It is with sadness that we share the news Richard Burnett passed away on Friday 8th July 2022.

Richard was known for being many wonderful things: an international concert pianist, (along with his wife Katrina) the cofounder and coowner of the Richard Burnett Heritage Collection of early pianos, keyboards, clavichords, spinnets and harpsichords, the internationally renowned Finchcocks Piano Museum which they ran at Finchcocks from 1972 – 2016.

Above all, however, Richard was known for his energy, enthusiasm, warmth and his natural flair for entertaining – bringing music of the past alive to anyone who visited. Many of those who have fond memories of Finchcocks as a piano museum, speak of his performances, talks and the desire he shared for guests to try and play as many instruments as they liked – regardless of their value or age.

There will be a small funeral held at the Tunbridge Wells crematorium, with a Memorial Celebration held at a later date. Should you wish to mark his passing, Katrina Burnett has asked for contributions to be made to the Finchcocks Charity Ltd, rather than flowers.

The charity continues its work in bringing early classical music to life, welcoming private visits to their collection in Tunbridge Wells and training up specialised technicians to maintain them.

To find out more or to get in touch, please see Dick and Katrina’s work here and to find out more about the current operations at Finchcocks please explore our piano course and concert pages.