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The English pianist, harpsichordist, organist, composer and arranger, Leslie Pearson, won in 1949 an open scholarship to Trinity College of Music in London as an organist, and subsequently became a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists.
Leslie Pearson is one of Britain's most versatile and distinguished keyboard players whose musical experience ranges from recital accompaniments to hundreds of film and TV recordings. Equally at home on piano, organ or harpsichord he appears regularly with all the London Orchestras - including Philharmonia Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra - and has made guest appearances on record and in concert with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra. In 1978 he was pianist (taking the 8-bar ossia passage) in The clock and the Dresden figures by Albert Ketèlbey with the Philharmonia Orchestra under John Lanchbery which was recorded by EMI and had numerous re-issues. He has appeared at Edinburgh, Bath, Aldeburgh and Flanders Festivals, and has played the harpsichord with many of the leading chamber ensembles, including the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, with whom in 1971 he made a three week tour of Germany. This was followed in February 1972 by a further tour of Germany with the English Chamber Orchestra
His imaginative continuo playing of the Baroque repertoire has received widespread acclaim for many years, including no less than six recordings of Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons (from Itzhak Perlman's to Christopher Warren-Green's) and three different versions of George Frideric Handel's Messiah. He has made many other recordiungs including those of J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concertos (BWV 1046-1051) with The Virtuosi Of England under Arthur Davison (CFP, 1972) and one entitled "Spanish Fiesta" with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Leonard Salzedo (CFP, 1972).
In the commercial field Leslie Pearson can be heard on the sound-tracks of many film and TV scores; Dr Who (for 14 years), Jewel in the Crown, Blake's Seven, Poirot, Lovejoy, Middlemarch, Sherlock Holmes and the films Star Wars, Superman, The Alien, Chariots of Fire, Four Weddings and a Funeral (as solo organist), Pink Panther, Tomorrow Never Dies, The Avengers and many more.
As a composer and arranger Leslie Pearson has written music for TV schools programmes, graded pieces for Horn, Trumpet, Trombone and Piano which are used as set pieces in the Associated Board Examinations, Brass ensemble music commissioned by Philip Jones for his Philip Jones Brass Ensemble and an ARGO recording of folk song arrangements played by the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields under Sir Neville Marriner - now published by Kalmus USA.
Leslie Pearson has always been associated with Brass players particularly trumpeters. Over the years he has accompanied, either on organ or piano, Philip Jones, David Mason, John Wilbraham, Michael Laird, John Wallace, John Miller, Graham Ashton, and for the last twenty five years Crispian Steele-Perkins in recitals in the UK and abroad. He was editor/arranger for Faber Music London (1987-1993) |
