Described by Gramophone magazine as “one of the finest British pianists of his generation”, Charles Owen has performed extensively to outstanding critical acclaim.

He has appeared at London’s Barbican and Queen Elizabeth Hall and regularly gives recitals at the Wigmore Hall. Internationally he has performed at the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York, the Brahms Saal in Vienna’s Musikverein, the Paris Louvre, and the Moscow Conservatoire. His chamber music partners include, Antje Weithaas, Chloe Hanslip, Adrian Brendel, Natalie Clein and Nicholas Daniel as well as the Vertavo and Vogler Quartets.

Charles studied in London at the Yehudi Menuhin School, the Royal College of Music with Irina Zaritskaya and later furthered his studies with Imogen Cooper. He has won numerous awards, including the Silver Medal at the Scottish International Piano Competition (1995) and the 1997 Parkhouse Award with the violinist Katharine Gowers.

A frequent guest at festivals such as Bath, Cheltenham, West Cork and Perth, Australia
Charles has also performed with the Philharmonia, Royal Scottish National, London Philharmonic and the Moscow State Academic Symphony orchestras.

Charles’ first disc for SOMM, of the piano music of Leos Janácek, is listed as a “key” recording in the Penguin Good CD Guide. This was followed by a highly praised disc of works by Poulenc selected as Editor’s and Critic’s Choice by Gramophone. Together with Natalie Clein, he has recorded cello and piano sonatas by Brahms, Schubert Rachmaninov and Chopin for EMI. Charles Owen is a Professor of piano at the Guildhall School in London.