Chetham’s International Piano Summer School

Faculty Gala recital
2024-08-10 20:30 - 21:45 (Europe/London) | Stoller Hall
The now traditional Gala Recital featuring outstanding members of the faculty. An exciting and varied programme guaranteed.
Free for all summer school participants. Tickets available for the public from the Stoller Hall.
Rachmaninov Caprice bohémien Op. 12 (Capriccio on gypsy themes) Honor O’Hea and Robert Andres
Brahms 3 Intermezzi Op 117 John Thwaites
Arnold Griller’s ‘Songs of the ChenFinch’ for two pianos Bobby Chen and Douglas Finch
Graham Lynch (1957-)
Blue Bird in the Mythic Forest
Rock Crystal world première Lauryna Sableviciute
Both pieces come from the set The Chimeras, and they share a similar theme in that they are related to the idea of the ‘story’. Blue Bird in the Mythic Forest evokes the atmosphere of a fairy tale, where the piano creates sustained and luminous harmonies and conjures up a hushed and dark forest. By contrast, Rock Crystal moves rapidly towards a series of climactic chords that summon up the elemental power of the glacier onto which two young children have accidently wandered on the night of Christmas eve. The story that inspired this piece was written by Adalbert Stifter, and it’s one of the most unique works in German literature.
Grieg Notturno Op. 54 No. 4 Debussy L’Isle Joyeuse Gemma Webster
Jeremy Pike – Prelude on E flat major world première Katie Laing
Douglas Finch – Improvisation – audience suggestions very welcome!
Ravel La Valse for 2 pianos Kathryn Stott and Ben Powell

Lecture with Robert Andres - Pianos and Pianism: Frederic Horace Clark and the Quest for Unity of Mind, Body and Universe
2024-08-11 17:15 - 18:00
Pianos and Pianism: Frederic Horace Clark and the Quest for Unity of Mind, Body and Universe
Robert Andres, author of Pianos and Pianism, will give illuminating insight into Clark’s work and his place in the history of the development of piano technique.
Free to all summer school participants. Tickets available to the public from the Stoller Hall.

Michael Lewin Recital
2024-08-11 19:00 - 20:00
Michael Lewin is internationally applauded as one of America’s most gifted concert pianists, performing to acclaim in over 30 countries. His many recordings, enormous repertoire and charismatic stage presence have established him as an artist whose warmth, imagination and dazzling virtuosity make him an audience favorite.
We are thrilled to welcome Michael back to Stoller Hall.
Gian-Carlo Menotti Ricercare and Toccate (1953)
(On a theme from “The Old Maid and the Thief”

Charles Griffes Pleasure Dome of Kubla Khan (1915)

Franz Liszt Sonata in B minor

Sarah Beth Briggs Recital
2024-08-12 19:00 - 20:00
…an exceptionally gifted musician The Guardian
Pianist Sarah Beth Briggs – an artist of extraordinary magnetism (Michael Kennedy, Daily Telegraph) – is a leading recitalist, concerto soloist, and chamber musician.Her professional career was launched at the age of eleven when she became the then youngest-ever finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year and a recipient of a Dame Myra Hess Award. Four years later she gained international recognition as joint winner of the International Mozart Competition in Salzburg. Sarah is a celebrated artist at societies and festivals throughout the UK, acclaimed by promoters and critics for her performances and for her engaging and informative introductions to recital programmes.
Haydn Variations in F minor, Hob XVII/6
Schubert Impromptu in B flat, D935 No. 3
Chopin Berceuse, op 57
Mendelssohn Variations Sérieuses, op 54

Lunchtime Recital - Pedro López Salas
2024-08-15 13:45 - 14:30
The daily lunchtime recital in the Stoller Hall.
Gubaidulina Chaconne
Beethoven – Piano Concerto No 3 with Henry Cash 2nd piano
1 Allegro 2 Largo 3 Rondo Allegro-Presto
Tickets available through the Stoller Hall. Free to all summer school participants and observers.

