James Mottram International Piano Competition

The RNCM James Mottram International Piano Competition was inaugurated in 2008 thanks to a generous bequest from the late James Mottram. James Mottram was born in March 1930 in Stockport, Cheshire and studied Psychology at the University of Oxford. In 1961, he took up the post of lecturer in the School of Politics and Contemporary History at Salford University, before taking early retirement in 1982. James Mottram was a keen piano enthusiast, and particularly enjoyed the works of Scarlatti, Chopin and Debussy. It was his lifetime ambition to see an international piano competition staged in Manchester to celebrate the music of his favourite composers, and to provide a platform for the next generation of talented pianists.