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Hilary Coates made her professional debut at the age of nineteen performing the Grieg Concerto in the Royal Festival Hall in London's South Bank. She had already gained a scholarship, aged 16, to the Royal Academy of Music, from which she graduated with the Recital Diploma - the RAM's top examinable award. She then continued her studies with Ilona Kabos and Maria Curcio.
Hilary was a prizewinner in the Alfredo Casella International Piano Competition in Naples and in the BBC Competition in Manchester, and was given the "Young Musician of the Year" Award by the Greater London Arts Association.
She made extensive concert appearences as concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber music player in Britain as well as frequent performances on radio and television. Overseas concert tours included France, Italy, South America and Germany, the latter revisted after an outstanding success there.
For several years she taught at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, before joining the staff of Trinity College of Music. Her teaching is equally divided between her work there and her long-standing work with some of the most talented younger specialist pianists at Wells Cathedral School, where her students have had outstanding successes in the Audi and BBC Young Musician Competitions.
She has given masterclasses in recent years at conservatoires in Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Australia, as well as in various venues in the UK for the Yamaha Music Foundation. |
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