‘John Lill is one of the great aristocrats of the keyboard, his career dedicated to the communication of music from the composer to the listener unsullied by the intervention of the performer. …A consummate artist who shapes music with an innate understanding that takes us right to the heart of the work.’
Yorkshire Post

John Lill’s concert career spans over fifty years. His rare talent emerged at an early age - he gave his first piano recital at the age of nine. At eighteen he performed Rachmaninov’s 3rd piano concerto under Sir Adrian Boult, followed by his much-acclaimed London debut playing Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ piano concerto at the Royal Festival Hall. His success was reflected in many international prizes and awards, and in 1970 he won the most coveted of these, the Moscow International Tchaikovsky Competition, further consolidating his already busy concert schedule.

John Lill’s extensive repertoire includes more than seventy concertos, and he is acclaimed in particular as a leading interpreter of Beethoven, whose complete sonata cycle he has performed on several occasions in the UK, USA and Japan. In Britain he has given over 30 BBC Promenade concerts and regularly appears with all the major symphony orchestras. He has toured overseas with the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, City of Brimingham, Halle, Royal Scottish National and BBC Symphony Orchestras.

In the New Years Honour’s List in 2005 John Lill was awarded the CBE for his services to music

‘He is one of the greatest pianists alive today. Across the board, I do not know another pianist who could hold a candle to this magisterial keyboard player. Unsurpassed playing. An intellectual giant and mastercraftsman. Beyond words.’