British pianist announces retirement on stage at Carnegie Hall
NewsOn Thursday night at Carnegie Hall, while all eyes were on Yo Yo Ma, his regular pianist Kathryn Stott announced – to warm applause – that she was about to retire from the concert stage.
The message is amplified on her website: I have enjoyed the most wonderful and fulfilling career as a concert pianist, but from the end of December 2024, I will no longer be giving public performances in a professional capacity. Music will always be a huge part of my life and I intend to continue my work with young musicians – they are our future.
Kathryn Stott actually announced her retirement in October 2023.
She announced this at every stop on their recital tour over the last month. It was even in the promotional materials about the concerts.
May she retire in peace.
I saw her play the Ravel G major with Edward Downes and the BBC Philharmonic in May 1991 at the Derby Assembly Rooms. My first ever live concert.
Kathy is a wonderful person and musician. All the best to her!
Kathy’s announcing it at each of their tour dates, including Boston two nights earlier. A wonderful pianist, and sublime collaboration with Ma all these years…
This is sad news for music lovers. I was just getting seriously interested in classical music when Stott’s first recordings appeared: L. Berkeley and George Lloyd. And for forty years she’s be a wonderful companion. I can’t think of a recording I’ve heard of hers that wasn’t good. I just wish she and Ma had wanted to record a bit wider repertoire: I’d have liked to have heard them in the real Franck cello sonata, Debussy, Chopin, Martinu, etc. etc.
I am grateful for and love her album of piano music by John Foulds.
Cheers to Kathy and thank you for all the wonderful musical moments you’ve given us in Australia …
I thought her intentions had been clear for a long time. Partly explaining the ticket price. So that is hardly an announcement.
But actually quite respectful to each audience.
A Paris-born American male cellist of Chinese descent performing with a British female pianist on the big stage of Carnegie Hall for the annual Isaac Stern memorial concert (commemorating the Poland/Ukrainian-born Jewish violinist who led the effort to save the hall from demolition). The program was nicely balanced. I’m glad I made it.
Beautiful music is all that comes to mind.
A Gen Z will see this and say we need an inclusivity programmer authority at Carnegie (and they might add something negative about Israel as well, given recent trends).
Wonderful pianist. Bravo Kathy – we’ve followed you ever since your magnificent playing in the Leeds Competition!
To adapt that famous quote by Pablo Casals:
Ms Stott is a good human being first, then a wonderful musician, and a great pianist.
Good ! Never heard of her …
Your fault,not hers….
Never heard of her? You can still catch up. Take advantage of the internet.
Wonderful pianist. Heard her a number of times at the Proms. Her playing of the Ireland concerto was superb.
Hadn’t seen much of her lately anyway. She was pretty good! Good Rach 3 at the Proms in her day.
She’s one of those fine artists who has never sought celebrity status – she has just got on with the job and did it with devotion and finesse.
We should wish her well in the future and hope that she will continue her recording career and – most importantly – that she will enjoy every success in cultivating the next generation of musicians.
Kathy announced her retirement from the concert platform way back in October 2023 on social media and her website – this is not news. Keep up, Norman! She is also not just ‘Yo-yo Ma’s regular pianist’ – she’s an incredible solo pianist in her own right with a formidable reputation and a large catalogue of recordings.
“On Thursday night at Carnegie Hall, while all eyes were on Yo Yo Ma, his regular pianist Kathryn Stott announced – to warm applause – that she was about to retire from the concert stage”… Utter rubbish. I was at the concert and this didn’t happen.
‘On Thursday night at Carnegie Hall, while all eyes were on Yo Yo Ma, his regular pianist Kathryn Stott announced – to warm applause – that she was about to retire from the concert stage.’
This statement is completely untrue.
We were lucky enough to attend this absolutely amazing performance by Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott at Carnegie Hall and no mention was made of her retirement. Kathryn announced last year she would be no longer performing professionally from the end of 2024.
Happy Retirement! Thank you for your service to music.
Old musicians never die, they just go from bar to bar…..
In their duo recital earlier this month, he could barely be heard at times while she played everything very well.
A fine pianist (particularly in the French repertoire)- A Leeds laureate also. I heard her a few times here & there. Pity- has she got hand trouble?- like so many professional pianists when they hit a certain age. Or perhaps she can’t get many gigs with so many young lions coming up behind her?
She had previously announced this in Chicago–and perhaps earlier stops on their tour.
I just saw this recital in Philadelphia last night, the day after this announcement. I hope she enjoys retirement.
Not sure where you get your information from? There was no such announcement, this is totally false.
I was fortunate enough to be present for the amazing recital given by Yoyo Ma and Kathryn Stott in Carnegie Hall on Thursday – she addressed the audience only once and that was at the beginning of the second half to introduce the Arvo Part Spiegel im Speigal.
She announced retirement from her incredible concert career 6 months ago!!