Biography
Esther Knight, award winning accompanist and chamber musician, is currently studying an MMus in piano accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of Malcolm Martineau and James Baillieu. As winner of the Major Van Someren-Godfrey Accompanist’s Prize for English Song 2018, and supported by Talent Unlimited, Esther is specialising in song recital accompaniment. Current song projects include Schubert’s Winterreise, Vaughan Williams’ ‘Songs of Travel’, Strauss’ Op.10, Debussy songs, and Rachmaninoff songs. In addition to song accompaniment, Esther is also starting a piano trio, and is working on the Brahms violin and piano sonatas.
Esther previously studied piano at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with Isobel Anderson and Graeme McNaught, graduating in 2015. During her undergraduate studies, she enjoyed many successes as a soloist, achieving ‘Highly commended’ in the Bach competition 2014, ‘Commended’ in the Governor's Recital Prize for Piano 2015, and performed in the Edinburgh Fringe in 2015.
In the two years between her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, Esther took lessons with Jonathan Plowright, gave local recitals with violinists and singers, and took part in a project performing Grieg’s songs in Bergen, in addition to working in Glasgow as a piano teacher, choir accompanist and ballet pianist.
