Greenwich and Bexley Hospice Concert

The Extraordinary Pianist

The incredibly talented Lucy stole the nation’s hearts when she won Channel 4’s The Piano at just 13 years old, having performed on a keyboard at Leeds Train Station.

Lucy stopped people in their tracks and left bystanders in tears as she played her beautiful rendition of Chopin‘s Nocturne in B-flat Minor.

Lucy is completely blind and has a chromosome 16 duplication, which is a rare condition affecting mental health with autism traits and affecting overall communication. Lucy is hypermobile and suffers with CVS. She is in remission from bi-lateral retina-blastoma and is globally developmentally delayed.

However, Lucy has an extraordinary talent and it is by using this natural talent, Lucy is able to communicate.

World-renowned, pianist, Lang Lang and pop sensation, Mika crowned 13-year-old Lucy, the ‘unofficial’ winner of the competition with her stunning performance of Debussy’s Arabesque No1, which she performed in front of 2000 people at the Royal Festival Hall.

“….this is incredible…she (Lucy) is a genius” said Lang Lang

The young Pianist has since been invited to perform at HRH King‘s Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle, where she played a note perfect performance of Bach Prelude in C in front of 18 million people.

Furthermore world iconic venue the Royal Albert Hall welcomed Lucy to the stage, as she played Debussy Arabesque No.1 and Bach Prelude in C to a full house at Classic FM Live in October 2023 and in less than 3 weeks her performance had travelled worldwide with over 8.4m views.

This fairytale all began with a children’s book with a piano on it, where at the age of 5yrs Lucy started playing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. The family, then upgraded her keyboard and realised she was composing music in her head while sitting on the sofa. Lucy was able to play back music after listening to it just once.

Lucy has touched the nation with her journey so far and has inspired families across the UK with her love of the piano and her ability to communicate through the power of music and has just started recording her very own album of therapy which will be released next year.

Additional information:
Website: www.lucythepianist.com
Instagram: @lucypianoHQ

Lucy is managed by Kathryn Nash
Nash Artist Management Ltd
+44 (0)7747 637753
kathryn.nash@nashartistmanagement.com

Karim Kamar is a neoclassical composer & from London.

He has been performing as a solo pianist since 2013 and has built a reputation as an outstanding and unique composer and performer, having played at almost every major music venue in London including: The Jazz Cafe, The Forge, Ronnie Scotts and The Royal Albert Hall.

As well as running a monthly live music and poetry night, Out Spoken, at the London Southbank Centre, Karim, through his highly engaged social media channels, has found a home for his performances with around 1 million followers collectively on his accounts.

Julian Gong Jin Zhu was born in February 2011 in Newcastle. When he was 7, he started taking formal piano lessons with Graham Don. In September 2019, Julian joined Chetham’s School of Music, one of the foremost music schools in the UK. At that time he studied with Bingbing Li. Since January 2020, Julian has been studying with Helen Krizos.

Julian won the junior category of the Chethams’s Concerto competition, which are open to all instruments, at the age of 10. He was the only pianist selected in the school. As a result, he gave one public concerto performance in The Stoller Hall, Manchester. The performance of the concerto was in July 2022, when he performed Mozart 23rd Piano Concerto under the baton of Tom Redmond with the Chetham’s Sinfonia.

Julian has performed in many concerts in school and outside of school. In November 2021, he performed in a concert at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. Julian has played in Manchester Cathedral, St Peters Church in Congleton and The Wesley Church in Chester.

Competition successes include winning Gold in the 2021 SRIMF Piano Junior B Category. He won Gold in the London Youth Piano Competition in 2022. In November 2023,he won first prize in the EPTA Belgium W-B Competition. Julian won the Excellence Award for the LCM Newcastle and North East for the piano category. He also did his Grade 8 ABRSM for piano. He achieved 147/150 with full marks in his pieces.

Julian has also had the privilege to work with top musicians in either a lesson or masterclass setting. These include Murray McLachlan, Philip Fowke, Hilary Coates, Peter Donohoe, Sarah Nicolls, Martin Roscoe, Steven Osborne and Elizabeth Brauss.

Julian’s love for composition allows him to express his own style. In addition to his piano playing and composition, Julian takes pleasure in engaging in games of chess.

Aidan Siqi Zhao, who is 12 years old, is studying at King’s College School in London and studying both piano and violin as the first instrument in the Royal College of Music Junior Department. Aidan was also a member of the National Children Orchestra. Aidan is grateful to the Eileen Rowe Musical Trust, which has awarded him scholarship towards his piano studies since 11 years old. Aidan is currently studying piano with Professor Ian Jones from RCM.

Aidan was interviewed by BBC News in 2021 about his music achievement. He has been invited to perform at various events and venues in the UK, such as TED Brum, Nottingham Lakeside Arts Centre, the Elgar Concert Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and Royal College of Music etc.

Aidan was awarded the Solihull Musician of the Year at the age of 8 in the Grand Final of Solihull Musical Festival, which is a high-profile music competition in the region. He is the youngest ever musician receiving this prestigious award and music scholarship. He passed ABRSM Grade 8 piano and violin exams with high Distinction marks at the age of 9.

Apart from playing piano and violin, Aidan enjoys playing Chinese Dulcimer under his grandmother’s tutorial. He was also taught to play accordion by his father and was the winner of Under 7 Class in the competition organised by the UK National Accordion Organisation.

During the pandemic lockdown in June 2020, Aidan successfully held an online fundraising concert for Solihull Young Carers, which raised more awareness of those young carers during that challenging period.