Piers Lane

{{Short description|Australian pianist (born 1958)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist | honorific_prefix = | name = Piers Lane | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AO|size=100}} | image = PiersLane.jpg | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = Lane, pictured as the artistic director of the [[Australian Festival of Chamber Music]] | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = {{birth-date and age|8 January 1958}} | birth_place = London, UK | origin = | death_date =  | death_place = | genre = [[Classical music]] | occupation = Pianist; academic; festival director | instrument = Piano | years_active = 1977–present | label = | associated_acts = | website = http://www.pierslane.com/ | module = {{Infobox person | child = yes  | alma_mater = [[Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University|Queensland Conservatorium]] }} }} '''Piers Lane''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AO}} (born 8 January 1958)<ref>{{citation|title=Lane, Piers (1958–....)|work=Catalogue général|publisher=[[Bibliothèque nationale de France]]|date=16 September 2009|id={{BnF|139315758}}}} {{retrieved|access-date=10 April 2024}}</ref> is an Australian [[classical music|classical]] [[pianist]].

== Early life and education== Lane's English father and Australian mother met while auditioning as piano students for the [[Royal College of Music]]. Lane was born in London and he grew up in [[Brisbane]]. He graduated with a Medal of Excellence from the [[Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University|Queensland Conservatorium of Music]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.griffith.edu.au/future-students/our-study-areas/music/why-study-at-griffith/graduate-success |title=Queensland Conservatorium: Graduate success |access-date=11 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011212738/http://www.griffith.edu.au/future-students/our-study-areas/music/why-study-at-griffith/graduate-success |archive-date=11 October 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> where his teacher was [[Nancy Weir]], winning the Margaret Nickson Prize in 1978<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/135743/Margaret-Nickson-2009.pdf|title=Margaret Nickson Prizes for Voice and Accompaniment|website=Griffith.edu.au|access-date=9 September 2020}}</ref> and the Ruby C Cooling prize in 1977 and 1978.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/135739/Ruby-C-Cooling-2009.pdf|title=Ruby C Cooling Prize|website=Griffith.edu.au|access-date=9 September 2020}}</ref> He was later awarded an [[Honorary degree|honorary doctorate]] by the conservatorium.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.griffith.edu.au/music/queensland-conservatorium/partnerships-collaboration |title=Queensland Conservatorium: Honorary Fellows of the Conservatorium and Doctors of the University |access-date=13 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003235415/http://www.griffith.edu.au/music/queensland-conservatorium/partnerships-collaboration |archive-date=3 October 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

He first came to prominence at the inaugural [[Sydney International Piano Competition]] in 1977, at which he was named Best Australian Pianist (he was a judge at the 2004 competition). He later studied overseas on a [[Churchill Fellowship]].<ref name=Spanswick>{{cite web|url=https://melaniespanswick.com/2013/09/08/piers-lane-in-conversation-with-melanie-spanswick/|access-date=10 April 2024|title=Piers Lane in conversation with Melanie Spanswick|date=8 September 2013|website=melaniespanswick.com}}</ref>

== Career == {{BLP sources section|date=August 2023}} Highlights of Lane's career include a standing ovation for Busoni's [[Piano Concerto (Busoni)|Piano Concerto]] at [[Carnegie Hall]] in New York with the [[American Symphony Orchestra]] under [[Leon Botstein]];<ref name=Spanswick /> Beethoven's [[Piano Concerto No. 5 (Beethoven)|''Emperor'' Concerto]] with [[The Queensland Orchestra]], which received a [[Limelight Award]] for Best Orchestral Concert of 2007; concerto appearances with the [[City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra|City of Birmingham Symphony]], [[London Philharmonic Orchestra|London Philharmonic]], [[The Hallé|Hallé]] and [[Ulster Orchestra]]s; a solo recital in Birmingham's [[Symphony Hall, Birmingham|Symphony Hall]] for the [[BBC]]; a three-recital series called ''Metamorphoses'' and an all-[[Frédéric Chopin|Chopin]] recital at the [[Wigmore Hall]] in London;<ref name=Spanswick /> and appearances in many major piano festivals in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Scandinavia. He has also played with all ABC and BBC Orchestras, the Aarhus, City of Birmingham, [[Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra|Bournemouth]], [[Gothenburg Symphony|Gothenburg]] and [[New Zealand Symphony Orchestra]]s, the Hallé, [[Philharmonia Orchestra|Philharmonia]], Kanazawa Ensemble and [[City of London Sinfonia]], the London, [[Royal Liverpool Philharmonic]] and [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]]s and the [[Orchestre National de France]] among many others. He has been soloist five times at the [[BBC Proms]] in London's [[Royal Albert Hall]].

Engagements in Australia and New Zealand during 2008 include a second national tour with [[Cheryl Barker]] and her husband baritone [[Peter Coleman-Wright]] for [[Musica Viva Australia]],<ref>[https://theoperacritic.com/tocreviews2.php?review=sn/2008/sydbarkercwright0608.htm "A musical reunion"] by Sarah Noble, 2 June 2008, theoperacritic.com</ref> concerto performances in Christchurch and Dunedin and solo recitals in Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Newcastle, Noosa and Perth.

