Described by Le Monde as "possessing the genius one finds in those who know how to forget "themselves", since winning First Prize at the Maria Canals Piano Competition in Barcelona, British pianist Viv McLean has performed in all the major venues in the UK as well as throughout Europe, Japan, Australia and the USA. Viv’s concerto work includes appearances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Sinfonia Viva, Orchestra of the Swan, Orchestra of St John’s, Northern Chamber Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of such conductors as Daniel Harding, John Wilson, Wayne Marshall, John Lubbock, Philip Hesketh, Christopher Warren-Green, Owain Arwell Hughes, Carl Davis, Rebecca Miller, Chloe Van Soeterstede and Marvin Hamlisch.

Viv plays regularly with the Adderbury Ensemble and has also performed with other leading chamber groups including the Ysaye String Quartet, the Sacconi String Quartet, the London Mozart Players Chamber Ensemble, Onyx Brass, members of the Elias, Allegri, Carducci & Tippett String Quartets, the Bristol Ensemble, Ensemble 360, the Echor Ensemble and the Leopold String Trio. He has collaborated with musicians Natalie Clein, Alice Neary, Marianne Thorsen, Daniel Hope, Adrian Brendel, Lawrence Power, Mary Bevan, David Le Page, Guy Johnston, Fenella Humphreys, Mathilde Milwidsky, Jack Liebeck and many others. He has performed at numerous festivals including the Cheltenham International Festival, Three Choirs Festival, Buxton Festival, Music in the Round Festival, Glossop Festival and Harrogate International Festival in the UK, the International Beethoven Festival, the Mecklenburg Festival and the Kultur Kreis Festival in Germany, the Festival International de Musique Classique d’Aigues-Mortes, the Melle Festival and Festival de Saintes in France, the Vinterfestspill i Bergstaden in Norway and the Musik vid Kattegatt Festival in Sweden.

Viv studied from an early age with Ruth Nye and, after attending Chetham’s School of Music, he went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music with
Hamish Milne. Whilst studying at the Academy he was the winner of the piano competition at the Royal Over-Seas-League Music Competition, was selected as one of the winners of the National Federation of Music Societies' Young Artists Competition and made his Wigmore Hall debut through
winning the RAM Wigmore Award.

Viv made his BBC Radio 3 recital debut through the BBC Radio 3 Young Artists Forum scheme and has also recorded for Classic FM, WDR Radio in Germany, Radio France, ABC Radio in Australia, NRK Radio in Norway and for the Sky Arts television channel. His commercial releases have included recordings for Sony, Chandos, Signum Classics, Naxos, Nimbus, Lyrita, RPO Records, ICSM Records, Stone Records and is now delighted to be releasing his first album on Willowhayne Records.