
Charles Owen & Katya Apekisheva
PIANO DUO
Charles Owen & Katya Apekisheva
One of the most highly-acclaimed piano duos performing today, Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva are passionate advocates for the wide range of four hands and two piano repertoire. In parallel with their extensive solo careers, they have been performing together around the world and across the UK since 2001. Their close collaboration stems from a shared teacher, the inspirational Irina Zaritskaya, with whom they both studied at the Royal College of Music. Their friendship dates from 1987 during a visit of students from the Gnessin School in Moscow to the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey. The duo released a first recording for Quartz in 2016, featuring Stravinsky's two piano ballets, the Rite of Spring and Petrushka, with a dedication to the memory of their teacher. Their second disc came out in January 2018 on Avie featuring music by Rachmaninov, recorded at Kings Place. Their latest release was an album of Poulenc, Debussy and Milhaud, released on Orchid Classics in 2023. Together, Charles and Katya are the Artistic Directors and founders of the London Piano Festival, which is held annually at Kings Place, and celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025.
Biographies
Charles Owen
Charles Owen is recognised as one of the finest British pianists of his generation with an extensive series of performances and recordings to his name.
Katya Apekisheva
Katya Apekisheva is one of Europe’s most renowned pianists, in demand internationally as both a soloist and as a chamber musician.
French Music for Two Pianos: Poulenc - Debussy - Milhaud
OUT NOW
Gramophone
"A refreshingly entertaining disc"
BBC Music Magazine
"Owen and Apekisheva at their best"
Upcoming concerts
16 April 2025
Ankara International Festival, Bilkent Concert Hall, Turkey
Mozart - Sonata in D major, K.448
Poulenc - Élégie
Ravel - Rhapsodie Espagnole
Milhaud - Scaramouche
Jonathan Dove - Between Friends
Lutoslawski - Variations on a Theme by Paganini
11 October 2025
Two-Piano Gala, London Piano Festival, London
Joseph Havlat - 64 Geese UK Premiere (with Joseph Havlat)
Poulenc - Élégie
Stephen Hough - King’s Cross March World Premiere
Rachmaninov - Romance for Six Hands (1891) (with Stephen Hough)
Alongside performances from other featured artists
TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
Rachmaninov Two-Piano Suites; Six Morceaux, Op. 11
OUT NOW
Press
BBC Radio 3 - Record Review
REVIEW
“They bring a sophisticated blend of tenderness and
dramatic conviction to Poulenc’s sonata for 2 pianos"
Gramophone
PODCAST
Pianists Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva have recently recorded a disc of Stravinsky’s Petrushka andThe Rite of Spring for Quartz in piano four-hand transcriptions. Gramophone’s Editor-in-Chief James Jolly talks to them about the challenges of performing these formidable works on our latest podcast.
Stravinsky Piano Ballets
OUT NOW
BBC Music Magazine
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"This performance crackles with excitement"
London Piano Festival
Curated by Co-Artistic Directors Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva
Videos
Rachmaninoff
Suite No. 1 Op. 5 (Fantaisie-Tableaux) for 2 pianosKings Place
Rachmaninoff
Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 for 2 pianosKings Place
Faure Le Pas Espagnole
Andrew Marr Show
Stravinsky
The Rite of SpringRhinegoldLIVE
Ravel
Mother Goose SuiteRhinegoldLIVE
Rachmaninoff
BarcarolleRhinegoldLIVE
Rachmaninoff
SlavaRhinegoldLIVE
Contact
For further information please contact:
Rebecca Johns
rebecca.johns@premiercomms.com07715 205 196
© 2016