Recent collaborations as a chamber player have included a Musica Viva tour of Australia with violist/composer [[Brett Dean]] and performances with [[Anne Sofie von Otter]] and [[Bengt Forsberg]]<ref>[http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/artist_page.asp?name=forsberg Piers Lane] at [[Hyperion Records]]</ref> in Malmö, Stockholm and the [[Bergen International Festival]]. He continues his long-standing partnership with British violinist [[Tasmin Little]] in UK recital tours. Piers Lane is Patron of the [https://www.accompanistsguildofqld.org.au Accompanists Guild of Queensland, Inc.]<ref>{{cite web |title=AGQ Patron |url=https://www.accompanistsguildofqld.org.au/committee/ |publisher=Accompanists Guild of Queensland|access-date=20 February 2025}}</ref>

Since 2007, Lane is the artistic director of the [[Australian Festival of Chamber Music]] held annually in [[Townsville]].<ref name=Spanswick />

Lane has an extensive discography on the [[Hyperion Records|Hyperion]] label and has also recorded for [[EMI]], [[Decca Records|Decca]], [[Bertelsmann Music Group|BMG]], [[Lyrita]] and Unicorn-Khanchana. Recent releases from Hyperion include concertos by [[Eyvind Alnæs]] and [[Christian Sinding]], a [[Frederick Delius|Delius]] song disc with [[Yvonne Kenny]] and a recording of [[Ernest Bloch]]'s Piano Quintets with the [[Richard Goldner|Goldner String Quartet]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ingpen.co.uk/artist_detail.php?aid=84 |title=Ingpen & Williams Goldner Quartet page |access-date=24 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080309144941/http://www.ingpen.co.uk/artist_detail.php?aid=84 |archive-date=9 March 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> which was an Editor's Choice in the December 2007 ''[[Gramophone (magazine)|Gramophone]]'' magazine and ''[[BBC Music Magazine]]''{{'}}s Record of the Month for February 2008. He is one of the few pianists to have recorded [[John Ireland (composer)|John Ireland]]'s [[Piano Concerto (Ireland)|Piano Concerto in E-flat major]]. In 2014 Hyperion released his recording of the complete piano concertos of [[Malcolm Williamson]], including the world premiere recording of the 4th Piano Concerto. Lane is a well-known voice on [[BBC Radio 3]], having written and presented more than 100 programs, including a 54-part series called ''The Piano''.

In 1994 he was made an Honorary Member of the [[Royal Academy of Music]], where he has been a professor of piano since 1989. In 2007 he received an honorary doctorate from [[Griffith University]], Brisbane. Lane is patron and an active supporter of the [[Tait Memorial Trust]] in London, a charitable foundation to support young Australian performing artists in the UK.

Lane is the artistic director of the [[Myra Hess]] Day held annually at the [[National Gallery]] in London, and of the 2009 Bloch Festival at Wigmore Hall. Lane's recording of Ernest Bloch Piano Quintets Nos. 1 and 2 with the Goldner Quartet (Hyperion) was nominated for ''BBC Music Magazine'' Awards in 2009.<ref>[http://www.afcm.com.au/events_artists.php?artistid=52 "Festival artists: Piers Lane"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091012151445/http://afcm.com.au/events_artists.php?artistid=52 |date=12 October 2009 }}, [[Australian Festival of Chamber Music]]</ref>

In the [[2012 Queen's Birthday Honours (Australia)|2012 Queen's Birthday Honours]] list, Lane was named an Officer of the [[Order of Australia]] for "distinguished service to the performing arts as an internationally renowned classical pianist, to professional and cultural organisations, and to the development of emerging musicians".<ref>{{Cite It's an Honour|ausawardid=1145762|date=11 June 2012|recipient=Piers Lane|award=Officer of the Order of Australia|postnominal=AO|citation=|access-date=10 April 2024}}</ref>

In April 2015, following the death of the inaugural artistic director [[Warren Thomson]] in February, Piers Lane was announced as the artistic director of the 2016 [[Sydney International Piano Competition]].<ref>[http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/news/piers-lane-lead-sydney-international-piano-competition Maxim Boon, "Piers Lane to lead Sydney International Piano Competition"], ''[[Limelight (magazine)|Limelight]]'', 8 April 2015 {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150410102110/http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/news/piers-lane-lead-sydney-international-piano-competition |date=10 April 2015 }}</ref>

Lane won the [[Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award]] in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ling |first=Susanna |date=2022-11-01 |title=Piers Lane (AO) announced as recipient of 2022 Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award |url=https://finearts-music.unimelb.edu.au/about-us/news/piers-lane-ao-announced-as-recipient-of-2022-sir-bernard-heinze-memorial-award |access-date=2024-04-10|publisher=[[Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne]]}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== *{{official|http://www.pierslane.com/}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120922072812/http://www.hazardchase.co.uk/artists/piers_lane "Piers Lane"], Hazard Chase Music Management (archived 22 September 2012) *[https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/a.asp?a=A303 "Piers Lane (piano)"], [[Hyperion Records]]

{{Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award|state=collapsed}} {{Portal bar|Biography|Classical music}} {{Authority control|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lane, Piers}} [[Category:1958 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Australian male classical pianists]] [[Category:English emigrants to Australia]] [[Category:Piano educators]] [[Category:Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University alumni]] [[Category:Musicians from Brisbane]] [[Category:Musicians from London]] [[Category:Academics of the Royal Academy of Music]] [[Category:Honorary members of the Royal Academy of Music]] [[Category:Sydney International Piano Competition prize-winners]] [[Category:Officers of the Order of Australia]] [[Category:Sydney International Piano Competition]] [[Category:21st-century Australian classical pianists]] [[Category:21st-century male pianists]]