Valerie Tryon, pianist


unique warmth of phrasing and radiance of tone, bespeaking a labour of love
Stacks Image 15
Valerie Tryon is a world-renowned concert pianist. Born in England, the youngest student to be admitted to the Royal Academy of Music in London, she still travels to Europe annually to perform, and manages an extraordinary schedule, in North America and abroad, of recitals, recordings, master classes and teaching.
Valerie’s repertoire is vast and diverse and although her particular reputation is for her interpretation of the Romantics - Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninov and others, she retains a lifelong and enduring passion for Debussy and Ravel, initiated by her prizewinning scholarship to Paris as a young student, to study with the distinguished French professor, Jacques Février.

Retiring with an honorary doctorate from McMaster University, where she was Artist-in-Residence and Associate Professor for many years, Valerie continues as Artist-in-Residence and teacher at Redeemer University in between her many concerts and recitals worldwide. She is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, a Juno Award winner, a Gallery of Distinction Inductee, holds the Harriet Cohen Award for Distinguished Services to Music, and the Franz Liszt Medal, from the Hungarian Ministry of Culture, for her lifelong commitment to and promotion of Liszt’s music. In December of 2017 she was awarded Canada’s highest honour, The Order of Canada, performing at the Awards dinner for Governor General Julie Payette, at her request.

Valerie has made innumerable albums for many recording companies over the years, some of which are now regarded as collector’s items. The most recent series of discs are from Somm Recordings and include de Falla’s ’Nights in the Gardens of Spain’, César Franck’s Symphonic Variations released in 2013, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in 2014, a Ravel/Debussy disc in 2015, and a Mozart concertos disc in 2018. all with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. She is presently preparing for a double disc recording of her favourite solo pieces for Somm.

Valerie’s Archives to date reside at McMaster University.

Valerie currently lives in Southern Ontario, Canada.