Raymond Clarke

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Raymond Clarke held an academic exhibition whilst an undergraduate at Cambridge University, where he obtained his MA. After studying piano for two years as a postgraduate at the RNCM in Manchester, he made his London South Bank Centre début in March 1988, a recital described by Music and Musicians as 'truly a historic performance' and which according to the critic of The Times 'simply left one in dazed admiration.'

Since then Raymond has been an active recitalist, and has appeared as piano soloist in over forty works with orchestra, ranging from Mozart's concerti to Rachmaninov's Third Concerto, all five Prokofiev concerti, Scriabin's Prometheus and Messiaen's Turangalîla-Symphonie. In recent years his concert appearances at Bristol University have included some of the most technically demanding music ever written for the instrument, such as the Liszt B minor and Dante sonatas, Rachmaninov's Second Sonata (original version), Szymanowski's Second and Third Sonatas, Balakirev’s Islamey, Stravinsky's Three Movements from Petrushka, Messiaen's Cantéyodjayâ, Boulez's Second Sonata, Carter's Night Fantasies, and Tippett's Fourth Sonata. His radio broadcasts have included repertoire ranging from Beethoven's Sonata No. 32 in C Minor Op. 111 to Robert Simpson's Piano Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Of his discography of nine solo compact discs currently available worldwide, two have been chosen by Gramophone magazine's annual 'Critics' Choice' retrospective as being among the best releases on any label. Raymond is also editor of The New Shostakovich, a full-length study of the composer published by Pimlico in July 2006 with a foreword by Vladimir Ashkenazy.

So as to concentrate on giving maximum attention to the work of his piano pupils within the Music Department, Raymond does not undertake any private teaching. Moreover, he insists that concert promoters arrange his engagements around his university teaching schedule — not vice versa. He visits the Victoria Rooms three days each week and is a Patron of Bristol University Music Society.