Richard Saxel

Richard Saxel has established a reputation as one of the most engaging concert pianists of his generation. He studied with the late Clifford Benson whilst reading a Music degree (with History of Art) at the University of York, and then with Michael Dussek as a postgraduate at the Royal Academy of Music, and as a result has a strong affinity for the art of chamber music and piano accompaniment. One of Richard’s great attributes is his versatility; he works regularly with accomplished singers and instrumentalists, and has worked with a fascinating variety of artists from Indonesian puppeteers to ballet dancers, tango musicians, trapeze artists, music theatre performers, opera and jazz singers and he was one of the six pianists in Piano Circus. He has performed worldwide at many major festivals, including the Abu Dhabi International Festival, Istanbul International Festival, Lucerne Festival, La Roque D’Antheron, The Big Chill, the Victoria Arts Festival in Gozo, the Cheltenham Festival and the Dartington International Summer School, as well as at several of London’s leading venues and at St. David’s Hall in Cardiff. In 2012, Richard gave two concerts in Rome, celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee at the invitation of Her Majesty’s British Ambassador to Italy. He won the National Federation of Music Societies Making Music Award, is a Steinway Artist, and was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2016, recognizing a significant contribution to the music profession. He is strongly committed to music education, regularly adjudicates for festivals and competitions, and is currently Head of Performance at Cranleigh School in Surrey, where he has taught since 2001.