Chetham’s International Piano Summer School

Simon Callaghan Recital
2025-08-15 19:00 - 20:00 (Europe/London) | Stoller Hall
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

Lunchtime Recital - Chetham’s School of Music
2026-08-15 13:45 - 14:30
The daily lunchtime recital in the Stoller Hall.
Today we welcome pianists who are currently studying at Chetham’s School of Music.
Tickets available through the Stoller Hall. Free to all summer school participants and observers.

Ji Liu Recital
2026-08-15 19:00 - 20:00
Dr Ji Liu combines a distinguished and multifaceted career as a pianist, composer, scholar and educator. As an international soloist, he has performed at venues and festivals including Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Barbican Centre, Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Auditorium du Louvre, Royal Concertgebouw, National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing, Henley Festival, Petworth Festival, Bristol Proms, Verbier Festival, etc. At Classic FM’s 25th anniversary, Ji Liu performed for His Majesty King Charles III and other distinguished guests at the Dumfries House.
We are thrilled to welcome Ji to Stoller Hall for the first time, in a thrilling recitl of all 24 Chopin Studies.
Chopin
Etudes Op 10
Etudes Op 25

Gülsin Onay Recital
2026-08-15 20:30 - 21:30
Gülsin Onay holds the title of State Artist in her native Turkey, where for many years she has been official soloist for the Presidential Symphony Orchestra in Ankara. She is “Artist in Residence” at Bilkent University in Ankara and holds honorary doctoral degrees from Bosphorus University in Istanbul, and from Hacettepe University in Ankara. In 2007 she was honoured with the award of a State Medal by the Polish nation for her interpretation of the music of Chopin.
She has performed as a soloist with such leading orchestras as Dresden Staatskapelle, Philharmonia Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, Japan Philharmonic, Munich Radio Symphony, St Petersburg Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, Warsaw Philharmonic and Vienna Symphony Orchestras. Conductors with which she has performed include Vladimir Ashkenazy, Erich Bergel, Michael Boder, Andrey Boreyko, Jorg Faerber, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Edward Gardner, Neeme Jarvi, Emmanuel Krivine, Ingo Metzmacher and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Lunchtime Recital - Yuanfan Yang
2026-08-16 13:45 - 14:30
The final lunchtime recital on part one.
We are thrilled to welcome back Yuanfan Yang on the faculty and to perform a solo recital.
“…exceptionally fine for a pianist of any age…brilliantly
executed, beautifully organised, breathless in its
excitement and deeply affecting in its sentiments”.
— International Piano Magazine
Yuanfan Yang is establishing himself as one of today’s most interesting and distinctive voices, as an award-winning multi-faceted pianist, composer, and improviser. His interpretations of Schumann and Liszt ‘rivalled those of the young Ashkenazy’ (International Piano Magazine), and his own compositions have been praised for their ‘soulful poignancy’ in The Observer.

Tickets available through the Stoller Hall. Free to all summer school participants and observers.

Adam Swayne Recital
2026-08-16 19:00 - 20:00
Adam Swayne has created an acclaimed tribute to honour those who fell or endured the tragedies of 9/11. His program marks the 25th anniversary by offering reflection, catharsis, intimacy, community and hope for audiences in the 2026-27 concert season.
Throughout the recital, voices from a diverse range of American communities are heard, with three focussed on private reflections of 9/11. These include African American composer Karen Walwyn, gay New York composer David Del Tredici, and a new work by Kevin Malone: “Sudden Memorials”. This 30-minute composition captures in sound the instant and fleeting memorials that friends and relatives leave at the scene of a tragedy. The work embraces polystylism, bringing further inclusivity into the narrative, and asks the pianist to use theatrical gestures and improvisation as part of the performance. Alongside three pioneering works by Henry Cowell, a very slow piece by Scott Joplin called “Solace” completes the programme by challenging the stereotype projected onto this composer during the twentieth century.

