Murray McLachlan

• Job title: Head of Keyboard
• Department(s): Keyboard
• Specialism(s): Piano

• http://www.murraymclachlan.com

Murray McLachlan has been Head of Keyboard at Chetham’s School of Music since 1997. He is also Professor of Piano at the Royal Northern College of Music and visiting Professor of Piano at the University of St. Andrews. He has taught many musicians who have gone on to have successful careers as musicians, winning numerous prizes and performing internationally.

Since making his professional debut in 1986 at the age of 21 under the baton of Sir Alexander Gibson, Murray McLachlan has consistently received outstanding critical acclaim. Educated at Chetham’s School of Music and Cambridge University, his mentors included Ronald Stevenson, David Hartigan, Ryszard Bakst, Peter Katin and Norma Fisher.

His recording career began in 1988 and immediately attracted international attention. McLachlan was celebrated for Russian Music cycles, recording the 24 Preludes and Fugues of Rodion Shchedrin as well as the complete Sonatas of Kabalevsky, Khatchaturian, Weinberg and major works of Tcherepnin (six concertos) and Khatchaturian. Recordings of contemporary music have won numerous accolades, including full star ratings, as well as ‘rosette’ and ‘key recording’ status in the Penguin Guide to CDs, and ‘Disc of the month’ and ‘Record of the month ‘in ‘Music on the Web’ and ‘The Herald.’ In 2020 he recorded the complete piano works of Edward Gregson for Naxos and 2019 the Ruth Gipps concerto with the RLPO under Charles Peebles for SOMM. 2023 saw the release of a five CD box set world Premiere recording cycle of the complete piano sonatas of Geoffrey Allen (1926-2021). Currently he is completing a six CD box set of the complete piano music of Euan Moseley (b 1944-).

McLachlan’s repertoire includes over 40 concertos and 25 recital programmes. He has given first performances of works by many composers and has appeared as soloist with most of the leading UK orchestras. His recognition has been far-reaching, bringing invitations to perform on all five continents. In 2024 he received invitations to perform in the US, Australia, and Europe as well as in the UK.

In 2001 he founded the world-famous Chetham’s International Piano Summer School, which is now in its 24th season. Billed as ‘The Friendliest Summer School if the World’ it is the largest event of its kind devoted exclusively to piano and annually attracts over three hundred participants and an international faculty of over sixty celebrated pianist-teachers

As well as performing and teaching Murray McLachlan is well known internationally for his numerous articles on Piano technique and repertoire. He has written for International Piano magazine in a column that is now in its twenty-second year. His three books on technique ‘The Foundations of technique,’ ‘Piano Technique in Practice’ and ‘The Psychology of Piano Technique’ were published by Faber, have been reprinted several times and received wide international acclaim.

McLachlan has recently been appointed Patron of EPTA UK, having previously been chair from 2007–21 as well as Chair of the EPTA Parent body. Additionally, he was awarded a knighthood by the Order of St John for services to Maltese Music. He was also patron of the Aberdeen Youth Orchestra and is Vice President of the Northeast of Scotland Music School. In 2013 the University of Dundee awarded Murray McLachlan and honorary doctorate for services to music and education.