Nicholas McCarthy (piano)

Part of the Master Music Festival

The 2019 Master Music Festival will feature: piano competitions for all ages and abilities, with a range of prizes adjudicated by chart-topping Steinway Artist Ji Liu and a series of unmissable piano recitals including Ji Liu, one-handed virtuoso Nicholas McCarthy, international virtuoso Artur Cimirro and acclaimed concert pianist, teacher and composer Michael Harvey. Alongside much loved classics, the artists will be showcasing their own compositions and arrangements with sheet music available for signing after the performance. All this will be performed on a beautiful Steinway piano at Watford's acoustically designed Clarendon Muse.

British pianist, Nicholas McCarthy was born without his right hand and only began to play the piano at the age of fourteen. He went on to study at the prestigious Royal College of Music in London, becoming the first left-hand-only pianist to graduate in the College’s history. A passionate educator and motivational speaker, McCarthy champions left-hand alone repertoire, music that developed rapidly following the First World War as a result of injuries suffered on the battlefield. Expect an awe-inspiring recital of repertoire ranging from Bartok to Gershwin via Scriabin and Strauss.

McCarthy: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of the first Master Music Festival and to be able to play alongside other esteemed artists from the piano world. As one of the few disabled artists in the classical industry, it gives me great pleasure to be able to share the music that I love so much with new audiences and hopefully even inspire people along the way”.

Sheet music of Nicholas McCarthy's compositions and arrangements are avaliable here.