Reflections on 9/11 (2008) Karen Walwyn
3. Anguish
6. Burial

Karen Walwyn was the first female African American pianist/ composer to receive the Steinway Artist award. Her 2-CD series for Albany Records entitled ‘Dark Fires’ includes premiere recordings of works by American composers of African descent. ‘Reflections on 9/11’ received its premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and won a Global Award Gold Medal of Excellence.
Walwyn is also an expert on the music of Florence Price, having made the first recording of Price’s Piano Concerto with the New Black Music Repertory Ensemble. She is currently Professor of Piano at Berklee College of Music.
www.karenwalwyn.com

The Tides of Manaunaun (1917) Henry Cowell (1897 – 1965)
Aeolian Harp (1923)

In between the three works that respond directly to the 9/11 attacks, I wanted to programme pieces that draw upon American traditions. For me, Henry Cowell represents the traditions of innovation, experimentation and marginalisation. Alongside his work as a composer, pianist and theorist, Cowell was John Cage’s teacher. He was also imprisoned for four years in San Quentin State Prison on “morals” charges (Cowell was bisexual).
These two works draw upon piano techniques that Cowell could fairly claim to have invented. They also draw upon romantic and folk styles (Manaunaun was the Irish god of the sea).

Sudden Memorials (2021) Kevin Malone

The idea to write an eighth work about 9/11 came up during an April 2021 video call with my friend and long-time collaborator, the pianist Adam Swayne. I hadn’t composed a piano work about 9/11, and the 20th anniversary of these tragic events was approaching. Memorial works were tentatively scheduled for performance, but the COVID-19 pandemic’s social distancing remit made commemoration difficult.

In 2006, I took a photo in Shanksville, Pennsylvania of a makeshift wire fence near the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93. On the fence, visitors had been attaching objects of remembrance, loss, honour and thanks since the crash. The photo captured a sudden, transient moment of hundreds of items, some carefully designed and brought to the site, while others were spontaneously offered when visitors were moved upon seeing it.

Sudden Memorials was completed on 31 May, 2021, and has a duration of 30 minutes, with an option for the pianist to improvise while looking at the photo for an additional two minutes. During concert performances, the pianist is asked to seek invisible memorial objects from within the piano, the score and the air. These gestures coincide the start of a subsequent musical “object”, some of which sound intimate or hesitant, others being extrovert and jarring.

The work is in two parts. Part 1 ends with a rowdy, communal wall (fence) of noise. Part 2 brings the listener to a mysterious resonance which attempts to remember exactly what was lost, and yet, somehow, end the piece, but finds it difficult. The pianist is attempting the unobtainable.

Sudden Memorials is dedicated to Adam who gave the premiere at Wigmore Hall, London on 11 Sept 2021 at 1pm, the exact hour in Britain 20 years on the from the beginning of 9/11. The work was released on the Coviello label in September 2021.

Kevin Malone is a composer of polystylistic, cross-genre music for electronics, solo singers and instrumentalists, choirs, orchestras and opera companies. His work demonstrates acute awareness of social concerns and global events. He was Professor of Social and Autoethnographic Composition at the University of Manchester until his retirement in 2024.
www.opusmalone.com

Solace (1909) Scott Joplin (1868 – 1917)

Drawing on an almost entirely different American tradition, Scott Joplin’s work is subtitled ‘A Mexican Serenade for piano’, although it is closer to other musical forms from Latin America – the Cuban habañera in particular, and also the Argentine tango, alongside hints of the African American ragtime for which Joplin is best known. However, this unusually introspective piece provides an insight into Joplin’s wider output, including his sole surviving opera ‘Treemonisha’.

Missing Towers (2004) David Del Tredici

Subtitled ‘Perpetual Canon’, this work thematises the emptiness created by the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York, the city in which the composer lives and works. The canon is in two parts (symbolising the two towers). According to Tim Rutherford-Johnson, who wrote the liner notes for 9/11:20, the work is “remarkable for its poise and humility in the face of unfathomable tragedy”.
www.daviddeltredici.com

9/11:20 is the CD of this recital, released on Coviello Contemporary in 2021. All artist royalties will be donated to the US-UK Fulbright Commission, whose mission is to advance knowledge, promote civic engagement and develop compassionate leaders through education exchange between the peoples of the US and the UK.

