Biography

Born in Neath, South Wales in 1981, Richard began playing the piano in 1993. From 1996-2000 he studied with Miss Mary Rees (formerly Head of Piano at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama), furthering his studies in 2000 at the Royal College of Music, London, studying piano with the late Yonty Solomon and composition with Edwin Roxburgh and Kenneth Hesketh. He graduated from the RCM in July 2004.
Richard has performed extensively at a range of venues including Wigmore Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Chipping Campden Music Festival, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Cheltenham Town Hall, Salisbury City Hall and at Buckingham Palace.
He has made many television appearances and has worked with a wide variety of performers, including Max Bygraves, Isla St. Clair, Sir Willard White, Geri Halliwell, Connie Fisher (The Sound of Music), John Owen Jones (Les Miserables), and Rhydian Roberts (XFactor).
In demand as an accompanist for concerts, competitions and theatrical productions, Richard is currently Musical Director of Gyrlais Male Choir. From 2007 to 2008 he was accompanist to Dunvant Male Choir and from 2007 to 2010 he was Accompanist of Morriston Phoenix Choir.
Richard's compositional output consists of solo, vocal, ensemble and choral music. He has scored the soundtrack to three independent films, the latest of which (La Vie de Guy Lacelle), was shown at the Banff Film Festival in Alberta, Canada.
He is represented by Cyfansoddwyr Cymru/Composers of Wales, a professional organisation based at Wales' Millennium Centre, which promotes the music of Welsh composers. His music is published by Canasg (UK), Lassus Publications (Canada) and thatnewmusicwebsite.com.
A Whisperings Artist, his debut solo piano album of his own music entitled Passing Thoughts was released in March 2010 followed by November in November 2010. His third album Echoes was released in November 2011.
For more information please visit his website richardpjohn.com