Duncan Honeybourne

Following concerto debuts in 1998 at Symphony Hall, Birmingham and the National Concert Hall, Dublin, he made recital debuts in London, Paris, and at international festivals in Belgium and Switzerland. His 2012 debut recital disc was described by Gramophone magazine as “not to be missed by all lovers of English music”, whilst BBC Music Magazine reported: “There are gorgeous things here. Hard to imagine better performances.”

Honeybourne has toured extensively in the UK, Ireland and Europe as solo and lecture recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician, appearing at many major venues and leading festivals. His solo performances have been frequently broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and more than 20 networks worldwide, including French, Belgian, Swiss and Austrian Radio, ABC (Australia) and Radio New Zealand. Premieres of over 70 solo works written for him have included John Joubert’s Third Piano Sonata, John Casken’s Tempus Plangendi, Cecilia McDowall’s Notes from Abroad, three piano cycles by Sadie Harrison, Adam Gorb’s After the Darkness, and the Andrew Downes Piano Concerto at Birmingham Town Hall. Duncan has also revived many forgotten scores by composers of earlier generations, and was invited by the BBC to give the world premiere of two rediscovered piano preludes by English romantic composer (and former RAM professor) Susan Spain-Dunk in a recital broadcast live on Radio 3 from St. David's Hall, Cardiff. His discography includes complete recorded cycles of the solo piano music of Moeran and Joubert, plus premiere recordings of piano works by Baines, Bainton, Gurney, Walford Davies and Armstrong Gibbs. He has written on music and musicians for publications including The Times, Guardian, Jewish Chronicle, Classical Music and International Piano.

Duncan studied with Rosemarie Wright at the Junior Academy, winning the senior piano prize in 1995, and graduated from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire with First Class Honours and many prizes. He worked with John York, Dame Fanny Waterman and for three years in London with the Russian pianist Mikhail Kazakevich on a scholarship from the Sheepdrove Trust. Alongside his work at the Academy he is a Piano Tutor at the University of Southampton and Sherborne School.