Hyperion Records

When Arthur Rubinstein presented Yitkin Seow with the bronze medal at the 1977 Piano Competition in Tel Aviv, he hailed his performance of the Brahms ‘Paganini Variations’ as the ‘most wonderful’ he had ever heard, and with the unanimous support of the jury handed him a cheque for a thousand dollars. This unprecedented gesture exemplifies the level of public acclaim with which Yitkin Seow has been greeted at every stage of his career. Born in Singapore, Yitkin Seow was invited at the age of twelve to study in London by Sir Yehudi Menuhin and he continued his studies thereafter with Nadia Boulanger and Vlado Perlemuter. At the age of nineteen he embarked on his international career by winning the BBC Piano Competition, despite being the youngest contender. This prestigious award led to his first appearance at the Royal Festival Hall with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Since then Yitkin Seow has appeared at the Hong Kong Festival with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, and at the Beethovenfest in Bonn, where his performance of the ‘Emperor’ Concerto met with the highest critical acclaim. In the USA he partnered Sir Yehudi Menuhin at the Grand Teton Festival. At the BBC Proms he played the Tippett Piano Concerto with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. His performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto K459 was shown on BBC Television in a series that included Mitsuko Uchida and Peter Donohoe.