Born in London, Charles Wiffen studied at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, and at the Royal College of Music in London. His teachers included Pauline Nossel, Maria Curcio and Yonty Solomon and he also had lessons and masterclasses from Emanuel Ax, John Lill, Boris Berman, Yefim Bronfman, and Steven de Groote. He played in chamber music classes for the late Isaac Stern and Yo-Yo Ma. Awards include the Oude Meester Music Prize, the Jim Joel Prize and the Marjorie and Arnold Ziff Memorial Prize. Charles has recently given recitals in Spain and France as well as appearing with the actor Simon Callow in a London concert of film music which he organised. He has performed extensively in Europe, Israel and Southern Africa. He has appeared with Contemporary Consort in the BBC Proms, performing music by Judith Weir and has given recitals in London’s Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room, and in Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall. Recent festival appearances have included the Arundel, Brighton, Bath, Buckingham, Chelsea and Warwick Festivals and concert tours have included Italy, Austria and Germany. He has also performed in the Park Lane Group series in London and was selected by Isaac Stern to perform in ‘Jerusalem Encounters’. Charles broadcasts regularly for BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM and has recorded five CDs for the ROSL and Sheldon labels. He is a member of the London Archduke Trio and Contemporary Consort. Since 1998, he has performed and given chamber music classes at the Dartington International Summer School. Charles has taught at Trinity College of Music in London and at the Royal College of Music where he was Grove Research Fellow between 1998 and 2005. He is currently Course Director for Music at Bath Spa University. Charles’s extensive solo repertoire includes works from the Austro-German tradition, as well as much Chopin, Liszt, Debussy and Ravel. Charles also performs a wide range of contemporary music, by composers including Julian Anderson, George Benjamin, Pierre Boulez, Richard Causton, Kenneth Hesketh, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Judith Weir.