Samantha Ward - Piano

British pianist Samantha Ward has performed extensively around the UK and in Europe and has appeared on British television and radio several times. In October 2007, she gave her solo debut recital at London's Wigmore Hall and has given solo recitals in such venues as St Martin in the Fields, St John's Smith Square, St David's Hall Cardiff and Manchester's Bridgewater Hall, as well as in concert halls around Europe. Most recently, in February 2013, Samantha was invited to become a Bluthner Artist and is a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians.

She has won first prize in a number of competitions, starting in 2004 when she won the Making Music Philip and Dorothy Green Award for Young Concert Artists. She also won the Beethoven Society of Europe's Intercollegiate Piano Competition (2006), The Hastings International Concerto Competition as well as the Sir Philip Ledger Prize for the best Mozart or Beethoven Concerto (2006) and the Worshipful Company of Musicians' Maisie Lewis Young Concert Artists Fund Award (2007).  Her debut recital at St John's Smith Square in 2009 was chosen to be recorded by 'Slow Down London', to be featured in their 2010 festival. Also in 2010, Samantha was shortlisted for a 'Woman of the Future' Award in Arts and Culture in association with Shell and as a result, she was invited to give an interview for Stylist Magazine in March 2011.

Samantha was awarded a fellowship from the Guildhall School of Music for the year 2007/8, where she studied under the Senior Professor Joan Havill and was awarded a major educational award from the Musicians' Benevolent Fund to continue her postgraduate studies at the school. She previously studied with Leslie Riskowitz and at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester with the Polish pianist Alicja Fiderkiewicz. Samantha was recently awarded a scholarship from the Dartington International Summer Festival where she took part in master classes with Stephen Bishop-Kovacevich.

In November 2011, Samantha recorded both solo and duet albums of Hans-Gunther Heumann's 'The Classical Piano Method' (with Maciej Raginia) for Schott Music Publishers. In August 2012, she recorded the piano works of Rory Freckleton at the Wathen Hall, St Paul's School. Other recent engagements include recital and concerto engagements around the UK, as well as the first public performance since the 19th Century of the Dora Bright Piano Concerto in A minor with the Morley Chamber Orchestra under Charles Peebles in October 2012.  

In August 2013 Samantha launched and inaugurated Piano Week, her new festival and summer school for pianists held at Bangor University, North Wales. The festival consisted of numerous recitals and master classes given by internationally acclaimed artists as well as concerts given by the festival participants. Piano Week 2014 takes place at Bangor University from 10th-15th August 2014.

Samantha performed the Ireland Piano Concerto with us in March 2012 and Brahms' Piano Concerto No 1 in November 2013.

Find out more about Samantha and her forthcoming engagements on her website