Lecture with Paul Hindmarsh - Who was Wilfred Heaton?
2024-08-15 17:15 - 18:00
In the early 1950s Sheffield composer Wilfred Heaton undertook a number of consultation lessons in composition with the distinguished emigre Hungarian teacher Matyas Seiber. The results of this advice were far-reaching on Heaton’s style, as can be heard in this Piano Sonata.
Paul Hindmarsh, a former BBC producer for 21 years now devotes his time to historical and analytical research. British music of the past 150 years is his special field of interest. His Thematic Catalogue of the music of Frank Bridge (1879 – 1941) became the standard reference work on this composer.
Today Paul will talk about Wilfred Heaton and the sonata before it is given the World Premiere by Murray McLachlan.

Graham Scott Recital
2024-08-15 19:00 - 20:00
Hailed by the Gramophone magazine as ‘an exceptional talent’ Graham Scott has performed extensively throughout the world most notably in New York (92nd St. Y), Washington DC (Kennedy Center), Los Angeles (Ambassador Auditorium), Tokyo (Suntory Hall), Beijing (Beijing Concert Hall and Forbidden City Concert Hall), Paris (Bagatelle) as well as all the major London venues (Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Barbican Centre.)
Graham studied at Chetham’s School of Music and the RNCM. He became the first artist to win both the YCA Inc. auditions in New York and the YCAT auditions in London. He also won the Dudley National Piano Competition and the Jaen International Piano Competition in Spain.
Since 2007 he has held the position of Head of Keyboard Studies at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Artistic Director of the RNCM James Mottram International Piano Competition.

Lunchtime Recital - Jeremias Fliedl, cello and Callum McLachlan, piano
2024-08-16 13:45 - 14:30
The daily lunchtime recital in the Stoller Hall.
J.S. Bach – Arioso from the Cantata “Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe” G-Dur BWV 156
Debussy Sonata
Prologue: Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto
Sérénade: Modérément animé
Finale: Animé, léger et nerveux

Brahms Sonata in E minor op 38
Allegro non troppo
Allegretto quasi Menuetto
Allegro

Jeremias Fliedl is among the leading Austrian cellists of his generation. He has performed at prestigious international stages, most notable engagements include the Salzburg Festival, the Mozart Week Salzburg, the Carinthian Summer, the Südtirol Festival Merano, CLASSIX Kempten, the Musiktage Mondsee, the Vevey Spring Classic Festival, the International Chamber Music Festival Utrecht, the Grachtenfestival Amsterdam, the Salzkammergut Festwochen Gmunden, the Festival Sankt Gallen as well as concerts at the Vienna Musikverein, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Centre for Fine Arts Brussels, the Konzerthaus Dortmund and the Laeiszhalle Hamburg.
He has appeared with Petrit Çeku, Stéphane Denève, Veronika Eberle, Ziyu He, Maximilian Kromer, Nikola Meeuwsen, Nils Mönkemeyer, Daniel Müller-Schott, Benedict Mitterbauer, Julian Rachlin, Timothy Ridout, Case Scaglione, Benjamin Schmid, the Simply Quartet, Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, Kiron Atom Tellian, Dominik Wagner and Stefan Wilkening among others.
As a soloist he has performed with orchestras such as the Brussels Philharmonic, Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia, Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn, Salzburg Orchestra Soloists, Zagreb Soloists, Zagreb Chamber Orchestra, Beethoven Philharmonie, Matrix Orchestra, Carinthian Symphony Orchestra, Academia Ars Musicae, Camerata Ars Vivendi, Sandor Végh Institute Chamber Orchestra, Webern Chamber Philharmonic, Euro Symphony SFK, Olsztyn Philharmonic Orchestra, Artsakh Symphony Orchestra and Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra.

