Concerts in the West: Nicholas McCarthy (piano)

In the entire 130-year history of the Royal College of Music (RCM), there has only been one single-handed pianist to graduate. That person is the exceptionally talented Nicholas McCarthy, whose name now resonates throughout the frequently haughty world of classical music, as not just a one-handed wonder, but a musical talent of considerable standing.

Since his graduation from RCM in 2012, Nicholas has wowed audiences around the world with his mesmerising performances in top class venues ranging from The Royal Albert Hall and St Martin-in-the-Fields to The Kennedy Centre, Washington DC and South Korea.

So it is with not a little excitement that Concerts in the West’s founder and director, Catherine Hodgson is welcoming Nicholas McCarthy to the West Country as the opening act for the 2016 Concerts in the West season, from 19-20 February.

“It is incredibly difficult to play the piano left handed,” explains Catherine Hodgson, “Nicholas is an inspiration, because he has taken it to a new level. I have immense respect for him not only because of his dedication, but also for his refusal to take the easier option of the classical pop star route, in order to capitalise on his lack of a right hand. His refusal to compromise and his determination to realise his ambition has paid off and he deserves to be widely recognised.

“To play a 50-minute recital with one arm requires tremendous stamina and you have to remember that the music he plays is written for the left hand alone with nothing changed, which shows how good he is.”

Born in Epsom, Surrey in 1989, without his right hand, McCarthy only began to play the piano at the relatively late age of 14, after he was inspired by a friend playing Beethoven’s Waldstein Sonata.

He has been feature widely in the media, giving live performances on TV and radio shows such as BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, BBC television, Channel 4 and ITV. Nicholas has been the subject of a BBC documentary and was featured on Channel 4. In the summer of 2014 he presented two of the world famous BBC Proms on BBC4 television and the Leeds International Piano Competition in 2015.

He performed with the British Paraorchestra at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic games and has recently been appointed ambassador of The One Handed Musicians Trust (OHMI).

In September 2015, Nicholas released his first album ‘Solo’, which received outstanding reviews and reached a top ten chart position.

Musical Programme - Scriabin/Cimmiro  Etude Op 2 No 1; Scriabin Nocturne Op.9 No.2; Gershwin/McCarthy  Summertime; Gershwin/Wilde  Etude No 3 Man I Love; Liszt/Zichy  Liebestraum No 3; Fumagalli  Casta Diva from Bellini's ‘Norma'; Richard Strauss arr. J. Mann   Morgen, Op 27 No 4; Chopin/Godowsky  Etude Op 10 No 3 ‘Tristesse'; Puccini/Meinders O Mio Bambino Caro; Blumenfeld Etude in A Flat Maj Op 36; Rachmaninov/Meinders Vocalise; Chopin/Godowsky Etude Op.25 No.12 ‘Ocean’.

Bridport: Scriabin/Cimmiro - Etude Op.2 No.1; Scriabin - Nocturne Op.9 No.2; Gershwin/McCarthy - Summertime; Gershwin/Wilde  - Man I Love; Liszt/Zichy - Liebestraum No.3; Casta Diva from Bellini's ‘Norma'-Fumagalli; Richard Strauss arr. J. Mann - Morgen, Op.27 No.4; Chopin/Godowsky - Etude Op.10 No.3 ‘Tristesse'; Chopin/Godowsky - Etude Op.25 No.12 ‘Ocean’

Performance and Box Office Details for Nicholas McCarthy

•  Friday 19 February 2016 11am-12pm, Coffee Concert at  Bridport Arts Centre, South Street, Bridport, Dorset DT6 3NR. Box Office: 01308 424204 Em: info@bridport-arts.com www.bridport-arts.com Tickets: £10/£8 with concessions, coffee included, town parking and car parks, BAC café, disabled access.

•  Friday 19 February 2016 8pm, Ilminster Arts Centre at The Meeting House, East Street, Ilminster, Somerset TA19 0AN. Box Office: 01460 55783 9.30am-4.30pm Monday to Friday (Pre-concert supper at 7pm - advanced booking required £11) www.themeetinghouse.org.uk Tickets: £15. Bar and café, IAC and town parking, plus car parks, disabled access.

•  Saturday 20 February 2016 7.30pm, The Hub, Church Street, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3BS – next to St Michael's Church. (Box office: Serendip, 11, Broad Street, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3QD. Tel: 01297 442594). Tickets £15. Interval drinks, town parking. You can also introduce someone new to the concerts for FREE.

Ticket discounts for young people: Concerts in the West would like to encourage more children and students to attend concerts and we offer the following discounts:
Children/Students age 12 years and over: £5
Children under 12 years of age: FREE entry with a family member
School Groups (and more than two children with adults): to be negotiated separately.

Bring a friend for free: Concerts in the West ticket holders may bring for FREE one friend who has never attended a Concerts in the West performance before.

For further information about this concert and the 2015 concert series, please contact Catherine Hodgson, Director, Concerts in the West. Tel: 01460 53500, email: concertsinthewest@gmail.com or visit www.concertsinthewest.org