Swiss Global Artistic Foundation

Annabel Thwaite studied accompaniment and solo piano with Joan Havill at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where she gained both her Bachelors and Masters degrees. Besides winning several prizes at Guildhall, including the Piano, Lutine and English Song prizes, she also won an English Speaking Union scholarship to study at the Ravel Académie, St Jean-de-Luz. From there she assisted Robin Bowman at the Nice Académie, and then commenced studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse, Paris, with Henri Barda and Isabelle Dubuis. As an accompanist she was awarded a scholarship to attend the Lied et Mélodie course at the Fondation de Royaumont, France, with Reuben Lifschitz, and in 2007, at the Franz Schubert Institute.

As a soloist and chamber musician, Ms Thwaite has performed in Canada, France, Italy, Sweden, South Africa, as well as England, performances which include concertos at the Birmingham Symphony Hall and Imperial College, London. As an accompanist, she has performed at Barbican Hall, Cadogan Hall, Wigmore Hall, the Purcell Room, St. John's Smith Square, Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh and the Oxford Lieder Festival.

Ms Thwaite is the Official Accompanist to the London Welsh Male Voice Choir. With this organisation she has performed at the Festival of Male Choirs at Royal Albert Hall, in the great cathedrals of England, including Canterbury (with Rhys Meirion), Salisbury and Wells, as well as in a tour to Slovenia. In 2007 she was the Official Accompanist at the Young Welsh Singer of the Year Competition and Hampshire Singer of the Year.

Ms Thwaite has recorded for Universal Records with Nicky Spence, the Scottish Tenor, whose album was nominated for a Classical Brit Award and is regularly played on Classic FM. She is also a regular film session pianist, having recently recorded the soundtrack to the movie Awake at Abbey Road.

Her extensive teaching and accompanying experience includes presenting workshops and coaching at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Canadian Vocal Arts Institute, Junior Trinity College of Music and Francis Holland School.

Ms Thwaite has won all the major accompanying prizes, including the 2004 Piano Prize at the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Competition, and in 2005 and 2007 she won the Gold Medal Prize at Barbican Hall and the Piano Prize at the Richard Tauber Competition at Wigmore Hall. Future engagements include a busy schedule of instrumental and song recitals, a tour to New York and Boston and accompanying at the Festival of Male Voice Choirs at Royal Albert Hall in 2008.