In 2024, he released his debut album “TRANSFORMATION”, which was met with great acclaim among critics: “a sumptuous feast of cello timbres” (BBC Music Magazine), “brilliant” (Die Presse), “technically brilliant and with astonishing musical maturity” (Concerti), “soulful expression, marvellous legato” (Klassik Heute). The album was recorded with the Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn under Emmanuel Tjeknavorian and was released by the label Berlin Classics.
Born in Klagenfurt in 1999, Jeremias Fliedl’s musical development was significantly influenced by Heinrich Schiff as his last student at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna after his initial training with Igor Mitrovic. He completed his bachelor’s degree with Clemens Hagen at the University Mozarteum Salzburg and graduated with a master’s degree from Julian Steckel at the University of Music and Theatre Munich. He received important artistic input from Daniel Müller-Schott and Michael Sanderling. He is a prizewinner of the Liezen Competition, the Svirél Competition, the Antonio Janigro Competition and also the first Austrian cellist to be awarded as a laureate at the Queen Elisabeth Competition.
Jeremias Fliedl plays the “ex Gendron, Lord Speyer”, a cello made by Antonio Stradivari in 1693, which is privately loaned to him
.
Tickets available through the Stoller Hall. Free to all summer school participants and observers.

Lunchtime Recital - Chetham's School of Music
2025-08-15 13:45 - 14:30
We are delighted to present a series of daily lunchtime recitals in the glorious Stoller Hall given by outstanding young pianists. Today we welcome pianists who are currently studying at Chetham’s
Today we welcome Erin, 11, Maple 15 and Tiffany, 11

Dina Parakhina - Lecture Recital
2025-08-15 17:15 - 18:00
Delighted to welcome back Dina Parakhina to perform a recital.
Medtner Romantic Sketches for the Young, Op 54
1. Prelude, Pastorale
2. Bird’s Tale
3. Prelude, Tempo di Sarabanda
4. Tale, Scherzo
5. Prelude, Tender Reproach
6. Tale, The Barrel-Organ Player
7. Prelude, Hymn
8. Tale, The Beggar
Medtner’s Op.54 “Romantic Sketches for the Young” is a rarely performed cycle.
It consists of four short books, each one containing a prelude and a tale (or fairy tale).
Following the grand and majestic two Sonatas Op.53 it is completely different in its style, layout,
means of expression and content.
Written in 1931 this set of pieces is probably one of the most intimate and sincere creations in piano literature of all times.
Dina will talk about Medtner and the work before performing the compete work. Not to be missed.

Simon Callaghan Recital
2025-08-15 19:00 - 20:00
Simon Callaghan, Chetham’s alumnus, performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician, in parallel with a highly successful career as a recording artist. A favourite performer at the internationally-renowned Husum Festival of Piano Rarities in Germany, Callaghan’s recent sell-out concert was praised by VAN Magazine as a “cleverly curated recital full of discoveries” and by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as “technically brilliant”. Callaghan has developed a wide following and appears on a regular basis in the UK’s major concert halls, and on tours to Asia, North America and Europe. Recital partners have included Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Nicholas Daniel, Adrian Brendel, Feng Ning, Samuel West, Prunella Scales and Timothy West. BBC Young Musician of the Year Finalist Coco Tomita and Callaghan have a successful duo partnership which saw their first record released in 2022 on Orchid Classics. He is also a founding member of the London Piano Quartet, joining colleagues from the renowned Piatti Quartet to showcase the repertoire for piano quartet with a particular focus on revivifying works that have fallen into obscurity.
Simon Callaghan’s distinguished and eclectic discography includes recordings for Hyperion, Nimbus and Lyrita. He has a strong profile on BBC Radio3 and on a variety of streaming platforms, his most recent single on Apple Music with Coco Tomita surpassing 1 million streams in the first month of its release. He is a strong social media enthusiast, using it as a form of promotion for classical music in general but seeing it as a particular tool in his advocacy of the rare and unexplored.

