"Revelatory playing from the extraordinary Ethan Loch." — William Ruff, Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham (5 stars)
Performance in May 2024 with Manchester Camerata was recognised by Fiona Maddocks of The Guardian as one of her "Top 10 Concerts and Operas of 2024."
"Clearly a young man of genius" — Rustem Hayroudinoff, Professor of Piano, Royal Academy of Music
"The foot-stamping on the resonant wooden floors, as he took his bow, collapsible cane in hand, told the youthful soloist he had triumphed." — The Guardian (5 stars)
"(Ethan) has developed into a world class concert pianist and composer and thrilled the audience tonight with his dazzling playing and his utterly committed artistry" — Edinburgh Music Review
Hailing from Scotland, pianist Ethan Loch has captivated audiences from an early age with his expressive playing and remarkable musicality. Blind since birth, he began learning piano at the age of four and graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2026 with First Class Honours, receiving the Principal's Award as the most outstanding music student in his graduating year. In the same year, he won the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Concerto Competition and was shortlisted for the Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award.
At the age of eighteen, Ethan was a Grand Finalist of BBC Young Musician of the Year, delivering a widely acclaimed performance of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Mark Wigglesworth. This led to engagements with leading UK orchestras, including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
A regular recitalist, Ethan performs throughout Scotland and across the UK. In 2023, he was a prizewinner at the prestigious Verbier Festival Academy in Switzerland. His competition successes also include first prize at the Scottish International Youth Piano Competition (2019), the Premio Assoluto at the 15th International 'Giuseppe Sciacca' Awards (2016), and second prize at the inaugural Nashville International Chopin Piano Competition (2023).
Alongside his work as a pianist, Ethan is an accomplished composer and improviser with a keen interest in jazz and classical improvisation. His original works have been featured by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Manchester Camerata, and his Piano Quintet was recently performed by principals of Manchester Camerata. His multidisciplinary production Earth, Wind and Fire was presented in 2026 as part of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Chamber Series, bringing together his own music with choreography by Constant Vigier, soloist Anna Bremner and dancers from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland's BA Modern Ballet programme.
Upcoming highlights include performances and educational workshops as part of the Ryedale Festival Young Artist Platform, opening James MacMillan's Cumnock Tryst in 2026, and performing Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Thomas Søndergård.
In July 2026, BBC One aired Our Lives — Seeing with Sound, a documentary following Ethan as he prepared for performances with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and considered the next steps in his musical career.
In 2024, BBC Scotland aired 'Ethan Loch: Making Music Talk', documenting his journey as he composed a new concerto.
Previous television appearances include The One Show and ITV's Little Big Shots with Dawn French.
Ethan continues to enjoy a growing programme of national and international performances as a pianist and composer.