Sanford-Hill Piano Series: Barry Douglas

Classical pianist and conductor from Northern Ireland, Barry Douglas rose to international renown with the 1980 Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition, the 1985 International Van Cliburn bronze medal, and then the 1986 gold medal in the International Tchaikovsky Competition. As Founder and Artistic Director of Camerata Ireland, the only all-Ireland orchestra and the Clandeboye Festival, he continues to celebrate his Irish heritage whilst also maintaining a busy international touring schedule.

Highly sought-after, he has performed at: Royal Albert Hall, Barbican and Wigmore Hall and the Verbier Festival to the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, Grand Theatre in Shanghai and other cities in China. His roster of concerts include: BBC Scottish Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Berlin Radio Symphony, Staatskapelle Halle, Orchestre National de France, Seattle Symphony, Melbourne and Sydney Symphonies, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Hong Kong Philharmonic orchestras, among others.

His debut album featured a recording of Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” Since then, he has made numerous recordings, including the complete Beethoven piano concertos and the Triple Concerto (with Kim Chee-yun and Andrés Díaz) alongside Camerata Ireland. His recent recording projects with Chandos focus on the solo piano works of Schubert and Tchaikovsky. Barry is also exploring Irish folk music through his own arrangements, working with ancient melodies through to pieces by contemporary song writers.

In the 2002 New Year Honours List, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to music. He holds a Fellowship of the Royal College of Music, where he serves as Visiting Prince Consort Professor of Piano, and an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Queen’s University Belfast. In September 2007, he received an honorary Doctorate of Music from the National University of Ireland. In the 2021 New Year Honours, Barry Douglas was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his contributions to music and community relations in Northern Ireland.

Barry Douglas continues to inspire audiences worldwide with his exceptional talent, dedication, and passion for music. His legacy as a pianist, conductor, and advocate for musical excellence remains enduring and influential.