Nicholas McCarthy’s recent performance at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre in London drew the headline ‘So dazzling with one hand, he doesn’t need another’ from the Sunday Times. We are delighted to announce that Nicholas will be our guest speaker and will perform at Speech Day on 27th June 2024.

One of Britain’s most inspiring pianists, Nicholas McCarthy was born in 1989 without his right hand, and through sheer talent and determination rose above many obstacles and active discouragement in order to pursue his love of the piano.

Going on to study at the prestigious Royal College of Music in London, he was the first one-handed pianist to graduate in its 130-year history.

Nicholas is a champion of left-hand alone repertoire, a repertoire that first came into being in the early 19th Century and developed rapidly following the First World War because of the many injuries suffered on the Battlefield.

He performed with the British Paraorchestra at the Closing Ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic games alongside Coldplay.  Since then, Nicholas has performed extensively around the world in both recital tours and with major orchestras in some of the most prestigious concert halls across the globe.

Nicholas recently devised and presented a music programme called ‘Wittgenstein, Zichy & Me’ broadcast on BBC Radio 3. He has previously guest presented for the BBC Proms and Leeds International Piano Competition on BBC 4.