Biography
Television and on-stage performances throughout the world have won Richard Deering a reputation as one of Britain’s leading – and most entertaining – soloists and lecture-recitalists.
He studied in London with Frank Merrick and Peter Wallfisch and his engagements, which have been in remote villages as well as major cities, have taken him to more than 90 countries worldwide. Recognised as an authority on British music through his lectures, concerts, broadcasts, recordings and writings, he has been entrusted with many first performances by leading composers of the calibre of Malcolm Arnold, Thomas Wilson, Edward Gregson, Edward McGuire and Brian Chapple. Many composers have written especially for him and he has commissioned several new works, while, recently he has re-introduced audiences to the Piano Concerti of William Sterndale-Bennett and Cedric Thorpe-Davie. In 1981 he was elected a member of the Royal Philharmonic Society for “distinguished services to British music,” while in 2006 he was given the Trinity College London Chairman’s Award for services to musical education assessment. In 2012, he was elected a Fellow of the British & International Federation of Festivals, along with just three others, for his adjudication work.
Apart from solo and lecture-recitals, he is very busy as an accompanist, working with artists, in the past, as diverse as Robert Tear, James Blades, John Lawrenson, Brian Raynor Cooke, Linda Richardson and Martine McCutcheon. He has also given lighter programmes of music and conversation for several television stations and cruise liners.
Richard Deering has considerable experience as a teacher, and has also served on competition juries throughout the British Isles as well as International and National Competitions in Canada, Trinidad, South Africa, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
Listen to an extract from Richard Deering’s new recording of the Parry Piano Sonata No.2
Reviews
“An exciting pianist . . .” – Malcolm Arnold
“The bravura of the Liszt was delivered with panache and the depth of comprehension in the modern works was compelling.” – The Daily Telegraph
“A born romantic artist . . .” – Sun Herald, Sydney
“Performances of great sensitivity . . .” – Irish Times
“A convincing advocate for all forms of modern British music.” – The Gramophone
“Deering’s recital was a welcome relief from the more verbose concerts to which we are used . . .” – Hong Kong Standard
“An artist of maturity . . .” – Het Parool, Amsterdam
“Deering’s performances are poetic and persuasive.” – EPTA (European Piano Teachers’ Association) magazine review of the CD of Carey Blyton’s piano music
“You are the only person who has played my piano music with a real sense of my musical intentions” – John Paynter
Discography
In September this year, Richard will be recording the complete piano works of Alan Ridout for Heritage Records.
3 CD’s will be issued on the Heritage Record label:
a) Remastering of Pearl LP taken live from Elisabeth Lutyen’s Birthday Recital in 1976 – works by Lutyens, Saxton, Elias, Blake Watkins, Williamson and RR Bennett.
b) Remastering of BMS cassette featuring the complete piano works of William Wordsworth plus works written for Deering by Thomas Wilson and Edward McGuire
There are moments with almost spiritual harmonies, great variety in tempi along with passages of ferocious pianism dashingly performed by Richard Deering. . . . played with sparkling brilliance by Richard Deering – British Music Society
Richard Deering, in a superb account of this powerful piece, brings the stylistic threads together in a satisfying unity. I was most impressed by Deering’s performances of this music, and that of McGuire and Wilson. As an enthusiast of William Wordsworth, I would wish to have in my collection: impressive performances all round – MusicWeb International
. . . all of them heard in idiomatic and insightful readings by Richard Deering. Does it all work? It does, Deering is so evidently attuned to this music. Is it recommended? Indeed! – Arcana
c) The 2 Piano Sonatas by Parry plus Parry’s Charakterbilder and 5 Miniatures.
“This is an extremely valuable and enjoyable disc.” – Records International US
“This is a splendid new release of Parry’s piano music. Richard Deering brings consummate skill to these varied works. He assimilates the influences of earlier composers with Parry’s personal skill and creates a satisfying whole. The recording is outstanding, as is the CD documentation.” – MusicWeb International
“British music stalwart Richard Deering offers straightforward readings of all the music, and with a similarly clear and straightforward recording it is good news to see that Heritage plan at least two more issues from this enterprising soloist.” – British Music Society
Richard Deering has recorded commercially for several labels in the UK and Japan.
Mediterranean Inspired is a collection of the music of Charles Camilleri and is issued on MaxSound MSCB 62.
