Elias Ackerley

At the age of 11, Elias Ackerley gave his debut recital in Chester and has since performed as a pianist in concerts throughout the UK. He succeeded in becoming the youngest ever winner of the Manchester Beethoven Competition and also took the first prize at the Scottish International Youth Piano Competition and the EPTA UK Piano Competition. He studied at the Curtis Institute of Music under Gary Graffman and Meng-Chieh Liu and received additional artistic inspiration from Yefim Bronfman. In 2022, he was accepted onto the Kumho Young Artist concert program and gave his debut in Seoul; further performances took him across South Korea and on a tour of the USA. He enjoyed major success at the Aarhus International Piano Competition in Denmark and the Montreal International Piano Competition. Currently, he studies a Master’s degree at Juilliard School under Robert McDonald. In 2025, he won the International Piano Island Competition and took second place at the International ARD Music Competition. Numerous masterclasses, including those with Sir András Schiff, Stephen Hough, and Richard Goode, complement his training.