Steven Osborne OBE, Patron
Steven Osborne OBE is one of Britain’s most treasured musicians, with an immense depth of musicality and exceptional refinement of expression across diverse repertoire, be it in Beethoven or Messiaen, Schubert or Ravel, Prokofiev or jazz improvisations. His numerous awards include The Royal Philharmonic Society Instrumentalist of the Year, two BBC Music Magazine Awards, and two Gramophone Awards.
His residences at London’s Wigmore Hall, Antwerp’s deSingel, the Bath International Music Festival, the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra are a testament to the respect he commands. Described by The Observer as “always a player in absolute service to the composer”, Steven Osborne’s 33 recordings on Hyperion have won multiple awards.
Steven Osborne won first prize at the prestigious Clara Haskil Competition (1991) and the Naumburg International Competition (1997). Born in Scotland, he studied with Richard Beauchamp at St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh, and Renna Kellaway at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He is Visiting Professor at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Patron of the Lammermuir Festival and the Scottish International Piano Competition, and in 2014 was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to music in the 2022 Queen’s New Year Honours.
Meet the Team
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Liz Cameron, Chair of the Board
Liz Cameron, a former Lord Provost of Glasgow, trained as a teacher, lectured in English and Communications in both further and higher education, and served as Chair of Cultural Services, and Economic and Regeneration Services. She completed her political career as Chair of Scotland's largest Education Authority on Glasgow City Council. Liz has received Honorary Doctorates from Glasgow, Strathclyde, and Glasgow Caledonian universities, and an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. She speaks French, German, and Italian, and is extremely proud to have been honoured by the French Republic as an Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In addition to her work with the Scottish International Piano Competition, Liz serves on the Boards of Scottish Opera, the Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre, and the Community Veterans Support, and is a Cultural Counsellor to Glasgow Caledonian University.
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Professor Aaron Shorr, Artistic Director and Chair of the Competition Jury (non-voting)
Aaron Shorr settled in the United Kingdom in 1984, and enjoys an international career as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. As well as appearing at London’s South Bank in over thirty concertos, he has toured extensively. Aaron was a professor and researcher at the Royal Academy of Music in London before going on to become Head of Keyboard and Collaborative Piano at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2006. In 2013, he was awarded a professorship from the RCS, and recently took up a new role as Director of Music. Many of his students have gone on to win major prizes at international competitions.
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Edward Cohen, Chief Executive Officer
Edward Cohen has been working with the Scottish International Piano Competition since 2021. Established as one of the most versatile and in-demand pianists in Scotland, he regularly collaborates with leading musicians in major performance venues and festivals in his home country and beyond. Edward began his studies at London's Royal College of Music when he was ten, and is a first-class, prize-winning graduate of the Royal Academy of Music. He is also an alumnus of Indiana University and the Lucerne Festival Academy. Edward holds two Master of Music degrees with Distinction from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where he received top awards in solo and chamber music performance, including the Governors’ Recital Prize. He currently holds positions there as the School of Music Manager and a Lecturer in the keyboard department. Additionally, he teaches at the University of Glasgow and delivers masterclasses in higher education institutions both at home and abroad.
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Raymond Williamson
Honorary President
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Helen Chalmers
Honorary Vice President
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David Ballantine | Liz Cameron (Chair) | Ian Dickson | Alistair Mackie | Amanda MacLeod | David Robinson | Professor Aaron Shorr | Antonina Suhanova
Board Members
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Professor Fali Pavri (Head) | John Byrne | Ian Fountain
Competition Selection Committee