“Revelatory playing from the extraordinary Ethan Loch.” 5★★★★★ Review: William Ruff. Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. 26 January 2025
Performance in May 2024 with Manchester Camerata which 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 at the 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★★★★★)
"(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 been captivating audiences from an early age with his deeply expressive playing and remarkable musicality. Born in 2004 and blind since birth, Ethan began exploring sound and music at the piano as a toddler, often spending hours improvising and experimenting. He began formal lessons at the age of four with his mother and now studies under Professor Fali Pavri at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
At the age of eighteen, Ethan was a Grand Finalist of BBC Young Musician of the Year, delivering a mesmerising and emotive performance of Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the BBC Philharmonic conducted by Mark Wigglesworth. The performance garnered widespread acclaim and led to a series of engagements with leading UK orchestras, including the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, and a series of sold-out performances with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
Equally at home in recital, Ethan performs regularly 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), among others.
Ethan’s artistry extends beyond the classical canon; he is an enthusiastic composer and improviser with a keen interest in jazz and classical improvisation. His original works have been featured in performances with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Manchester Camerata, and included in his debut recital at Kings Place, London. His Piano Quintet was recently performed in concert with principals of Manchester Camerata.
Upcoming highlights include performances and educational workshops as part of the Ryedale Festival's Young Artist Platform, opening James MacMillan’s Cumnock Tryst in 2026, and a performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under Thomas Søndergård. He is also developing Earth, Wind and Fire, a new chamber music production combining his own compositions with choreography by Scottish Ballet’s Antonia Cramb.
In 2024, BBC Scotland aired 'Ethan Loch: Making Music Talk', a documentary following his journey as he composed a new concerto. Previous television appearances include The One Show (2018) and ITV’s Little Big Shots with Dawn French.
Ethan continues to enjoy national and international performances alongside his undergraduate studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.