Albert Lau
Piano
Steinway Artist Albert Lau (MMus, LRAM, LRSM) was born in Hong Kong and performs internationally both as a solo pianist and chamber musician. His repertoire ranges from Bach to Birtwistle, and includes rarities as well as his own transcriptions. He was named a Steinway Artist by Steinway & Sons in 2022.
Albert Lau started his formative training with Josephine Cheung in Hong Kong. He studied with Emile Naoumoff at Indiana University in the USA, where he completed his Bachelor of Music with High Distinction. He then furthered his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, under the tutelage of Joanna MacGregor, Head of Piano. Upon graduation he was awarded Distinction for his Master of Music degree, in recognition of his achievements at the Royal Academy.
Albert Lau has given solo recitals in England, France, Italy, Israel, Belgium, Norway, Hong Kong, Switzerland and the USA. Highlights include solo recitals at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, at the Kammermusiksaal at Beethoven House in Bonn, at the ‘Musikdorf Ernen’ in Switzerland, at ‘Pianos en Fête’ as part of the Festival International de Piano La Roque-d’Anthéron in France, and at the Mendelssohn-Remise in Berlin. Together with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, he performed the Chinese premiere of ‘Three Movements’ by Steve Reich.
Albert Lau is an active chamber musician and performs with the award-winning English violinist Philippa Mo since 2023. Their first tour, ‘Devastation, Romance and Hope’, took them to the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, the Glocke in Bremen, the Marienmünster Concert Hall, the historic Georgian Theatre Royal in England and the Isle of Man. With their concert programme ‘Golden Romance’, they toured Cologne, Marienmünster, Mariengarden, Lauterbach and Bad Pyrmont. Their newest concert programme ‘Passions of Spring’ will take them on a major tour in China.
Albert Lau started his formative training with Josephine Cheung in Hong Kong. He studied with Emile Naoumoff at Indiana University in the USA, where he completed his Bachelor of Music with High Distinction. He then furthered his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, under the tutelage of Joanna MacGregor, Head of Piano. Upon graduation he was awarded Distinction for his Master of Music degree, in recognition of his achievements at the Royal Academy.
Albert Lau has given solo recitals in England, France, Italy, Israel, Belgium, Norway, Hong Kong, Switzerland and the USA. Highlights include solo recitals at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London, at the Kammermusiksaal at Beethoven House in Bonn, at the ‘Musikdorf Ernen’ in Switzerland, at ‘Pianos en Fête’ as part of the Festival International de Piano La Roque-d’Anthéron in France, and at the Mendelssohn-Remise in Berlin. Together with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, he performed the Chinese premiere of ‘Three Movements’ by Steve Reich.
Albert Lau is an active chamber musician and performs with the award-winning English violinist Philippa Mo since 2023. Their first tour, ‘Devastation, Romance and Hope’, took them to the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, the Glocke in Bremen, the Marienmünster Concert Hall, the historic Georgian Theatre Royal in England and the Isle of Man. With their concert programme ‘Golden Romance’, they toured Cologne, Marienmünster, Mariengarden, Lauterbach and Bad Pyrmont. Their newest concert programme ‘Passions of Spring’ will take them on a major tour in China.
Albert Lau also performs regularly with musicians such as German clarinettist Andreas Hermanski and German mezzo-soprano Sita Grabbe. Together with Berlin actor Hans-Jürgen Schatz, he has performed cross-disciplinary projects in Berlin, Bayreuth, Cologne and Bonn, among other cities.
Albert Lau is committed to charitable organisations such as the Cologne Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation and Pro Namibian Children. With his charity recital ‘Piano gegen Rechts’ (Piano against the Right) he took a stand against racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination. This was reported nationwide, and the Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also thanked him for his commitment. Together with mezzo-soprano Sita Grabbe, Albert Lau gave another charity concert, ‘A Place For Each Of Us’, in aid of the Cologne Society in the Great Synagogue of Cologne. In 2025, he realised the charity project ‘A Fairy Tale in Namibia’ alongside musicians from the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and participated in the world premiere of ‘Otjihambarere’ by Namibian composer Eslon Hindundu at the National Theatre of Windhoek, Africa.
Albert Lau is committed to charitable organisations such as the Cologne Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation and Pro Namibian Children. With his charity recital ‘Piano gegen Rechts’ (Piano against the Right) he took a stand against racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination. This was reported nationwide, and the Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also thanked him for his commitment. Together with mezzo-soprano Sita Grabbe, Albert Lau gave another charity concert, ‘A Place For Each Of Us’, in aid of the Cologne Society in the Great Synagogue of Cologne. In 2025, he realised the charity project ‘A Fairy Tale in Namibia’ alongside musicians from the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra and participated in the world premiere of ‘Otjihambarere’ by Namibian composer Eslon Hindundu at the National Theatre of Windhoek, Africa.
