PIANIST | SCHOLAR | CULTURAL INNOVATOR
Rebeca Omordia is an award-winning British-Nigerian classical pianist and curator, internationally recognised for her pioneering work in African classical music. Hailed as a “classical music game changer” (Classical Music Magazine) and an “African classical music pioneer” (BBC World Service), she is currently Artist-in-residence at Wigmore Hall in London. Through performance, recording, and curation, she continues to reshape perceptions of the classical piano repertoire for the 21st century.
Though born in Romania and based in London, much of Rebeca’s artistic identity is rooted in Nigeria — the homeland of her father. Her Nigerian heritage deeply influences her artistic mission to bring African classical repertoire to global audiences. Her performances and recordings foreground piano music by African composers from across the continent, uniting rigorous classical technique with rhythmic vitality and deep musical insight; The Guardian has praised her interpretations as “wild and shimmering piano gems,” while The Times highlighted her “sparkling technique, rhythmic panache and deep sympathy with the music.” Pianist Rebeca Omordia’s extensive discography includes the BBC Music Magazine Award-winning recording of Errollyn Wallen’s Piano Concerto, written for her and recorded with the BBC Concert Orchestra under John Andrews, as well as her acclaimed African Pianism series, which has garnered international attention, major press coverage, BBC Radio 3 Essential Classics Album of the Week, and The Times citation as “one of the best classical albums of the year,” introducing audiences worldwide to rarely heard works by African composers.
Alongside her performance career, Rebeca Omordia is the Founder and Artistic Director of the African Concert Series, a unique platform dedicated to African classical music, currently resident at the iconic Wigmore Hall in London. Her work in this area has positioned her as both a performer and a thought leader in re-examining the scope of classical music programming.
Omordia has appeared at major venues and festivals across the UK, Europe, USA and Africa, and regularly collaborates with cultural institutions, universities, and arts organisations. She has toured Nigeria multiple times as a soloist. Her Nigerian tours are part of her broader work to promote classical music from African composers. During her time in the country, the Nigerian newspaper The Guardian described her as "the pianist who cast a spell on Lagos". In addition to solo recitals, she is an experienced lecturer and curator, frequently presenting lecture-recitals that place music within its historical and cultural frameworks.
She has worked with an array of international musicians including duo-partnerships with world renowned cellist Julian Loyd Webber and double bass virtuoso Leon Bosch.
Omordia graduated with Bachelor in Music degree from the National Music University in Bucharest where she studied with acclaimed Romanian pianist and professor Dana Borsan, then she continued her studies in the UK at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Trinity College of Music in London with professor Mikhail Kazakevich. Rebeca holds a Doctor in Music degree from the National University of Music in Bucharest, Romania.