Gabriel Francis-Dehqani

Gabriel read Music at Durham University, graduating with a first-class degree and winning the Eve Myra Kisch prize for highest mark. He has won first and second prize in the Windsor Festival composition competition and in the summer of 2021 he conducted a concert at The Sage, Gateshead with soloist Sir Thomas Allen. Prior, Gabriel studied with Guy Johnston and was awarded the Andrew Lloyd Webber Scholarship to Eton College, studying with Sue Lowe.

Gabriel was the recipient of the 2024 Muriel Taylor Prize and was a finalist in the 2023 Tillett Debut Scheme. He won the Hall Memorial Prize at the Essex Musician of the year (2022) and was the music scholar at St James’s Church, Piccadilly, performing numerous recitals. In 2023, he won first prize at the 4th Edition of the International Contemporary Music Competition by the Fondazione Foundation. He won first prize at the Irish Heritage UK 2024 competition, held at Wigmore Hall. Gabriel has also won awards from Help Musicians UK, The Countess of Munster Musical Trust and the Stephen Bell Scheme, supporting his studies at the GSMD with Louise Hopkins.

He has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 numerous times as a soloist and chamber musician and has performed at venues such as Wigmore Hall, St Martin-in-the Field’s, The Arnold Schönberg Center, The Princess Alexandra Hall, Snape Maltings Concert Hall, The Barbican Hall, St James’s Piccadilly, Milton Court Concert Hall, St John Smith’s Square and looks forward to an upcoming solo recital tour of five Chinese cities. He has attended festivals around Europe such as the International Summer Academy of the mdw, Santander Encounter of Music and Academy, Schiermonnikoog and IMS Prussia Cove.