Grieg | Holberg Suite Op.40
Poulenc | Les Soirées de Nazelles FP84

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko Recital
2025-08-15 20:30 - 21:30
Winner of the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition and recipient of the Dame Fanny Waterman Gold Medal, 25-year-old Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko has been celebrated by audiences, critics and composers alike for his communicative power, refined technical command and artistic maturity. A few months before his triumph in Leeds, Jaeden became the first Canadian Grand Prize Laureate in an instrumental edition of the Concours musical international de Montréal in May 2024.
We are thrilled to welcome Jaeden to the Stoller Hall for a solo recital.
Partita No. 4 in D major, BWV 828 J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750)
Ouverture
Allemande
Courante
Aria
Sarabande
Menuet
Gigue
Fantasie in B minor, Op. 28 Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915)
Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58 Frederic Chopin (1810 – 1849)
Allegro maestoso
Scherzo: Molto vivace
Largo
Finale: Presto non tanto

Lunchtime Recital - Neil Rutman
2025-08-16 13:45 - 14:30
‘He won the audience over for himself with exquisite performances’ (New York Times)
Professor Neil Rutman is one of America’s most distinguished musicians. A prizewinner at many celebrated international competitions, he has performed throughout the world and continues to nurture young pianists as Artist in residence at the University of central Arkansas. Neil has performed ‘L’histoire du Baba’ with both Shirly MacLaine and Emmy Award winner Tony Randall as narrators. For this recital he will undertake the remarkable tour-de-force of both performing the music and narrating the charming story entirely by himself. Not to be missed.
POULENC ‘The Story of Babar the Little Elephant’
LISZT Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude

Lecture Recital with Murray McLachlan
2025-08-16 17:15 - 18:00
Today Murray celebrates the 80th year of composer Edward Gregson.
I have no hesitation in declaring Gregson to be one of the most significant British composers currently active in this country
Robert Matthew-Walker, International Record Review
Edward Gregson was born in Sunderland, Co Durham, England, in 1945. He graduated from London’s Royal Academy of Music in 1967, having studied piano and composition (with Alan Bush), and then completed a B.Mus (Hons) degree at London University. He is a composer of international standing whose music has been performed, broadcast, and recorded worldwide. He has written orchestral, chamber, instrumental and choral music, as well as making major contributions to the wind and brass repertoire. He has also written music for the theatre, film, and television.
Edward Gregson has had an impressive career as an academic, from his time as Head of Composition and resident conductor in the music department of Goldsmiths College, University of London (1976-96), and where he was appointed a Professor of Music, to his tenure as Principal of the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in Manchester (1996-2008). He retired from academe in 2008 in order to concentrate on his composition.
His orchestral music has been performed by many orchestras and conductors worldwide, including all the BBC orchestras, the London Symphony, Royal Scottish National, Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and Bournemouth Symphony orchestras; with conductors such as Martyn Brabbins, Edward Downes, Rumon Gamba, Alexander Gibson, Gunther Herbig, Kent Nagano, Gianandrea Noseda, Bramwell Tovey, and soloists including Ole Edvard Antonsen, Wissam Boustany, Olivier Charlier, Michael Collins, Nelson Goerner, Guy Johnston, Nobuya Sugawa, and Richard Watkins.
Six Little Piano Pieces
Three Etudes
Piano Sonata

Gala Faculty Recital
2025-08-18 17:00 - 18:00
The opening night of CIPSS part two continues with a gala faculty recital. A varied and exciting programme featuring outstanding members of the faculty.
Free for all summer school participants. Tickets available for the public from the Stoller Hall.

"PPP, Passion, Piano, Politics"; A brief history of piano music in Iran, particularly last 50 years.
2025-08-19 17:15 - 18:00
Today we welcome Neysun Rouhani to give this fascinating lecture- a brief history of Piano in Iran and then the effects of the 1978 Islamic Revolution on the music. Neysun will introduce composers who have written music for piano and performances of their music will be given by young pianists including Deedeh Rouhani, Luca Boston and Rose McLachlan.
Neysun started learning piano at an early age under the tutelage of his father, esteemed British-Iranian composer, Mehran Rouhani. Showing a lot of potential, he went on to study with professors Gagik Babayan and Raphael Minaskanian in Iran and Gerhard Geretschläger in Vienna.
His greatest influence came from his teacher and mentor Benjamin Kaplan in London. In addition to his training as a pianist, he had the privilege to participate in masterclasses with Menahem Pressler, Charles Rosen and Martino Tirimo.
A notable solo recording includes the album ‘3 Piano Pieces’ featuring piano music composed by Mehran Rouhani (released on Hermes Records and available on Spotify).
Neysun Produced and organised ‘Epic Persia’ at Cadogan Hall in London, which showcased the works of many composers from Persia and was a co-director of the ‘Epic Persia Composition Competiton’.

