Alice Sara Ott is one of today’s most forward-thinking classical musicians, celebrated for her visionary projects, globally successful albums, and collaborations with leading orchestras and conductors. A Deutsche Grammophon artist for over 15 years, her recordings have reached over 500 million streams. Meanwhile Ott’s pioneering recital tours redefine classical music for the modern era, making her one of the most influential artists of her generation.
The 2026/27 season marks two new UK artistic relationships. As Collaborative Artist with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, she will perform in Birmingham and internationally, alongside chamber music, recording and creative projects. In January 2027, she begins a year-long Artist in Residence position at London’s Barbican Centre.
Contemporary music remains central to Alice’s work. In February 2027, she gives the world premiere of Joe Hisaishi’s Piano Concerto with the Philadelphia Orchestra and composer conducting. She will also tour Europe with Bryce Dessner’s Love, Icebox, written for Alice and inspired by John Cage’s love letters to Merce Cunningham. A Deutsche Grammophon album featuring Dessner’s music will follow in spring 2027.
Throughout the season, Alice performs concertos by Beethoven, Ravel and Grieg with leading orchestras including the Pittsburgh Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, London Philharmonic, NHK Symphony Orchestra and Vienna Symphony Orchestra. She also continues her international recital tour pairing John Field’s nocturnes with Beethoven sonatas.
Her Deutsche Grammophon recording of Field’s complete nocturnes topped international classical charts and was named Apple Music Classical’s Album of the Year 2025.
In summer 2026, Alice appeared as a guest mentor on Channel 4’s The Piano, alongside MIKA and Claudia Winkleman.
“She has the most delicate touch, the first movement cadenza pirouetting with the grace of a music-box ballerina… She transformed the finale into a playful Scherzo, playing cat and mouse with the orchestra.”
“German-Japanese pianist Alice Sara Ott shades the most photosensitive pieces of French Impressionism — Debussy’s dreamy Suite bergamasque and Ravel’s ghoulish Gaspard de la nuit — with a seemingly limitless capacity to lend warmth, depth and color.”
“Her technique is dazzling, her tone wonderfully varied, from crystalline purity to powerfully raw, and the energy propelling her playing seems unstoppable.”