Scottish pianist Catherine Duncan is passionate about both musical dialogue and classical performance as powerful means of bringing people together. She loves to curate programmes which allow works to be heard with a fresh perspective and which draw upon little explored links between composers.

Highlights of the last year's schedule include a performance of Ravel's Concerto in G with the Frome Symphony conducted by Mark Gateshill in the final night of the Frome Festival, and a solo recital which opened Dunblane Cathedral’s summer concert series

Catherine studied with Alasdair Beatson at the Royal Birmingham where she was recently awarded the Marjorie Hazlehurst Piano Award, given to a student “whose Major Project demonstrates the greatest imagination, enterprise and highest level of performance.” This project involved a performance of Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto in C major, Op. 15 in an arrangement for piano and string quintet by Vincenz Lachner. She is excited to be commencing an Artist Masters at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she will study with Carole Presland from September 2023.

Catherine studied in the RCS Junior Department with Claire Haslin. During these formative years she also studied violin with Kathleen Simans. Her experience there deeply impacted her, fostering in her a love not only of music and performance but of the intrinsic value of musical connection. This instilled in her a strong desire to give back and fuelled her passion for music education, which has led to her becoming an Ambassador for the Benedetti Foundation.