Biography
Job title: Principal Lecturer
Courses taught: BA (Hons) Classical, MA Music
Specialisms: Classical piano, Chamber music
Jakob Fichert is a pianist with an international profile. As a soloist and collaborative artist, he has repeatedly performed in prestigious venues and festivals and has recorded for Naxos, Toccata Classics, Divine Art, Resonus Classics and Hungaroton. His latest album of piano-duets by Schubert, performed together with Balázs Fülei, has been chosen as one of the best classical releases in BBC Radio 3’s Record Review in May 2026. Concerts have taken Jakob all over the world to countries in the Far East, South America and Europe.
Chamber Music and Lied repertoire has always been at the heart of his playing career. On concert stage and in recording studio he has collaborated with numerous high-profile musicians. Amongst his regular partners are artists such as the cellist Matthias Gredler, the clarinetist Janet Hilton and pianists Balázs Fülei and fellow Leeds Conservatoire piano teacher Eleanor Hodgkinson.
Jakob studied at the Musikhochschule Karlsruhe with Wolfgang Manz before undertaking a postgraduate course at the Royal College of Music in London under the tutelage of Yonty Solomon. He also obtained a Master’s degree in chamber music graduating in 2001 after which he was awarded a RCM Junior Fellowship. During his time at the RCM Jakob won numerous prizes at national and international competitions as soloist and chamber musician.
In 2023 he obtained a PhD at University of York, writing about the piano works of Adolf Busch. His research has led to two publications for Breitkopf & Härtel and a continuous collaboration with Bettina Beigelbeck and the Busch Kollegium Karlsruhe.
A much in demand pedagogue, Jakob has given numerous master classes in the UK and abroad, most recently in China and at the Liszt Academy in Budapest. He holds the positions of Professor in Piano Performance at Leeds Conservatoire and Lecturer in Piano Studies at University of York.
'Two pianists who really know what they are doing', 'I absolutely love their playing', 'the sheer bounce, the spirit and sense of rhythm', 'the moments of deeper expression really show up very beautifully’ Jessica Duchen in conversation with Andrew McGregor on BBC Radio 3 Record Review, May 2026 (on newly released album with Balázs Fülei for Hungaroton)
‘A magical hour of romantic piano music’, ‘Jakob Fichert created a dreamlike and beautiful sound-world.’, ‘a virtuoso and musically complete performance’, Münchner Merkur, June 2026 (on solo recital at the Sommerfestival in Gauting, Germany).
