He studied at the Musikhochschule Karlsruhe with Wolfgang Manz, graduating with distinction before undertaking a postgraduate course at the Royal College of Music (RCM), studying with Yonty Solomon. He obtained a Masters Degree in Chamber Music and stayed on as a Junior Fellow at the RCM until 2003.
Jakob has been involved in various projects. Most recently he has given lecture recitals on the subject of piano and chamber works by Max Reger in Germany and the UK. Other projects include contemporary music programmes, combining established 20th century composers with newly commissioned works for solo piano and chamber ensembles. Jakob has also done a lot of educational work such as musical workshops for GCSE and A-Level students.
Jakob has won numerous prizes at international competitions both as a soloist and chamber musician. These include the Valentino Bucchi International Piano Competition for 20th century music in Rome, the Liza Fuchsowa Memorial Prize at the Royal-Over-Seas-League – best chamber music pianist, and the International Taneev Chamber Music Competition in Kaluga and Moscow.
