Kemp English

Kemp English is one of New Zealand’s leading concert performers. Much in demand as a solo organist, collaborative pianist, and specialist fortepiano exponent, he relishes the opportunity to work in a diverse array of styles and periods. His solo CDs Schwammerl, Kemp English at the Fortepiano and the Stormin’ Norma trilogy, showcasing the magnificent Dunedin Town Hall organ, have all met with widespread critical acclaim at home and abroad and feature regularly on Radio New Zealand, the ABC, BBC Radio, Classic FM UK and USA radio networks. His collaborative discs with violin duo partner Robin Wilson (Head of Violin at the Australian National Academy of Music) have been equally well received. He enjoyed a distinguished studentship at the Royal Academy of Music in London and later completed a Master of Arts degree in Music Performance at the University of York. In 2001 he was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music – an honour recognising former students of the Academy who have achieved distinction in the profession. Four years later, after more than a decade as Executant Lecturer in fortepiano, organ and harpsichord performance at the University of Otago, he made the decision to free-lance and concentrate on his increasingly hectic performing and recording career. He continues to tour Australasia and Europe as both a solo and collaborative performer.

In 2010 Kemp English became part of the proof reading team for Christopher Hogwood’s new Bärenreiter edition of the Koželuch keyboard sonatas. This collaborative work with the late Chris Hogwood and his musical assistant Ryan Mark gave him exclusive access to pre-publication copies of all the sonatas in the series. As a result, he was able to complete the world première recording of the complete cycle of Koželuch’s solo keyboard sonatas in April 2013. This groundbreaking set of recordings is now gradually being released on the Grand Piano label. In 2013 the University of Adelaide awarded Kemp English a PhD (with a Dean’s Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence) for this pioneering recording work and associated historically informed Koželuch scholarship.

For more information, please visit www.kempenglish.com.