This is how journalist Paul Driver described Andrew’s 2007 Wigmore Hall recital, which vividly confirms that Andrew Zolinsky is not only a pianist of technical mastery and interpretive vision, but also a versatile pianist whose outstanding repertoire ranges from early classical works to the most avant-garde repertoire.

His close relationships with Simon Holt, Louis Andriessen, Poul Ruders, Michael Finnissy, Martin Butler and David Lang have led to a series of world premieres, including David Lang’s ‘Memory pieces’ (New York, 2000), ‘Psalms without Words’ (New York, 2003) as well as his piano concerto commissioned by the BBC and premiered in 2004 with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted by Grant Llewellyn. 

Andrew is a keen exponent of the music of Unsuk Chin, and performed her complete Etudes for solo piano at the Royal Northern College of Music in February 2007 as part of a festival celebrating the Korean composer’s work.  He gave the French première of the Etudes at the Festival Musica as part of the 2007 Festival Musica in Strasbourg and the London première of her Piano Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, as a result of which, the orchestra immediately invited him back to perform the Barber Concerto, which was later broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

The recipient of an English speaking Union scholarship at the age of eight, Andrew began his piano studies at the highly renowned ‘Purcell School’ with teachers Hilary Macnamara and Stephen Betteridge, and took part in masterclasses with Tamas Vasary, John Ogdon and Albert Ferber. He then attended Phyllis Sellick’s class at the Royal College of music where he won most of the college’s top prizes. In 1998, Andrew Zolinsky won first prize in ‘The San Francisco International Piano Concerto Competition’.     

In addition to his appearances with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Andrew has performed with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Concert Orchestra and Sinfonia 21, and has worked under the baton of such distinguished conductors as David Robertson, Diego Masson, Martyn Brabbins, Nicholas Cleobury, Robin Stapleton, Miguel Harth-Bedoya and Simon Joly. Andrew recently performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Charles Hazlewood in a performance of Beethoven's third Concerto.

Andrew has also appeared at the Barbican Hall, Wigmore Hall, Bridgewater Hall and Symphony Hall, and he has been heard on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, German Radio, Czech Radio and the BBC Radio Ulster, the latter for two recitals of works by Irish composers.

His most recent recordings include the complete piano music of Schoenberg (Mollterz label - 2009) and a CD of modern Swiss composers for Guild (2008).

Andrew is Head of Keyboard at the London College of Music.

July 2008