Born in Lancashire, Kathryn Stott studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music, and was a prize-winner at the Leeds International Piano Competition in 1978. She has long-standing musical relationships with many distinguished instrumentalists and as a concerto soloist enjoys associations with major orchestras throughout the world; a special interest in contemporary music has led to several world premieres. A remarkable exponent of tango and other Latin American dance music, she has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma and leading South American musicians both in the recording studio and on tours of Japan, the USA and Europe. Her discography has garnered praise around the world and in 2009 she signed an exclusive contract with Chandos. Kathryn Stott has been the artistic vision behind several major festivals and concert series, including, in Manchester, ‘Fauré and the French Connection’, for which she was appointed Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government, and ‘Piano 2000’ and ‘Piano 2003’ in The Bridgewater Hall. She was appointed Artistic Director of the Manchester Chamber Concert Series in 2008, serves on the board of the Hallé Concerts Society, and in July 2010 will assume the post of Guest Artistic Director of the chamber music festival ‘Incontri in Terra di Siena’. She is a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London and teaches at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester.