Chetham’s International Piano Summer School

25 for 25 - a jubilee celebration - part two
2026-08-20 17:15 - 18:00 (Europe/London) | Stoller Hall
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of CIPSS we are thrilled to present a stunning anthology of 25 new piano miniatures,
written by a galaxy of stars associated with the summer school and Chetham’s.
World premiere performances of all 25 pieces will be presented across two recitals during the course.
Copies of this extraordinary collection of pieces are published in a single album by Forsyth and will be available to purchase during all of CIPSS 2026. Proceeds in aid of Help Musicians UK.
25 for 25 composers
Gary Carpenter, Les Chisnall, Elena Cobb, Douglas Finch, Adam Gorb, Edward Gregson,
Paul Harris, Toby Hession, David Horne, Sir Stephen Hough, Nikki Iles, John Lenehan,
Joanna Macgregor, Euan Moseley, Sarah Nicolls, Christopher Norton, Simon Parkin,
Jeremy Pike, Emma Ruth Richards, Melanie Spanswick, Ian Stephens, Adam Swayne,
Yuanfan Yang, Caroline Wright, Gavin Wayte.
Programme
Adam Swayne Family Silver performed by Adam Swayne
Joanna Macgregor River Moon performed by Joanna MacGregor
Adam Gorb Berceuse performed by Yoon Seok Shin
Edward Gregson À La Recherche du Temps Perdu performed by Murray McLachlan
Sarah Nicolls Long Grass performed by Sarah Nicolls
Paul Harris Knocked Urn performed by Rose McLachlan
Nikki Iles Winter Light performed by Steven Osborne
Simon Parkin G performed by Matthew McLachlan
Ian Stephens Lucency performed by Sarah Murphy
Les Chisnall Sea-Saw Sea performed by Les Chisnall
Sir Stephen Hough Auld Lang Syne Trad. arr. Hough performed by Philip Fowke

Noriko Ogawa Recital
2026-08-20 19:00 - 20:00
We are thrilled to welcome back Noriko Ogawa for a solo recital.
“What sets her apart from other pianists is her wonderful sense of timing… [Ogawa] allows the music to breathe, while maintaining the forward momentum” The Times
“…poetry as well as virtuosity… what makes his playing so complete is the combination of an innate musical simplicity with a highly developed technique… ” Daily Telegraph
Brahms
Op 117 Three Intermezzi

Intermezzo in E♭ major
Intermezzo in B♭ minor
Intermezzo in C♯ minor

Op 118 Six pieces for piano

Intermezzo in A minor
Intermezzo in A major
Ballade in G minor
Intermezzo in F minor
Romanze in F major
Intermezzo in E♭ minor

Op 119 Four pieces for piano

Intermezzo in B minor
Intermezzo in E minor
Intermezzo in C major
Rhapsody in E♭ major

Ronan O'Hora Recital
2026-08-20 20:30 - 21:30
We are thrilled to welcome back Ronan O’Hora, who has been on the faculty many times from the very 1st course 25 years ago!
“His sound is lustrous; his playing is lyrical and full of feeling; he thinks not only of the passing notes but of the overall form. Moreover, O’Hora is blessed with meticulous taste – there was not a vulgar, swooning or overstated passage in the program.”
The Washington Post
The British pianist Ronan O’Hora has performed throughout the world, playing with such orchestras as the London Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, the BBC Symphony, Royal Philharmonic and English Chamber orchestras, the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Hallé Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Zurich Tonhalle, Netherlands Radio Chamber, Philharmonia Hungarica, Brno Philharmonic, Winnipeg Symphony, Florida Philharmonic and Queensland Philharmonic.
Ronan O’Hora is Head of Keyboard Studies and Head of Advanced Performance Studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
Haydn Sonata in C major Hob XVI /48
Andante con espressione Rondo. Presto
Schoenberg 6 Little Pieces Op 19
Wagner/Liszt Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde
Brahms Sonata No 3 in F minor Op 5
Allegro maestoso
Andante espressivo
Scherzo Allegro energico
Intermezzo
Finale Allegro moderato ma rubato

Late Night Recital - Murray McLachlan
2026-08-20 22:00 - 23:00
‘Murray McLachlan is a pianist with a virtuoso technique and a sure sense of line. His timing and phrasing are impeccable, and his tone-full but unforced in the powerful passages, gentle and restrained in the more lyrical- is a perpetual delight’ (BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE)
The final late night recital featuring the works of Euan Moseley. Murray is currently recording the complete piano music for Divine Art and these three recitals will complete the cycle.
Ballet Suite 3
Lullabies
Pondering

© Martin Lijinsky

Lunchtime Recital - Overall Prizewinner of the EPTA UK competition
2026-08-21 13:45 - 14:30
Today we welcome Tiantian Gao who was recently been awarded overall winner in the EPTA UK National piano competition.

Pavel Nersessian Recital
2026-08-21 19:00 - 20:00
We are delighted to welcome Pavel Nersessian to the Stoller Hall and the summer school. “His performance brought a veritable roar of approval from the audience,” wrote the Irish Times, after Pavel Nersessian received the 1st Prize in the GPA Dublin International Piano Competition in 1991. Being one of the most remarkable pianists of his generation in Russia, he is known for his ability to play equally convincingly in the whole palette of the piano repertoire. He won prizes in the Beethoven Competition in Vienna in 1985, the Paloma O’Shea Competition in Santander, and the Tokyo Competition.
For more than 25 years P. Nersessian has been assisting his teacher, professor S. Dorensky. He has worked with such talented pupils as N. Lugansky, D. Matsuev, V. Rudenko, O. Kern, A. Shtarkman, Yu. Stadler, I. Tasovats, F. Amirov, M. Amara, A. Dossin, V. Igoshina, A. Mamriev, V. Korchinskaya-Kogan, S. Simonian, Z. Chochieva, G. Chaidze, N. Pisareva, A. Sychev, F. Kopachevsky, P. Kolesnikov, A. Tarasevich-Nikolaev, L. Bernsdorf, P. Elisha, A. Malofeev, A, Kliuchko and many others.
Pavel Nersessian served as a jury member in many international piano competitions: Dublin, Hamamatsu, Sendai, Maria Canals in Barcelona, Hilton Head, Almaty, Valencia, Tbilisi and other competitions.
In 2013 he started to work as a professor of piano in Boston university, in 2022 as a professor of piano in New England Conservatory.
Mendelssohn 6 Songs without words op. 67
Faure Valse-caprice No. 2 op. 38
Barcarolle op. 41
Two excerpts from Pelleas and Melisande op. 80: Sicilienne (arr.by the author), La Fileuse (arr. by A. Cortot)
Ravel Gaspard de la nuit
Ondine Le Gibet Scarbo

Peter Donohoe Recital
2026-08-21 20:30 - 21:30
“Peter Donohoe played as if visited by the spirit of Rachmaninov.” The Guardian
“I cannot imagine a living pianist capable of improving upon Donohoe’s outstanding artistry.” Robert Matthew-Walker, Musical Opinion
We are delighted to welcome back Peter Donohoe, former Chetham’s student and a much loved regular on the faculty of the summer school
Bach-Busoni Chaconne in D minor BWV 1004
Webern Variations Op 27
Schubert Sonata in A major D664
Allegro moderato Andante Allegro
Bach-Busoni Prelude and Fugue in Eb Major (‘St Anne’) BWV 552

© Martin Lijinsky
