Iain Burnside enjoys a unique reputation as pianist and broadcaster, forged through his commitment to the song repertoire and his collaborations with leading international singers. In recent seasons such artists have included Ailish Tynan, Ailyn Perez, Susan Bickley and Ann Murray; John Mark Ainsley, Andrew Kennedy, Lawrence Brownlee, Roderick Williams, William Dazeley and Bryn Terfel.
His extensive recording portfolio reflects his passion for British music. The Naxos English Song series features Burnside in the complete songs of Gerald Finzi, together with discs of Britten, Butterworth, Gurney, Ireland, Vaughan Williams, Alwyn and Ian Venables. He has also recorded Britten, Tippett, Herbert Hughes, FG Scott and Judith Weir for Signum; Richard Rodney Bennett for NMC; Sir Hubert Parry and contemporary Scottish repertoire for Delphian. The NMC Songbook received a Gramophone award. For Albion Records he has recorded songs and chamber works of Vaughan Williams as well as a solo disc of Vaughan Williams and Gurney. Recent projects include the complete Rachmaninov songs for Delphian and a major series of vocal recitals for Opus Arte.
His broadcasting career covers both radio and television and has been honoured with a Sony Radio Award. His musical play A Soldier and a Maker, based on the life of Ivor Gurney, was presented to critical acclaim at the Barbican Centre and the Cheltenham Festival. A play, Journeying Boys, premièred at the Royal College of Music in February 2012, and was restaged in November at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where Burnside is research associate.