Tom Borrow I Pianist

Born in Tel Aviv in 2000, Tom Borrow came to international attention through an unexpected opportunity with the Israel Philharmonic. Mentored by Murray Perahia, he has since built a career spanning concerto performances, solo recitals and chamber music.

In January 2019, Tom Borrow received the kind of call that can change a young musician’s career. The Israel Philharmonic needed a replacement for Khatia Buniatishvili, and Borrow stepped in with just 36 hours’ notice to perform Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major in a series of 12 concerts.

The invitation led to further appearances with the orchestra, including gala concerts in London and Mexico City and another subscription series. For a pianist born in 2000, it was an unusually early opportunity to move from musical training into the demands of a major orchestra’s concert schedule.

A musical education in Israel

Borrow began studying piano at five with Michal Tal at the Givatayim Music Conservatory. He continued his training with Tomer Lev of the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University.

Another important figure in his development has been Murray Perahia, who has regularly mentored him through the Jerusalem Music Centre’s programme for outstanding young musicians. Borrow has also participated in masterclasses with pianists including András Schiff, Richard Goode and Menahem Pressler.

These relationships form part of a musical education developed in his home country, where he has performed as a soloist with its major orchestras. His subsequent international career has taken him into several different settings, from orchestral concerts to solo recitals and chamber music.

From the Proms to the Hallé

Borrow was selected for the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme for 2021–23. In 2022, he made his BBC Proms debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

A further milestone followed in 2023, when he received the Terence Judd-Hallé Award. Given in memory of the British pianist who died in 1979 at 22, the award supports a young pianist’s professional development through concerto, chamber music and solo recital opportunities, alongside a cash prize.

That combination suited the breadth of Borrow’s developing career. Rather than recognising only a single performance, the award offered opportunities to work with an orchestra and its musicians across different kinds of repertoire.

Developing longer musical relationships

His recent engagements have included residencies as well as individual appearances. Across 2024–25, Borrow was artist-in-residence with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, with Beethoven’s piano concertos among the works he performed. He subsequently held a residency with the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini during its 2025–26 season.

His recital appearances have included Wigmore Hall, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and the Vancouver Recital Society, alongside performances at the Verbier and Ruhr festivals. In summer 2025, he made his Aspen Music Festival debut.

His announced 2026–27 season includes recital debuts with Cal Performances in Berkeley and the Gilmore, chamber music at the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Winter Festival, and concerto appearances with the Dallas and Atlanta symphony orchestras.

Where to hear him

Borrow’s website offers a useful introduction to his repertoire: Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major with the Israel Philharmonic, Rachmaninov’s Variations on a Theme of Corelli at Wigmore Hall, and extracts from Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra.

Another opportunity comes on 15 November 2026, when he is scheduled to perform in the Gilmore’s Rising Stars series in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The programme pairs Mozart’s Sonata in A minor, K. 310, with Liszt’s Réminiscences de Don Juan and Sonata in B minor. The presenter advertises a livestream available for 30 days.

For listeners discovering Borrow, these performances offer a way into a career already extending across orchestral, recital and chamber music stages—and a chance to hear the pianist behind the growing list of invitations.

Where to find Tom Borrow
Official website
YouTube