Diedre Irons ONZM MBE is a Canadian-born concert pianist who has been based in New Zealand since 1977. A child prodigy and a star pupil of the Russian-born Canadian composer and virtuoso pianist Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté, Irons made her debut with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra at the age of 12 performing the Schumann piano concerto. She studied at the University of Manitoba, and then went on to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where she completed a Diploma in Performance, studying with Mieczyslaw Horszowski and Rudolf Serkin. Irons was subsequently a member of the teaching staff of the Curtis Institute for nine years from 1968 to 1977. She became a naturalised New Zealand citizen in 1981, and taught at the University of Canterbury from 1992 to 2003.
Diedre has performed in many countries as a concert soloist and as a member of chamber music ensembles. She toured 25 countries with the Slovenian violinist Miha Pogačnik between 1984 and 1991, giving piano master classes and concerts. In New Zealand she has collaborated with Alexander Ivashkin, Michael Houstoun, Jan Tawroszewics, and the New Zealand String Quartet. Her international collaborations include the Kodály Quartet, the Kocian Quartet and the Latin American String Quartets. She has appeared many times with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. She has also appeared frequently on television and radio and has many recordings. Her discography includes the five Beethoven piano concertos.