Lunchtime Recital - Soli Nallaseth and Theron Masters
2025-08-20 13:45 - 14:30
Today we welcome two outstanding pianists who are studying for a doctorate at USC Thornton in Los Angeles.
Theron Masters has performed at several international festivals over the past few years, including Music Fest Perugia in Italy, Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Piano Program, Indiana University Piano Academy, and International Institute for Young Musicians. Theron has performed in masterclasses for Martin Katz, Lang Lang, John O’Conor and Leon Fleisher.
Soli Cyrus Nallaseth, born in New York City and raised in Mumbai, has been shaped by diverse cultures, with music as his guiding force. A prizewinner in multiple international competitions, he has performed with the Symphony Orchestra of India and at renowned venues worldwide, including Wigmore Hall. He has participated in prestigious festivals like Aspen and Musica Mundi, and even composed for the Netflix film Yeh Ballet. Currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at USC, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music and has worked with distinguished pianists such as Daniel Barenboim and Maria João Pires. Soli was a student at Chetham’s School of Music.
Soli Nallaseth Beethoven Sonata Op 101
Theron Masters Handel Suite HWV 428 D Minor

Theron Masters
Soli Nallaseth

Lunchtime Recital - Hannah Roberts, Cello and Simon Parkin, Piano
2025-08-21 13:45 - 14:30
We are delighted to welcome cellist Hannah Roberts and pianist Simon Parkin to give a lunchtime recital.
Hannah Roberts is one of the outstanding ‘cellists of her generation. She she was privileged to have studied extensively with William Pleeth at the Yehudi Menuhin School and Ralph Kirshbaum at the Royal Northern College of Music.
Having won prizes in numerous prestigious competitions and awards such as the Shell LSO, BBC Young Musician, Jacqueline Du Pré Memorial, and Pierre Fournier awards, Hannah has gone on to give many concerto performances with leading orchestras, including the London Mozart Players, LSO, BBC Concert Orchestra, and the Hallé, also making frequent broadcasts for BBC radio and recording for ASV.

Internationally, she has taken part in the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival in Los Angeles, Vivac-e Festival, and Heifetz Institute in the U.S., Encore Chamber Music, International Cello Institute, and numerous other festivals in Europe, and enjoys an active schedule of solo and chamber music performances.
In addition to her activities as a soloist, chamber musician, and principal ‘cellist of the award-winning chamber orchestra Manchester Camerata, Hannah is a committed and sought-after teacher. Recently announced as Jacqueline Du Pré Professor of Cello at the RAM in London, she is also Professor of Cello at the RNCM in Manchester, Visiting Artist in Cello at RBC, and visiting tutor for the University of Oxford.
Her distinguished roster of student alumni includes the British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, South African artist Abel Selaocoe, and some of the world’s most notable young soloists, chamber musicians, and principal ‘cellists.
Simon Parkin studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School at the age of 10 and trained there as a pianist. An early interest in composition was encouraged there, and at 17 Simon entered Manchester University and the RNCM as a composition student. Upon graduation he was invited onto the staff at RNCM, where he has taught a range of practically-based subjects including aural, improvisation, composition and arranging. He is now Deputy Head of Academic Studies at the RNCM. He has also taught improvisation and composition at both the Menuhin and the Purcell music schools.
Simon has developed his role as an accompanist/duo pianist, enjoying a comprehensive repertoire, and as well as his partnership with Hannah, he works regularly with artists such as Ralph Kirshbaum, and has performed with a range of international artists at festivals and in recital. He is regularly invited as pianist for instrumental classes at IMS Prussia Cove, London Masterclasses and the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Masterclasses, and has recorded a recital disk with violinist Detlef Hahn.
Beethoven: variations on ‘Ein Madchen Oder Weibchen’ from Moxart’s’Magic Flute’
Simon Parkin: 3 pieces
Frank Bridge: Sonata

