Lecturer in Piano, Coach Accompanist

The pianist Gary Beecher has a varied career as a soloist, accompanist, répétiteur and chamber musician. With a wealth of experience and having trained in both London and Ireland, Gary is a classically trained pianist who is also equally at home across several genres of music; from classical, pop, jazz and musical theatre to Irish traditional music.

With a particular passion for working with singers, Gary has had several international competition successes including 1st Prize at the International Nadia and Lili Boulanger Voice-Piano Competition (France), the Rudolf Jansen Pianist Prize at the 53rd International Vocal Competition LiedDuo (Netherlands), and 2nd Pianist Prize at the International Helmut Deutsch Lied Competition (Austria). Previous to this, he was a Samling Artist, a Britten-Pears Young Artist and a winner of the Oxford Lieder Young Artist Platform. Additionally, Gary enjoys working as a répétiteur and has worked with Irish National Opera and Blackwater Valley Opera Festival among other opera companies. Other awards include the Franz Schubert Institute Lieder Prize, Britten-Pears Young Artist, Samling Young Artist and Oxford Lieder Young Artist awards.

As a soloist, Gary was winner of the Irish Freemasons Young Musician of the Year (2014) and has recorded and performed as soloist and orchestral pianist with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Camerata Ireland, and Southbank Sinfonia London. Venues he has performed in include the Barbican Centre and Wigmore Hall (London); National Concert Hall, RDS, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre (Dublin), University Concert Hall (Limerick), Cork Opera House, Triskel & Cork City Hall among others. Radio broadcasts include live and recorded performances on BBC Radio Three and RTÉ Lyric FM.

He completed his MA at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London where he was a Fellow and staff coach accompanist. He holds a BMus and MA from the Cork School of Music (Munster Technological University) and was awarded 1st class honours degrees and top overall performer awards from both Guildhall and Cork School of Music institutions.

Gary currently lives in Cork and is a Lecturer in Piano and Contemporary Keyboards at MTU Cork School of Music.