Named as ‘one to watch’ by The Independent newspaper, 'rising star' by BBC Music magazine, and 'unsigned artist of the month" by Yamaha, twenty four year old Emmanuel Vass is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most charismatic pianists on the contemporary scene. 2013 has already seen the launch of his first CD – From Bach to Bond – and his first UK recital tour under the same heading. The tour, which took in seven venues across the North of England and culminated in his London debut at Steinway Hall and St James’s Piccadilly, attracted considerable media interest, including a live broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune.The Bach to Bond title he chose for the CD and tour reflects both Manny’s eclectic taste in music and his versatility as a pianist. He is as at ease with the challenges of Bach as with the demanding pianistic technique required for his own arrangements – in the manner of Liszt - of the James Bond theme and Bohemian Rhapsody. (His performances of these have drawn huge attention on Youtube).This supreme versatility is also revealed in the calibre and variety of his recent engagements. Manny’s busy solo recital diary has included performances at The Bridgewater Hall (Manchester), Sheffield Cathedral, Leeds College of Music, the Long Gallery at Castle Howard and Hexham Abbey, as well as at the prestigious London venues Steinway Hall, Queen's Theatre West End, 1901 Arts Club Waterloo, St Lawrence Jewry and St James’s Piccadilly. He has performed for Lord Levy and the Russian ambassador in the Golden Room in Kensington Palace Gardens, for the Filipino ambassador at St. Sepulchre's Church London, and for the French ambassador at The Lowry Theatre in Salford. At the Variety Club Jubilee Ball he played for the Prince and Princess of Monaco on the same programme as international artists The Manfreds, the boy band Blake, and Lulu.In September 2012 he made his first BBC Radio 3 appearance as part of a Radio 3 masterclass. Presented by David Owen-Norris and filmed in front of a live audience at BBC Broadcasting House, London, the masterclass is available to watch on the BBC Youtube channel.Emmanuel Vass was born in Manila, Philippines and grew up in East Yorkshire. Having passed Grade 8 piano with distinction at the age of 15, he subsequently studied with Robert Markham at Yorkshire Young Musicians, the centre for the advanced training for gifted young musicians based at Leeds College of Music. This was followed by four years at the Royal Northern College of Music, where Manny studied with John Gough and was supported by scholarships from the Leverhulme Scholarship Trust and the Sir John Manduell Scholarship Trust. He graduated in 2011.