“Roscoe is a pianist who both thinks and offers full-blooded playing of breadth and depth. In this country, he is an uncommon creature.” Daily Telegraph

Programme - 4 December

Martin Roscoe is a versatile musician who flourishes in performance, whether as a concerto soloist, recitalist or chamber musician. He is an artist who endeavours always to serve the composer and the music. His enduring popularity and solid reputation are built on a deeply thoughtful musicianship which is allied to an easy rapport with audiences and fellow musicians alike. He has enjoyed working as a soloist under such eminent conductors as Sir Simon Rattle, Kent Nagano, Luciano Berio, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Andrew Litton and Mark Wigglesworth. He maintains strong links with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, with whom he has given over eighty performances, the BBC Philharmonic and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, appearing with the orchestra on more than forty occasions.

One of Britain’s most prolific recitalists, Roscoe performs at the Wigmore Hall every season. His chamber music partnerships include some long standing collaborations with artists such as Tasmin Little, Michael Collins, Steven Osborne, the Leopold String Trio and the Brodsky, Endellion and Sorrel Quartets. His piano duo with Peter Donohoe, formed in student days, has resulted in recordings that include a Gershwin disc, selected as Editor's Choice in Gramophone magazine, and a Rachmaninov disc, reviewed in February 2007’s BBC Music Magazine as ”a remarkable achievement”. One of his most important chamber music partnerships has developed only in recent seasons: the Cropper Welsh Roscoe Trio with Peter Cropper and Moray Welsh. Together this trio have performed across the UK with highlights including BBC broadcasts, a performance at Wigmore Hall, recordings of the Beethoven Trios, a forthcoming engagement in Ischia at the former home of William Walton and a series at London’s newest venue, King’s Place.

Roscoe’s numerous recording projects have included piano concertos by Dohnanyi for Hyperion, Dohnany’s solo works for ASV, James MacMillan’s The Berserking for Chandos and a solo disc of J.S. Bach Transcriptions for Hyperion. He has recently recorded the complete Beethoven violin sonatas with Peter Cropper for Sanctuary Classics and is now recording the complete Beethoven piano sonatas for the Deux-Elles label.

A respected and much loved member of the conservatoire teaching establishment, Roscoe has held positions at the Royal Academy of Music and, now, at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He is the Artistic Director of both the Beverley Chamber Music Festival and the Ribble Valley International Piano Week.

Roscoe’s current diary includes a recital tour of New Zealand; chamber music at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, Wigmore Hall, London and The Sage, Gateshead; and concerto engagements with Manchester Camerata, Royal Flanders Philharmonic under James MacMillan, the Halle under Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, BBC National Orchestra of Wales under James Judd, BBC Philharmonic under Gianandrea Noseda and the English Chamber Orchestra.

"Roscoe remains one of the most reassuring voices, bringing mastery and sheer musical quality to bear on everything he plays.”
The Gramophone