Charles Owen Recital
2025-08-21 19:00 - 20:00
Charles Owen enjoys an extensive international career performing a wide-ranging repertoire to outstanding critical acclaim. He appears at major UK venues such as Bridgewater Hall, The Sage, Wigmore Hall & Kings Place. Internationally, he has performed at the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York, the Brahms Saal in Vienna’s Musikverein, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Melbourne Recital Centre. His chamber music partners include Alina Ibragimova, Johan Dalene, Imogen Cooper, Steven Isserlis and Augustin Hadelich. Ensemble collaborations encompass the Carducci, Heath, Sacconi and Takács string quartets.
A regular guest at UK festivals such as Aldeburgh, Bath, Cheltenham, Three Choirs and Ryedale he has also performed in Australia at the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, Townsville and the Verbier Festival, Switzerland. Charles’s concerto appearances have included the Philharmonia, Hallé, Aurora and London Philharmonic orchestras. He has enjoyed collaborations with many leading conductors including Sir Mark Elder, Ryan Wigglesworth, Nicholas Collon and Martyn Brabbins.
Charles’s significant solo discography comprises piano music by JS Bach, Brahms, Fauré, Liszt, Janáček, Poulenc & Schumann. Chamber music albums include two-piano works by Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky & Poulenc with Katya Apekisheva, a disc of Janáček, Suk & Dvorak with violinist Augustin Hadelich and the world premiere recordings of the Piano Quintet & ´Between Friendsˋ by Jonathan Dove.
Together with pianist Katya Apekisheva he is Co-Artistic Director of London Piano Festival, a celebration of the instrument held annually at Kings Place since 2016. The festival presents many distinguished pianists whilst also commissioning outstanding composers to write music for two pianos. Sally Beamish, Nico Muhly, Elena Langer & Stephen Hough have all composed for the ongoing series.
Charles Owen is a Professor of Piano at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and enjoys leading masterclasses at a wide range of conservatoires and schools. In 2016 he was appointed Steinway & Sons UK Ambassador and is also an ambassador for the charity Help Musicians.
Liszt Deux légendes
Chaminade Sérénade Espagnole, Op 150
Chaminade Guitare, Op 32
De Falla Fantasia Baetica
Ravel Le tombeau de Couperin

Craig Sheppard Recital
2025-08-22 20:30 - 21:30
We welcome back world famous American virtuoso pianist-teacher Craig Sheppard to give a long awaited recital.
“Listen to his concluding octaves in Rigoletto (for him a burst of thunderous applause) or the final pages of Tannhuser and you will witness an astounding force and charisma, playing which rides on a knife edge between abandon and control .. You won’t easily find more exciting or, indeed, more leonine Liszt playing. Small wonder that at one stage he was acclaimed as a second William Kapell ”
Gramophone Magazine
A wonderful all French programme to end the series of recitals this year.
FAURÉ
Nocturne No. 6 in D-Flat Major Op. 63
RAVEL Miroirs
Noctuelles
Oiseaux tristes
Une barque sur l’océan
Alborada del gracioso
La vallée des cloches
DEBUSSY Estampes
Pagodes
La soirée dans Grenade
Jardins sous la pluie

Opening Recital - Martin Roscoe
2026-08-12 17:00 - 18:00
…Roscoe is a pianist who both thinks and offers full-blooded playing of breadth and depth. In this country, he is an uncommon creature…Daily Telegraph
With an extraordinary career spanning over four decades, Martin Roscoe is unarguably one of the UK’s best loved pianists. Renowned for his versatility at the keyboard, Martin is equally at home in concerto, recital and chamber performances. In an ever more distinguished career, his enduring popularity and the respect in which he is universally held are built on a deeply thoughtful musicianship allied to an easy rapport with audiences and fellow musicians alike.
Schumann Kinderszenen Op.15
Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition
FREE for summer school participants. General public tickets available here Stoller Hall

25 for 25 - a Jubilee Celebration - part one
2026-08-12 19:30 - 21:00
A quarter-century of music-making is a milestone worth celebrating and this year’s course will be a jubilant tribute to the countless artists who have shared their talents, energy, and spirit across the years.
This special celebratory concert will be full of surprise and innovation – more details will be revealed over the coming months.

