Terence Charlston is a specialist performer on early keyboard instruments and widely acknowledged for his engaging and expressive performances. He has been described as one of Britain’s leading early keyboard players and his sympathetic command of original instruments has made him a frequent performer at collections of early keyboard instruments all over the world.

Terence Charlston was born in Blackpool, Lancashire. From an early age, he was drawn to the sound and repertoire of old instruments, especially the harpsichord, which he first experienced through recordings and BBC Radio 3 broadcasts. He studied piano and organ from childhood and later took degrees in Oxford and London, specialising in early keyboard performance. As a solo harpsichordist and chamber musician he has toured extensively within Europe, as well as to Japan and the USA. He is well known to chamber music audiences, especially for his work with the quartet London Baroque with whom he gave over 400 concerts worldwide between 1995 and 2007.

He has a wide interest in keyboard music of all periods and his harpsichord and organ recordings have been well received in the musical press. His recorded repertoire is particularly broad (over 50 commercial CDs on harpsichord, organ, virginals, clavichord and fortepiano) and can be heard on the Deux-Elles, Harmonia Mundi, Naxos, ASV, Channel Classics and BIS labels. Recent recordings include Baroque music on the Silbermann style organ belonging to the St. Albans International Organ Festival and a recital of Italian harpsichord music by Monza, Pasquini and Monari. For the National Trust he has recorded all the playable keyboard instruments of the Fenton House Collection in Hampstead, London.

In addition to an international performing career, he is much in demand as a teacher. He taught academic studies, performance practice and harpsichord at the Royal Academy of Music, London where he founded the department of Historical Performance (1995) and now teaches basso continuo and clavichord. He also lectures for the London centre of Lawrence University, Wisconsin and has given master classes in Italy, Germany, Greece, USA and Mexico. He is also professor of harpsichord at the Royal College of Music, London and consultant for historical keyboard studies.

Terence is an important advocate of English and continental keyboard music and his fascination with this repertoire has resulted in a number of pioneering concerts and recording projects. These include editions and recordings of all Matthew Locke’s organ and harpsichord music, Carlo Ignazio Monza’s Pièces modernes pour le Clavecin, music by William Byrd from the Ladye Nevell Booke and a recording and interactive edition of the keyboard music of Albertus Bryne (Deux-Elles DXL 1024 and Norsk Musikforlag A/S.)
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