Jill Crossland was born in Yorkshire and began the piano at the age of four. She studied at Chethams School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music, with Ryszard Bakst. While a prize-winning student, Jill performed the complete cycle of Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues from memory. She was a semi-finalist at the VIIth International Bach Competition, in Leipzig. After winning the Edward Boyle Scholarship, Jill studied in Vienna with Paul Badura-Skoda.

Jill has performed throughout the UK and widely in Europe, including at the South Bank and the Wigmore Hall in London. She has made regular radio and television broadcasts, including live performances on Radio 3 and 4 and a recent appearance on Ireland's Late Late Show. Jill has recorded a number of film and TV soundtracks, most recently the drama Pollyanna, broadcast by ITV on New Year's Day 2003.

Jill's recording of the Bach Goldberg Variations was issued on Warner Classics in 2003 (0927-49979-2) and reached the Classical Charts on its release. Future collaboration is planned. Jill has also made recent recordings of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven for Calico Classics (CCCR101 and 02).