Eliza McCarthy is a London-based pianist whose work explores listening as an act of discovery. Through performances that inhabit the spaces between precision and intuition, stillness and movement, she brings a distinctive sensitivity to contemporary music, creating experiences that invite audiences to hear familiar possibilities in unfamiliar sounds.

Known for her fearless commitment to new and experimental music, Eliza appears across the UK, Europe and the US in concert halls, galleries, theatres and unconventional spaces. Her practice is built on close creative relationships with composers, collaborating over long periods to develop works that reveal new dimensions through performance.

She has commissioned, premiered and recorded music by many of today’s most distinctive voices, including John Adams, Thomas Adès, Laura Bowler, George Crumb, Tansy Davies, Donnacha Dennehy, Kit Downes, Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead), Cassandra Miller, Nico Muhly, and Laurie Spiegel.

Eliza is a longstanding collaborator with Mica Levi (Under the Skin, Jackie, Zone of Interest), with whom she has developed a unique musical partnership over more than a decade. Their shared exploration of sound, space and perception has led to a series of acclaimed projects, including the premiere of Levi’s solo piano work The Bag at LSO St Luke’s in 2024 and their new work Message in a Bottle, premiered at Bold Tendencies in 2026. Their album Slow Dark Green Murky Waterfall was released on Slip in 2018.

Recent highlights include performing Donnacha Dennehy’s piano concerto Limina with the LA Phil New Music Group conducted by John Adams, the London premiere of Philip Glass’s North Star at the Royal Festival Hall, Jonny Greenwood’s eight-hour organ work X Years of Reverb at Big Ears Festival, Knoxville, and a collaboration with Nan Goldin and Soundwalk Collective on her film Memory Lost.

Her recordings appear on NMC, Milan Records, Slip, Diatribe Records, Foom, WW Records and Clay Pipe Music. Her latest release, Donnacha Dennehy’s piano concerto Limina with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra Ireland, was released on Nonesuch Records in 2026.

Alongside her solo career, Eliza performs with James McVinnie Ensemble, the London Symphony Orchestra and Crash Ensemble. She is Professor of Piano at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and teaches mindfulness-based approaches that support musicians in developing resilience, awareness and a deeper connection to their creative practice.