Item description for Rachmaninov Piano Concerts Nos. 1 & 2 Cd

Lill studied at the Royal College of Music with Angus Morrison, and with Wilhelm Kempff. His talent emerged at an early age, he gave his first piano recital at the age of nine and by the age of 14 had all of the Piano Sonatas of Beethoven committed to memory. At age 18, he performed Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto under Sir Adrian Boult followed then by a much-acclaimed 1963 London debut playing Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 at the Royal Festival Hall. In 1970 he won the Moscow International Tchaikovsky Competition (ex-aequo with Vladimir Krainev). It was said by Sidney Harrison that "he (John Lill) simply devours Beethoven. I set him work for the week - he does that and more.

The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional radio orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both a broadcasting orchestra and national orchestra.

Otaka studied composition, theory, and French horn, at the Toho Gakuen School of Music. He was subsequently a conducting student of Hideo Saito.

Otaka has served as conductor of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and became conductor laureate since 1991. From 1981 to 1986, he was chief conductor of the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, and since May 1998 held the titles of music adviser and principal conductor. From 1992 to 1998, he was principal conductor of the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra. He founded the Kioi Sinfonietta Tokyo in 1995, and has served as its music adviser, principal conductor, and honorary conductor laureate.