Elias Ackerley
Born in Shrewsbury, England, and emigrating the following year to South Korea, Elias Ackerley began his piano studies at the age of 5. Under the guidance of Oleg, Ackerley won several competitions at an early age, including the junior prize at the Gumi National Piano Competition in 2012. After returning to the United Kingdom, Ackerley gave his debut recital in Chester, UK and has performed regularly in concerts and with orchestra throughout the country.
From 2014 to 2019, Ackerley was a student at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, England where he was a pupil of Dr. Murray McLachlan, under whose tutelage Ackerley succeeded in becoming the youngest ever winner of the Manchester Beethoven Competition in 2015. Additional accolades included the first prize at the Scottish International Youth Piano Competition (2017), the Blue Ribbon at the National Eisteddfod (2017) and the Epta UK Piano Competition (2018). In 2018 he was a keyboard finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year and took the second prize in the Roma International Piano Competition. In 2019, Ackerley began his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music under the tutelage of Gary Graffman and Meng-Chieh Liu, with additional study under Yefim Bronfman. While at Curtis, Elias was a prize winner at the 2023 Aarhus International Piano Competition in Denmark, as well as being a finalist at the 2024 Montreal International Piano Competition.
In 2022, Ackerley was accepted into the Kumho Young Artist Concert Programme in South Korea, where he gave his debut recital in the Kumho Arts Centre in Seoul, as well as in Daejon and Busan. From 2019 to 2023, Ackerley was a recipient of the Dr. KR Weir Legacy Award, which generously supported him through the Keyboard Charitable Trust in London. Through their recent, Ackerley recently toured throughout the eastern United States, performing in New York, Philadelphia, D.C. Virginia, and Delaware.
Following his graduation from the Curtis Institute of Music, Ackerley is currently studying for his master’s degree at The Juilliard School under Robert McDonald. Ackerley has also participated in masterclasses with Sir Andras Schiff, Stephen Hough and Richard Goode.
From 2014 to 2019, Ackerley was a student at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, England where he was a pupil of Dr. Murray McLachlan, under whose tutelage Ackerley succeeded in becoming the youngest ever winner of the Manchester Beethoven Competition in 2015. Additional accolades included the first prize at the Scottish International Youth Piano Competition (2017), the Blue Ribbon at the National Eisteddfod (2017) and the Epta UK Piano Competition (2018). In 2018 he was a keyboard finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year and took the second prize in the Roma International Piano Competition. In 2019, Ackerley began his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music under the tutelage of Gary Graffman and Meng-Chieh Liu, with additional study under Yefim Bronfman. While at Curtis, Elias was a prize winner at the 2023 Aarhus International Piano Competition in Denmark, as well as being a finalist at the 2024 Montreal International Piano Competition.
In 2022, Ackerley was accepted into the Kumho Young Artist Concert Programme in South Korea, where he gave his debut recital in the Kumho Arts Centre in Seoul, as well as in Daejon and Busan. From 2019 to 2023, Ackerley was a recipient of the Dr. KR Weir Legacy Award, which generously supported him through the Keyboard Charitable Trust in London. Through their recent, Ackerley recently toured throughout the eastern United States, performing in New York, Philadelphia, D.C. Virginia, and Delaware.
Following his graduation from the Curtis Institute of Music, Ackerley is currently studying for his master’s degree at The Juilliard School under Robert McDonald. Ackerley has also participated in masterclasses with Sir Andras Schiff, Stephen Hough and Richard Goode.
