was two previously unrecorded works, the first of which was Mark Simpson’s […]

Joining the (New) Dots

I’m very pleased to have become the latest addition to the team who run New Dots. The founders approached me about joining them after the concert in May and I was delighted to accept, so I’m going to be helping out with it for the next couple of years at least. New Dots is a […]

New Dots review

Paul Kilbey wrote the following for Bachtrack after the New Dots concert in May: New Dots is a new initiative devoted to supporting emerging composers and performers in contemporary music, and this was its second-ever concert, at The Forge in Camden. Four world premières and one UK première – all New Dots commissions – plus […]

BBC Maida Vale Studios review

Review from Colin Anderson, for ClassicalSource.com: …Richard Uttley delighted the ear with solo piano music. Benjamin Britten’s Holiday Diary (1934) is of precocious prestidigitation, and Uttley caught unerringly the music’s rippling evocation, its rhythmic flair and its hustle-bustle. If not always obviously by Britten there was no doubting a young man’s talent and confidence, mirrored […]

Biopic

YCAT biopic of me talking about learning Brian Ferneyhough’s extraordinary Lemma-Icon-Epigram and a few other things. Produced by Unveil Arts, funded by The Foyle Foundation. You can hear an excerpt from the recording I’m talking about here.

Mozart Concerto review

Review from Brian Hick for Lark Reviews, on my performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.23 with Brighton Symphony Orchestra: After the stridency of the Verdi, Mozart could have seemed rather too relaxed but Richard Uttley brought a crispness and classical finesse to his playing of the Piano Concerto No23 which was completely convincing. What a pleasure to […]

Bridgewater Hall review

Review from the Canal St blog of my recital in Bridgewater Hall: We had been told that Richard Uttley had given a compelling audition to the friends committee towards the end of last year and so there was no surprise that this young man opened his recital with a flawless performance of Bach’s Partita No 1.  Perhaps […]

Leicester review

Review from recital in Leicester Mercury: Graduating from Clare College, Cambridge in 2008, Richard Uttley is a rising star as a recital pianist. In 2010, he won first prize in the Haverhill Sinfonia Soloist Competition. Richard began a short recital with three waltzes by Chopin. Each was played clarity and feeling bringing out the simplicity […]