Swiss Global Artistic Foundation

Oliver Poole, born in Kent in 1991, is a pianist and composer with remarkable gifts for improvisation. By age eight he had two EPTA awards as the most promising young pianist in Europe, the title Kent Young Pianist of the Year, performed with the National Youth Orchestra, at Nimbus Records and Claves Records, recorded live.

At age nine Mr Poole went to study with the legendary Russian pianist Lazar Berman in Italy. In 2009 he was awarded the prestigious Founders' Scholarship at the Royal College of Music, London, for piano and composition studies. He receives regular coaching from the prominent Russian pianist Dmitri Alexeev.

As a gifted improviser, Mr Poole enjoys live interaction, often improvising on the original themes provided by the audience. He lectures on music and looks for new ways of promoting classical music in the younger generation, especially in school children.

As a composer, Mr Poole writes in various styles. His performed music includes pieces for solo piano, string quartets, a wind trio, orchestral works, a concerto for two pianos and numerous sound tracks for his own films. He premiered his Concerto for Two Pianos at the International Ninios Geniales Symposium in Granada, Spain, in 2004. His solo piano works, in particular "Altitude", written in 2006, are receiving much positive acclaim. Mr Poole has many interests outside music, such as philosophy, astronomy, religion, history and visual arts, and creates his own textures and sounds in order to develop music further into synthesis of all genres. Thus wider audiences are reached.

One of his Lisbon concerts was recorded live by Portuguese radio and broadcast throughout Europe. The 2008-09 season has taken him to Russia as he stepped in at the last moment to replace an indisposed soloist to perform the Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue with the Russian Philharmonic. He closed the season with the Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini.

The 2009-2010 season brought him to St Petersburg for the first live performance of Anton Rubinstein's Piano Concerto No. 3 in over 80 years with the St Petersburg Philharmonic. The concert took place in the same hall and on the same day as when Anton Rubinstein premiered it 150 years ago. Mr Poole also performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and Piano Concerto in F and Rubinstein's Piano Concerto No. 3 in various Russian cities, and on one occasion presented the latter two on the same evening.

Additional engagements this season bring Mr Poole to Guernsey to perform Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Guernsey Symphony and to Siberia for a 12-concert tour around Siberian villages for his Siberian Appeal Charity.

Recently, Mr. Poole's concerto repertoire has focused on the works of many contemporary composers including Rodion Shchedrin and Philip Glass.

An advocate for charities, Mr Poole has long been performing concerts for the benefit of the UNICEF Children in Need Fund, also for Maison Million and DownSideUp Appeals. After his recent performances in Siberia, he has launched his own charity, "The Siberian Appeal", to help children in intensive care units. Funds are being raised through his concerts, including the recent performances in Guernsey, France, UK, Russia. News 24, Russian TV, BBC Guernsey and organisers of the venues have been incredibly supportive.

Youtube clips of Mr Poole's performances and compositions.

The Facebook Group for his charity "The Siberian Appeal". Pictures, news, info and how to donate, regularly updated.

Mr Poole on MySpace!