In 1939, Rachmaninoff gave his last ever UK recital in the David Lloyd George Room at the National Liberal Club, London. Now, in the very same room, 2021 Leeds finalist Thomas Kelly will mark the 150th year since Rachmaninoff's birth, and the 80th year since his death, with a programme of virtuoso repertoire celebrating Rachmaninoff alongside other legendary pianist-composers. Rachmaninoff’s formidable Piano Sonata No.1 comprises the first half of his impressive programme, with Liszt and Thalberg highlighted in the second half, culminating with Horowitz’s transcription of Busoni’s arrangement of Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz No. 1 - an emblem of the rich history of virtuoso performers and their role in the creation and development of piano repertoire, fittingly delivered by one of the most exciting young virtuosos of today.
https://youtu.be/3r5bGTdwseg
Programme:
Rachmaninoff Sonata No.1 in D Minor Op.28
INTERVAL
Liszt Paganini Etudes No.2, 3, 4, 6
Thalberg Grande fantasie sur des motifs de l'Opera "Don Pasquale" by Donizetti
Mendelssohn/Rachmaninoff Scherzo from "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Rachmaninoff Lilacs Op.21 No.5
Liszt/Busoni/Horowitz Mephisto Waltz No.1
Thomas Kelly was born in November 1998. He started playing the piano aged 3, and in 2006 became Kent Junior Pianist of the Year and attained ABRSM Grade 8 with Distinction. Aged 9, Thomas performed Mozart Concerto No. 24 in the Marlowe Theatre with the Kent Concert Orchestra. After moving to Cheshire, he regularly played in festivals, winning prizes including in the Birmingham Music Festival, 3rd prize in Young Pianist of The North 2012, and 1st prize in WACIDOM 2014. Between 2015 and 2021 Thomas studied with Andrew Ball, firstly at the Purcell School of Music and then at the Royal College of Music. Thomas has also gained inspiration from lessons and masterclasses with musicians such as Vanessa Latarche, William Fong, Ian Jones, Tatiana Sarkissova, Valentina Berman, Boris Berman, Paul Lewis, Mikhail Voskresensky and Dina Yoffe. Thomas began studying with Dmitri Alexeev in April 2021, with whom he will continue whilst studying Masters at the RCM.
Thomas has won 1st prizes including Pianale International Piano Competition 2017, Kharkiv Assemblies 2018, at Lucca Virtuoso e Bel Canto festival 2018, RCM Joan Chissell Schumann competition 2019, Kendall Taylor Beethoven competition 2019, BPSE Intercollegiate Beethoven competition 2019 and the 4th Theodor Leschetizky competition 2020. In 2021 Thomas was a finalist in the Leeds International Piano Competition. Most recently, he was awarded 2nd prize and special prize for best semi-final performance at Hastings International Concerto Competition 2022.
He has performed in a variety of venues, including the Wigmore Hall, the Cadogan Hall, St John’s Smith Square, Steinway Hall London, Holy Trinity Sloane Square, St James’ Piccadilly, Oxford Town Hall, St Mary’s Perivale, St Paul’s Bedford, the embassies of Russia and Brazil in London, the Poole Lighthouse Arts Centre, the Stoller Hall, Leeds Town Hall, at the North Norfolk Music Festival, Paris Conservatoire, the StreingreaberHaus in Bayreuth and separately at the Teatro Del Sale and the British Institute in Florence.
Thomas is supported by the Kendall-Taylor award. He has been generously supported by the Keyboard Charitable Trust since 2020, and Talent Unlimited since 2021.