John Paul Ekins
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John Paul Ekins was born in London and began playing the piano at the age of five, many years later graduating from the Royal College of Music and as a scholar at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama with first class degrees, where he studied with John Barstow and Charles Owen respectively. A winner of nineteen prizes at international competitions, he had been presented to her Majesty the Queen and enjoyed a busy career of performing and teaching around the UK and internationally; highlights included recitals at the Wigmore Hall and concerto performances at The Royal Albert Hall.
Then Covid19 happened.
In response to the near obliteration of his busy concert schedule, he set up Cats, Chats & 88 Keys (www.youtube.com/CatsChats88Keys), an online concert series for maintaining a connection with audiences, which raised over £5,000 for the NHS in Spring 2020. With performances coming live from his music room in south-west London, the series is founded on a passionate belief that classical music is for everyone, fuelled by a desire to instil his love for music in others. He delivers informal yet enlightening introductions to welcome and inspire those who are new to classical music, while deepening the experience for those who are more familiar with the genre. He shares his home with five housemates and three quirky cats, who are never far from the music-making.
You can find out more information about John Paul at www.jpekinspianist.com and buy his LIVE solo DVD here: www.jpekinspianist.com/video