From the moment participants arrive, they will be welcomed not only with warm smiles but also with a very special gift, one that will last a lifetime and beyond.
It promises to be an occasion filled with reflection, gratitude, and the exhilarating sense of being part of something enduring and extraordinary.

Lunchtime Recital - Ariel Lanyi
2026-08-13 13:45 - 14:35
The first in the series of lunchtime recitals for 2026.
In March 2023, Ariel Lanyi was honored to receive the Prix Serdang, a Swiss prize awarded by the distinguished Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder. The prize is endowed with CHF 50,000 and is not a competition, but a recognition of a young pianist’s achievements and an investment in their future.
Prior to this, Ariel won 3rd prize at the 2021 Leeds International Piano Competition, performing Brahms Concerto No. 2 with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Andrew Manze in the finals. In the same year, he was a winner of the Young Classical Artists Trust International Auditions.
Current highlights include returns to the Wigmore Hall and to the Miami International Piano Festival, as well as a tour of Asia.
On the concerto platform Ariel has appeared with various orchestras, including the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Israel Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonia Viva and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
In 2021 Linn Records released his recording of music by Schubert to critical acclaim. His newest recording, Organ Reflections, a recording of piano music inspired by the organ by Mozart, Franck, and Reger, was released to critical acclaim in May 2025 (“…the admirable Lanyi drawing out their many and varied colours superbly” – from a 5-star review from the BBC Music Magazine).
An avid chamber musician, Ariel has attended the Marlboro festival, and has collaborated with eminent musicians such as Maria João Pires, Marina Piccinini, Charles Neidich, Alena Baeva, and Torleif Thedéen.
Recent highlights have included recitals at the Wigmore Hall, Fundacion Juan March in Madrid, Homburg MeisterKonzerte series in Germany, the Grafenegg festival in Austria, the Bravo!Vail festival in Colorado, the Kissinger Festsommer and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern festivals in Germany, Perth Concert Hall (broadcast by BBC Radio 3), Vancouver Recital Society, Nottingham International Piano Series, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Merkin Hall in New York, and in festivals across the UK including Chipping Campden, Brighton and Bath.
Born in Jerusalem, Ariel studied with Lea Agmon and Yuval Cohen. Based in London, he completed his studies at the Royal Academy of Music with Hamish Milne and Ian Fountain. He has received extensive tuition from eminent artists such as Robert Levin, Murray Perahia, Imogen Cooper, Nicholas Walker, and the late Alfred Brendel, Leon Fleisher and Ivan Moravec. Other awards include 1st Prize at the Grand Prix Animato Competition in Paris and 1st Prize in the Dudley International Piano Competition, as well as a finalist award at the Rubinstein Competition. Ariel was recently made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.
“…the admirable Lanyi drawing out their many and varied colours superbly.” – BBC Music Magazine, 5-star review
Programme
Beethoven Diabelli Variations

Lecture
2026-08-13 17:15 - 18:00
The first of the lectures for the 2026 course.
Full details will be updated soon.
Free to all summer school participants and observers. Tickets to public available from the Stoller Hall.

Murray and Callum McLachlan in 2025 lecture – Musical Rhetoric

Murray McLachlan Recital
2026-08-13 19:00 - 20:00
McLachlan’s repertoire includes over 40 concertos and 25 recital programmes. He has performed the complete Beethoven piano sonata cycle seven times, as well as the complete piano music of Brahms. He has given first performances of works by many composers, including Martin Butler, Ronald Stevenson, Charles Camilleri, Michael Parkin and even Beethoven! He has appeared as soloist with most of the leading UK orchestras. His recognition has been far-reaching, bringing invitations to perform on all five continents. At the same time, he continues to give numerous concerts and master classes in the UK.

