British pianist Stephen Raine is an artist who is inspired to bring music to an all-encompassing audience. Born in Durham, Stephen began studying music at the age of 6. He first played the Piano Accordion and performed frequently in concerts and festivals throughout his childhood. He began studying the piano after being inspired by hearing the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and includes Bach in many of his performances.
Stephen moved to London in 2010 to study at the London College of Music. He graduated in 2013 with a First Class Honours degree and a Licentiate of the London College of Music (LLCM) diploma in Classical Piano Performance. While studying with ‘Jill Crossland’ he developed a particular affinity with Baroque and Classical repertoire, specialising in the study and performance of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. Previous highlights include receiving the highest grade in the 2010 AQA Media Studies A Level out of 51,000 UK candidates, for which he received the top student award in London.
In 2013 Stephen performed in various UK venues and was invited in July to perform several recitals at the 40 Fingers International Music Festival in Rome. In August he began working at IMG Artists - London, being amongst the top level of the classical music industry in terms of both managers and artists. Becoming familiar and confident with the practices of a global artist management agency enriched Stephen’s industry knowledge and inspiration.
In 2014, Stephen has been broadcast live on Italian Radio Libera Tutti (RLT) with performances from recitals in Italy. He has also performed around the UK including solo and concerto performances. In the coming season, Stephen will spend time in the recording studio, and continue recitals around the UK.
“Music should be available and enjoyed by everyone in any context; I am seeking to speak the music to audiences in a way that is comfortable and individual. The music can then speak distinctively to everyone in their own way.”
Follow Stephen on Facebook @stephenrainepiano and Twitter @raine_stephen.