John O'Conor at Barre Opera House

The Irish pianist John O'Conor has earned a worldwide reputation as a masterful interpreter of the Classic and early-Romantic repertoires.

Following initial studies in his native Dublin he studied in Vienna with the renowned pedagogue Dieter Weber, won First Prize at the Beethoven International Piano Competition in Vienna in 1973 and made a special study of Beethoven with the legendary German pianist Wilhelm Kempff.

Since then he has toured the world in recital and concerto appearances and makes regular visits to Europe, the USA, Japan, Korea and China.

His recordings on the Telarc label have brought him particular renown. CD Reviewdescribed his box set of the complete Beethoven Sonatas as "Beethoven playing at its best"; the New York Times named his recording of the Beethoven Bagatelles as the best available; his recording of the John Field Nocturnes spent many weeks on the Billboard charts and his recently released recordings of the complete Beethoven Piano Concertos with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andreas Delfs have been greeted with great acclaim.

For his services to music he has been decorated with "l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" by the French Government, the "Ehrenkreuz fur Wissenschaft und Kunst" by the Austrian Government, the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese Government and has received many other awards.