Patrick Piggott

Patrick Piggott (15 June 1915 – 9 May 1990) was an English composer, pianist and musicologist. Piggott was born in Dover. He studied with Harold Craxton (piano) and Benjamin Dale (composition) at the Royal Academy of Music, and took further study with Emile Bosquet and Julius Isserlis (piano) and with Nadia Boulanger (composition) in Paris. Exempted from National Service during World War II on medical grounds, Piggott supported his sick mother and brother by performing as a pianist and teacher. After the war he was a lecturer at Cardiff University. In the 1960s he was employed by the BBC as Head of Music for the Midland Region, while continuing to tour as a concert pianist - specialisms included the music of John Field and Rachmaninov. Piggott died in Bristol on 9 May 1990. As a pianist, Piggott was a frequent recitalist and broadcaster, but left no commercial recordings. As a composer he produced orchestral music, including the Prologue, Action and Denouement (1955), chamber music, including three string quartets (1966, 1975, 1983), and several song cycles. But he is best remembered for his virtuosic piano music, including the 24 Preludes in three sets of eight (1963, 1977, 1989).