Sophia Rahman

Sophia Rahman has been the Artistic Director of Whittington Music Festival since 2020. She has recorded piano concertos with BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Scottish Ensemble and has made more than forty chamber music discs.

Sophia has appeared in recital with (Whittington Festival’s Hon. Patron) the cellist Steven Isserlis, distinguished singers Mark Padmore and Roderick Williams, both of whom she has brought to the festival in previous years, and regularly works with the violinist/violist and conductor Andres Kaljuste, with whom she is poised to release a CD of the works of Estonian composer Heino Eller on the First Hand Records label.

Sophia has coached at several top Scandinavian music schools and masterminded a course for young Estonian chamber musicians at the Arvo Pärt Centre, where she regularly appears as a recitalist. Also known for her work as a class pianist, Sophia has played for Steven Isserlis’ class at IMS Prussia Cove since 2011. Her interest in this field began as a class pianist for the legendary William Pleeth at the Britten-Pears School. She is an artistic co-Director of Cello Dynamo, a course for aspiring cellists.

After early tuition with Antonietta Notariello, Sophia studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School under Peter Norris, with guidance from Vlado Perlemuter and Louis Kentner.

She took a first-class honours degree in English from King’s College, London and continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Music with Alexander Kelly and Malcolm Martineau, winning the Royal Overseas League’s collaborative and chamber music piano prizes in consecutive years.