Iain Burnside
Iain Burnside is one of the UK's best known musical personalities, juggling a unique portfolio as broadcaster, pianist and musical animateur.
He has presented extensively on BBC Radio 3, with series including Voices (Sony Radio Award), Iain Burnside and Sunday Morning. Individual programmes include recent documentary Who’s afraid of Hugo Wolf? and whole evenings devoted to iconic singers: Maria Callas, Kathleen Ferrier (Voice of the Listener Award), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Peter Pears, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Dame Janet Baker. He is a regular contributor to CD Review. For BBC World Service he hosted and performed in several seasons of The Music Party; for Radio 4 Musical Houses. Television presentation includes BBC Proms, Cardiff Singer of the World, Leeds International Piano Competition and BBC Young Musician of the Year.
Iain is internationally acclaimed as a piano accompanist, in great demand among both luminary and emerging singers, performing in the world's great halls. On record Iain's discography reflects his passion for British music, both familiar and unheralded. He helped develop The NMC Songbook (Gramophone Award), 96 new songs by living British composers.
Acclaimed as a programmer, Iain has worked with numerous halls and festivals. Innovative shows dramatising music and poetry have included collaborations with Fiona Shaw, Harriet Walter and Simon Russell Beale. His long association with London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama now features a directorial role, staging specially conceived shows with singers and pianists. His play Unknown Doors, based on the life of Ivor Gurney, will be premiered in the Barbican Pit in March 2011.
