John Bryden

Biography

A former member of the National Youth Orchestra of Britain, John is a member of the Dartington Piano Duo and has played across Britain and Europe as a soloist, accompanist and chamber musician. For many years John coached at the Dartington International Summer School, where he performed in master-classes given by Jacqueline du Pré.

John has given concerts from California to Kathmandu via Wigmore Hall and was classical pianist on M.S. Saga Rose for eighteen cruises around much of the world.

Among the musicians with whom John has performed are Emma Kirkby, Neil Mackie, Kathleen Livingstone, Andrew Kennedy, William Bennett, Frances Mason, James Halsey, Richard Deakin, Emma Ferrand, Richard Adeney, David Campbell, Graham Sheen, Oliver Butterworth, Naomi Butterworth, Michael Evans, Jack Brymer, Colin Sauer, Charles Tunnell, Crispian Steel-Perkins, The Dartington Quartet and The Allegri Quartet.
 
John read Music at Emmanuel College, Cambridge as Greenwood Music Exhibitioner and he combined this with studies with Peter Katin in London, Guido Agosti in Accademia Chigiana, Siena and Claudio Arrau in Bonn during the Beethoven Bi-Centenary Celebrations. He valued greatly the advice of Clifford Curzon and Hans Keller.

ACE Coffee Conversations

On a bright autumn morning a few weeks ago, long-standing ACE Tour Director John Bryden came to visit us at Stapleford Granary to chat about his life in music over a cup of coffee. We spoke about his many years as an ACE Tour Director, the places he's been and the people he's met, and how music came to be his passion.

A Life in Music - Part 1

The second part of our 'coffee conversation' with John Bryden, who discusses his favourite ACE tour, and the origins of the famous red hat which will be memorable to all those who have travelled with John.

A Life in Music - Part 2