Roy Howat

Roy Howat is a Scottish pianist and scholar, currently serving as Keyboard Research Fellow at the Royal Academy of Music since 2003, Professorial Senior Research Fellow at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Visiting Professor at the University of Adelaide. His work bridges performance and academic research, specializing in French music of the 19th and 20th centuries, critical editions, and performance practice.

His research interests include the structural and pedagogical aspects of French piano and chamber music, particularly the works of Debussy, Fauré, Ravel, Chopin, and Bartók. He has authored seminal books such as Debussy in Proportion (1983) and The Art of French Piano Music (2009), the latter winning ‘Book of the Year’ by International Piano and ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Classical Music.

Howat’s critical editions of Chopin’s Etudes (Peters Edition, 2021) and Fauré’s Complete Songs (co-edited with Emily Kilpatrick, Peters Edition, 2014–2022) reflect his meticulous scholarship. The Fauré project, AHRC-funded and based at the Royal Academy of Music, earned a ‘Best Edition 2015’ award and the 2024 Presto Music Award for the Fauré Centenary Songbook.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Best Edition 2015 (Frankfurt International Music Fair)
  • Presto Music Award 2024 (Fauré Centenary Songbook)

As a principal supervisor, he has guided Jon Urdapilleta’s performance practice doctorate on Manuel de Falla and advised on diverse topics at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, including Classical transcriptions for brass and Ligeti’s music. His performances with the Panocha Quartet and Sarastro Ensemble, along with recordings of Debussy, Fauré, and Chabrier, underscore his dual expertise as performer and scholar.