Katya Apekisheva and Charles Owen Recital
2026-08-16 20:30 - 21:30
Katya Apekisheva and Charles Owen are passionate advocates for the wide range
of four hands and two piano repertoire.
They began performing together in 2001 since when they have firmly established
themselves as one of the leading piano duo partnerships.
Their close collaboration stems from a shared teacher, the inspirational Irina
Zaritskaya, with whom they both studied at the Royal Colle ge of Music. Their
friendship dates from 1987 during a visit of students from the Gnessin School in
Moscow to the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey.
Charles & Katya have appeared in concerts together at many of the UK’s major
festivals – Cheltenham, Leicester, Ryedale, Music in Country Churches, Oxford
Chamber Music and Machynlleth. Their BBC Radio3 broadcasts include the
Brahms Haydn Variations from St George’s Bristol and Fauré for the BBC1 Andrew
Marr Show.
Internationally they have performed at the Moscow Conservatoire, the Elverum
Festival, Norway and in Mexico City playing the solo parts in the Mozart and
Poulenc Double concertos with the UNAM Orchestra conducted by Jan Latham
Koenig.
The duo released a highly acclaimed first recording for Quartz in 2016, featuring
Stravinsky’s two piano ballets, the Rite of Spring and Petrushka, with a dedication
to the memory of their teacher.
Together they are the Artistic Directors and founders of the London Piano Festival, which is held annually at Kings Place.
Free to all summer school participants. Tickets will be available through the Stoller Hall Website.

Opening recital with Mookie Lee- Menuhin and Jeremy Menuhin
2026-08-17 17:00 - 18:00
We are thrilled to welcome Mookie Lee- Menuhin and Jeremy Menuhin for the opening recital of part two.
“As if entirely of one mind” (Jessica Duchen) captures the essence of every performance by the dynamic Menuhin Duo. Whether performing on two pianos or side-by-side at the same keyboard, Mookie and Jeremy play as one, interpreting the classical repertoire with devotion and joy. The unique soundscape of the two-piano repertoire allows the Duo great flexibility of range, color, and depth in their performances of works by Mozart, Brahms, Schumann, Lutoslawski, Bartok, and many others.
While exploring existing literature by major composers, the Duo also incorporates music composed by Jeremy into their performances. A former student of Nadia Boulanger, Jeremy has transcribed the great chamber works of Schubert and Brahms, and created original repertoire specifically suited to the Menuhin Duo.
Schubert-Menuhin Transformation of the variation movement from the quartet, ‘ Death and the Maiden’ (2014)
Jeremy Menuhin Suite for Two Pianos in the Baroque Manner (2016)
Prélude
Fuga
Siciliano
Invention
Sarabande
Gigue
Brahms Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56
Tickets available from Stoller Hall. Free to all summer school participants and observers.

Stephen Kovacevich Recital
2026-08-17 19:30 - 20:30
Stephen Kovacevich, hailed worldwide as one of the greatest interpreters of Beethoven and Schubert, brings a lifetime of artistry to the stage. From his electrifying debut at Wigmore Hall to decades of performances with the world’s leading orchestras, Kovacevich has captivated audiences with his fearless intensity, profound insight, and uncompromising devotion to musical truth. This recital is not just a concert — it is a rare chance to witness a master whose interpretations have shaped generations of pianists and listeners alike.
We are honoured to welcome him to perform in Stoller Hall for the first time.
Free to all summer school participants and observers.
Public tickets available through the Stoller Hall.

Gala Faculty Recital
2026-08-18 13:45 - 14:30
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.

Margaret Fingerhut Recital
2026-08-18 17:15 - 18:00
“One of the most radiantly musical of pianists, she plays with such alluring sensitivity & effortless command that one cannot help but be won over” – International Piano
Described by Gramophone magazine as a pianist of “consummate skill and thrilling conviction”, Margaret Fingerhut has a distinguished career which has taken her all over the world. She is particularly known for her innovative recital programmes in which she explores the highways and byways of the piano repertoire. As a concerto soloist she has appeared with the London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the London Mozart Players, in major venues such as the Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall and the Barbican. She is often heard on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM and many radio stations worldwide.