Albert Lau has realised a series of CD albums since 2019. His first album, ‘Unveiled’, featuring works by Clara Schumann and Fanny Hensel, was realised in 2019. In 2021, he recorded his second solo album ‘Mirage’, featuring piano transcriptions from two centuries. Further albums include ‘Nussknacker und Mausekönig’ with Hans-Jürgen Schatz and his third solo album ‘Love and Passion’, featuring piano works by Ludwig van Beethoven and York Bowen. In 2023, he released a recording with violist Francisco Fernández: the Viola Sonata by German composer Karl Klingler: a work that had only been recorded by the composer himself. While studying in London, he recorded an album with the Royal Academy of Music Chamber Ensemble under the baton of the eminent English conductor Trevor Pinnock.
With the Konsonanz Chamber Ensemble from Bremen, Albert Lau recorded an acclaimed streaming concert for International Women’s Day 2021, named ‘Mehr als Kinder, Küche, Kirche – 200 Jahre Kompositionen starker Frauen’ (More than Children, Kirchen, Church – 200 Years of Compositions by remarkable Women), an extraordinary project which focuses exclusively on outstanding female composers. This concert was premiered live at the Sendesaal Bremen.
A versatile pianist, Albert Lau performed at the Royal Opera House Linbury Studio Theatre, London in ‘Draft Works’, alongside principal dancers from the Royal Ballet. He also made his London Southbank début at the Purcell Room, performing John Cage’s Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano. He has been awarded a number of prizes including the prize for the best performance of a work by Gabriel Fauré at the 2009 Seattle International Piano Festival. He has played in master classes given by Stephen Hough, Christopher Elton, Roy Howat, Peter Mack, among others. He has studied chamber music under prominent pedagogues such as Maurice Hasson, Mimi Zweig, Felix Schmidt and Paul Silverthorne.
Albert Lau pours creativity into crafting innovative programmes in his concerts. He is fascinated by rarities in the piano repertoire, from salon pieces to arrangements of symphonic works. He has written piano transcriptions in which he ‘re-imagines’ popular German melodies, such as Fьr mich soll’s rote Rosen regnen. In 2020, Westdeutschland Rundfunk (West German Radio) presented him in an interview to a broad, international audience.
Albert Lau is represented by Gunnar Management Ltd.
Photo: Matthew Johnson Photographer
With the Konsonanz Chamber Ensemble from Bremen, Albert Lau recorded an acclaimed streaming concert for International Women’s Day 2021, named ‘Mehr als Kinder, Küche, Kirche – 200 Jahre Kompositionen starker Frauen’ (More than Children, Kirchen, Church – 200 Years of Compositions by remarkable Women), an extraordinary project which focuses exclusively on outstanding female composers. This concert was premiered live at the Sendesaal Bremen.
A versatile pianist, Albert Lau performed at the Royal Opera House Linbury Studio Theatre, London in ‘Draft Works’, alongside principal dancers from the Royal Ballet. He also made his London Southbank début at the Purcell Room, performing John Cage’s Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano. He has been awarded a number of prizes including the prize for the best performance of a work by Gabriel Fauré at the 2009 Seattle International Piano Festival. He has played in master classes given by Stephen Hough, Christopher Elton, Roy Howat, Peter Mack, among others. He has studied chamber music under prominent pedagogues such as Maurice Hasson, Mimi Zweig, Felix Schmidt and Paul Silverthorne.
Albert Lau pours creativity into crafting innovative programmes in his concerts. He is fascinated by rarities in the piano repertoire, from salon pieces to arrangements of symphonic works. He has written piano transcriptions in which he ‘re-imagines’ popular German melodies, such as Fьr mich soll’s rote Rosen regnen. In 2020, Westdeutschland Rundfunk (West German Radio) presented him in an interview to a broad, international audience.
Albert Lau is represented by Gunnar Management Ltd.
Photo: Matthew Johnson Photographer
“Every time I see a Steinway piano on stage, I sense a thrill of anticipation and excitement. Steinway liberates and enriches my music making immensely, releasing a palette of endless artistic expression like no other piano. Playing a Steinway never ceases to delight and enchant me in the most subtle of ways.”
- Albert Lau
- Albert Lau
Photos by Matthew Johnson | Concert photo Jannes Schilling