© Martin Lijinsky

Leon McCawley Recital
2026-08-13 20:30 - 21:30
“One of today’s most impeccably musical pianists.” International Piano, January/February 2021
Praised for his unfailingly communicative playing, British pianist Leon McCawley has been delighting audiences worldwide since winning, in 1993, First Prize in the International Beethoven Piano Competition in Vienna and Second Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition. His many concert performances and extensive discography have established him as a pianist of great integrity and variety, bringing freshness and vitality to Classical, Romantic and 20th century repertoire. McCawley’s latest CD of Haydn Sonatas Volume IV for SOMM Recordings is no exception: “There is real freshness to McCawley’s playing throughout, concomitant with a sense of Haydn’s delight in playing with form. Captured in superb sound, this is one of McCawley’s finest discs to date”. (International Piano, December 2021).
Mozart: Sonata in G major K283
Fanny Mendelssohn: Notturno in G minor H337
Fauré: Nocturne No. 4 in E flat major Op. 36
Beethoven: Sonata in C major Op. 2 No. 3

© Clive Barda

Lunchtime Recital
2026-08-14 13:45 - 14:30
Full details of the artist and programme will be updated shortly.

Lecture
2026-08-14 17:15 - 18:00
Full details for todays lecture announced shortly.

Dina Parakhina giving a lecture recital on Medtner in 2025

Alicja Fiderkiewicz Recital
2026-08-14 19:00 - 20:00
We are thrilled to welcome back Alicja Fiderkiewicz to give a solo recital in Stoller Hall.
“Her playing is distinguished by her innate sense of style and immaculate articulation. These qualities combine with true musicianship to give performances of uncommon interest, Her interpretation of Beethoven’s “Pathetique” Sonata was masterly; the strength which underlies her playing is always finely controlled and her phrasing delineates the development of the music. The slow movement especially, was most beautifully played with a sober elegance and a wealth of controlled feeling.” Daily Telegraph
Alicja has performed widely throughout the UK including number of recitals in the Wigmore Hall, St. John’s Smith Square, St-Martin’s-in-the-fields in London. She has performed in Manchester, Isle of Man, Liverpool, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow to name a few. As well as performances in the UK Alicja has performed concertos and recitals in Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, Cyprus, Spain, Finland, Japan, USA, Singapore & Malaysia.
Chopin , Nocturne in F# minor op. 48 no 2
Chopin, 3 Mazurkas op 59
Schubert ,Sonata in Bb major ,960

© Martin Lijinsky

Benjamin Frith Recital
2026-08-14 20:30 - 21:30
Prolific recitalist and recording artist, Benjamin Frith is one of the most versatile, respected and engaging pianists in the UK. With over 60 recordings – from Scarlatti to MacMillan – and many acclaimed reviews, Frith is at the forefront of the craft of music making.
Gold Medal winner of the Artur Rubinstein Piano Masters International Competition, Tel Aviv, and Top Prize Winner in the Busoni International Piano Competition, Frith has performed with many of the worlds finest orchestras and conductors. Zubin Mehta with the IPO and Mosche Atzmon with the Warsaw
Philharmonic amongst some of Frith’s many memorable musical experiences.
Renowned for his critically acclaimed recordings, Frith made Gramophone ‘Disc of the Year’ with his C.V. Stanford 2nd Piano Concerto and his Schumann Davidsbundler Op. 6 won top recommendation in the Radio 3 ‘CD Review’. In high demand as both soloist and chamber musician, Frith enjoys a busy and versatile career. As pianist in the Gould Piano Trio he has toured extensively throughout North America; and as guest pianist in the illustrious Nash Ensemble he has performed and recorded to critical acclaim. Solo tours have taken him to America, Europe, the middle and far East with upcoming
solo tours to Japan.

© Martin Lijinsky