His acclaimed recording of the piano music of Carey Blyton is available on Apollo Sound ASCD 204.
Principle Teaching Posts
1979-86 Avery Hill College of Education
1983-86 London College of Music
1986-91 Middlesex Polytechnic (Trent Park)
1995/6 1991 Visiting Guest Lecturer, Trinity College, Dublin
1990/91 Visiting Guest Lecturer, State University of New York
1996 onwards – Visiting Professor, Trinity College of Music, London
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Performing and Touring
2027
February 2027 –
Guernsey
March 2027 –
Milton Keynes
Truro
2026
February 2026 –
Brighton
April 2026 –
Hull
July 2026 –
Chair of Jury – Norah Sande Award, Eastbourne
September 2026 –
Recording complete solo piano works of Alan Ridout for Heritage Records
November 2026 –
Woking
2025
February 2025 –
Worthing
March 2025 –
Milton Keynes
Colchester
July 2025 –
Chair of the Jury – Norah Sande Award, Eastbourne
July/ August 2025 –
Sri Lanka Performing Arts Festival, Con Brio Festival, Mumbai
2024
February 2024 –
Greenock
Portsmouth
Glasgow
March 2024 –
Dudley
July 2024 –
Chair of Jury for the Norah Sande Award (Eastbourne)
Sri Lanka Performing Arts Festival
October 2024 –
Glasgow
November 2024 –
Cornwall
2023
March 2023 – Edinburgh
July 2023 – Chair of Jury for the Norah Sande Award (Eastbourne)
December 2023 – Arles (France) – memorial recital for Andrew Peggie, including “Sunrise Sonata” written for Richard Deering’s 2001 concerts in Malaysia
2022
February 2022 – Huddersfield
March 2022 – Hastings
July 2022 – Chair of Jury for Norah Sande Award (Eastbourne)
2021
February 2021 – Huddersfield
June 2021 – Sri Lanka Performing Arts Festival
2020
January 2020 – Fairfield Hall and Eastbourne
April 2020 – Milan
May 2020 – Fareham
July 2020 – Norah Sande Award (Chair of the Jury)
November 2020 – Woking
November 2020 – Marlow
2019
January 2019 – India (Chennai, Bangalore, Guwahati)
March 2019 – Milton Keynes; Colchester
June 2019 – Tirunivelli, Tuticorin, Coimbatore – India
August 2019 – Sri Lanka Performing Arts Festival / Con Brio Festival, Mumbai
September 2019 – Hong Kong
October 2019 – Cape Town
November 2019 – Woking: organising the inaugural London Mozart Players Concerto Competition in Fairfield Halls, Croydon
December 2019 – Mumbai and Delhi
2018
February 2018 Cork
March 2018 Glasgow
April 2018 Pontefract
May 2018 Purcell Room with Piano40
May 2018 English Music Festival
(recital to acknowledge Eddie McGuire’s 70th birthday and the 100th anniversary of Parry’s death)
June 2018 Horsham
July 2018 Jury member for Norah Sande Award (Eastbourne)
July 2018 Con Brio Festival (Mumbai)
August 2018 Festival of the Arts (Singapore)
2017
February 2017 Fairfield Halls, Croydon
March 2017 Doncaster, Bath, Exeter (Sterndale Bennett 4th Concerto)
July 2017 member of judging panel for the Norah Sande Award in Eastbourne
August 2017 Con Brio Festival, Mumbai
October 2017 South Africa
November 2017 Camborne, St Austell
December 2017 Mumbai
2016
March 2016 Darlington, Glasgow & Edinburgh (with Grimoire), Brighton and Southampton
April 2016 Fairfield Halls, Croydon (with Grimoire)
June 2016 Wantage, Colchester, Horsham, Fairfield Halls Croydon
September 2016 Australia
Several recitals including English Music Festival to commemorate William Sterndale Bennett’s 200th anniversary.
2015
February 2015 Watford
March 2015 Chichester
April 2015 Gibraltar
May 2015 Fareham, Cheltenham
June 2015 Cleethorpes
July 2015 Eastbourne (Jury member for Norah Sande Award)
November 2015 South Africa
Contact Information
55 Dalmally Road
Addiscombe
Croydon
Surrey CR0 6LW
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)20 8656 6222
E-mail: deeringrichard@hotmail.com
Richard Deering GTCL FTCL LRAM ARCM
is a Member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians