To hear masters of musicianship tinkling the ivories, look no further than this year’s Birmingham International Piano Festival, hosted by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC).

The five-day event begins with a free-to-attend Community Piano Day on Sunday 14 June, during which 30-minute one-to-one lessons with a tutor will be available (when purchasing a Participation ticket).
Among the festival highlights are celebrity recitals and masterclasses, including a guest appearance by world-renowned British pianist Sir Stephen Hough. There’s also the chance to see the stars of tomorrow compete in the Birmingham International Piano Competition...

Read on to find out more about some of the festival’s featured artists, and to discover what else is in store...

Birmingham International Piano Competition | Sunday 14 to Thursday 18 June

At regular intervals throughout the festival, enjoy 50-minute solo performances by some of the world’s finest young pianists, as they take part in the Birmingham International Piano Competition.

All of the Young Artists’ Recitals for the prize can be attended free of charge (although booking is required) - so don’t miss this opportunity to hear the star pianists of the future present their skills under the watchful eye of the competition’s expert jury.

The jury members are Klaus Sticken and Pascal Nemirovski - both of whom have performances of their own bookmarked during the festival - and professors Shuhua Chen and John Thwaites. The prizes will be announced on the final day.

Free Community Piano Day | Sunday 14 June, 11am - 7pm
The festival opens with a full day of free events, beginning with a Viennese programme from Klaus Sticken and the chance to catch recitals by four of the young performers competing in the Birmingham International Piano Competition. Later in the day, enjoy a public masterclass from RBC’s Associate Head of the Department of Keyboard Studies, Daniel Browell, followed by a Romantic programme performed by Roman Kosyakov.

While day tickets allow visitors to enjoy the festival free of charge, any pianists in attendance can also purchase a participation ticket for £30. This entitles them to a 30-minute one-to-one lesson with staff from the Conservatoire, or with visiting tutor Karl-Heinz Simon.

Klaus Sticken | Sun 14 June, 11am & Tues 16 June, 10am
While the Piano Competition participants are readying themselves to perform, jury member Klaus Sticken takes to the instrument himself, first thing on both Sunday and Tuesday.

In the first instance - the festival’s opening recital - he presents a selection of works by Beethoven, Berg and Schubert. Then, on the Tuesday morning, he leads a two-hour masterclass in the venue’s Recital Hall.

Roman Kosyakov | Sun 14 June, 6pm
Prizewinning pianist Roman Kosyakov received the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Silver Medal from The Musicians’ Company in 2019, and has since become a lecturer and member of the faculty at RBC.

He brings the free community piano day to a close with a concert featuring Robert Schumann’s Abegg Variations and Brahms’ Variations On A Theme By Handel.

Andreas Frölich | Tues 16 June, 7pm & Wed 17 June, 10am

Andreas Frölich, Professor of Piano Hochschule Cologne and Yehudi Menuhin School, makes two musical offerings to the festival on consecutive days.

On Tuesday evening, he presents a full-length concert, featuring works by Mozart, Brahms, Chopin and Piazzolla. He then takes his place at the keys again the following morning for a free-to-attend three-hour masterclass.

Pascal Nemirovski | Wed 17 June, 2pm

After studying at the Juilliard School and in Paris, Pascal Nemirovski has become a renowned teacher, with many of his students achieving competition wins and accolades.

He joined RBC in 2016 and has since taken the role of International Chair in Piano.

He presents a masterclass on Wednesday afternoon, in a brief step away from his duties on the competition judging panel. 

Domonkos Csabay | Thurs 18 June, 10.30am
For those who have been eagerly following this year’s Piano Competition, here’s a recital not to be missed...

Domonkos Csabay was first-prize winner of the competition in 2016 and is also a graduate of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. This mid-morning concert - a performance of Chopin Preludes - is a chance to catch an established musician whose star is very much on the rise.

Sir Stephen Hough | Thurs 18 June, 11.30am & 7pm
British polymath Sir Stephen Hough made his name at the piano - finding acclaim as a BBC Young Musician of the Year finalist in 1978 - and has since extended his remit to include arranging, composing, writing and painting.

Sir Stephen gives a hotly anticipated masterclass on Thursday morning, followed by an eclectic recital which is sure to close this year’s festival on a triumphant note.

For more information and to book tickets, visit bcu.ac.uk/concerts

By Jessica Clixby