As performer, teacher and artistic director, Norma Fisher has been a leading light of the London musical scene for over 60 years.
Born in London of Russian-Polish parents, she was recognised as ‘a rare musical talent’, and at age 11 was awarded a Junior Exhibition to study with Sidney Harrison at the Guildhall School of Music. At 14 she was heard by the celebrated Greek pianist Gina Bachauer who became her mentor, introducing her to the distinguished Hungarian teacher Ilona Kabos, with whom she subsequently studied. She also studied French music in Paris with Jacques Février. Her highly acclaimed early performances for the BBC led to an invitation by RIAS (Berlin) to perform with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, launching her European career.
Top prizes at the 1963 Busoni International Piano Competition and at the Harriet Cohen International Music Awards sealed Norma’s international reputation. That same year she made her Proms debut, becoming a favourite soloist with all the major British orchestras and as a chamber player with the world’s top musicians.
Norma’s reputation as a teacher is widely established and many of her prize-winning students are well known on the international concert circuit. She gives masterclasses worldwide and is also much in demand as a jury member at many major international piano competitions. She is Artistic Director of London Master Classes, now in its 34th year, whose courses attract major talent from around the world to work intensively with the best performers/teachers in London.
Her BBC recordings have recently been issued in Sonetto Classics’ “Norma Fisher at the BBC” series, all to international acclaim: Vols. 1, 2 & 3 were each singled out as notable selections by Gramophone magazine’s editor and reviewers; in addition, Vol. 2 was awarded the Liszt Ferenc International Grand Prix Du Disque.