Paul Lewis

Paul Lewis (Liverpool, 20 May 1972) is an English classical pianist. He has performed with leading orchestras such as Wiener Symphoniker, London Philharmonic, London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony and Melbourne Symphony, under the direction of conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Christoph von Dohnányi, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Marin Alsop and Richard Hickox. In chamber music settings, he performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Adrian Brendel, Sine Nomine Quartet and Leopold String Trio.

Paul's father worked in the port of Liverpool and his mother worked for the municipal administration. When he was four years old, he received a small organ as a gift from his uncle. Although the instrument had barely eight notes, Paul experimented with it. Although his family had little interest in music, he began borrowing records of music by Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven from the library at the age of eight or nine. At school he played cello, because that was the only instrument for which lessons were available to him. At age 14, he was admitted to Chetham's School of Music in Manchester and was finally able to study piano. His teachers included Ryszard Bakst (at Chetham's), Joan Havill (at Guildhall School of Music and Drama) and Alfred Brendel.

In 1994, he won second prize at the World Piano Competition 1994 in London.