John O'Conor

John O'Conor earns the epithet "poet of piano" through his command of expressive phrasing, tonal shading, and a facility that renders the instrument's demands seemingly effortless. He concentrates on Classical and Romantic repertoire and has earned widest recognition for his complete Beethoven piano sonatas and the compositions of fellow Irishman John Field.

When he first informed his parents of his intention to pursue music professionally and set aside rugby, their reaction combined laughter with apprehension over his future livelihood; the identical response greeted his son Hugh's declaration that he wished to become an actor. O'Conor's training commenced at Dublin's College of Music under J.J. O'Reilly and, after an Austrian government scholarship, continued in Vienna with Dieter Weber. His work on Beethoven with Wilhelm Kempff culminated in 1997 when he assumed leadership of the annual Beethoven seminar at Kempff's villa in Positano, Italy. In 1973 he captured first prize at Vienna's International Beethoven Piano Competition by unanimous decision and received the Bösendorfer Piano Prize two years later.

O'Conor's initial Telarc installment of the complete Beethoven sonatas, issued in 1986, introduced him to an international audience; the cycle reached completion in 1994. As a Telarc artist he single-handedly renewed widespread attention to the life and works of John Field more than any other performer. His first Field album, containing fifteen Nocturnes, remained on the Billboard charts for several weeks. During the 2010s he began recording for Steinway & Sons, issuing Beethoven's Diabelli Variations and inaugurating a Haydn sonata cycle, both in 2016.

He maintains a worldwide itinerary of recitals and orchestral engagements that frequently incorporate master classes and seminars. In addition he coaches piano chamber music together with solo and concerto literature and sits on the panels of numerous international piano competitions. He directs the Royal Academy of Music in Dublin and established and chairs the Dublin International Piano Competition. His commitment to younger artists has brought him an honorary doctorate from the University of Dublin as well as decorations from the French, Austrian, Italian, and Polish governments. In 2011 Emperor Akihito of Japan conferred the Order of the Rising Sun upon him.