The classical concert pianist - who has only one hand
Nicholas McCarthy was 14 when he decided he wanted to be a concert pianist. But the odds were stacked against him; he’d never played an instrument and he had only one hand.
Nicholas McCarthy was 14 when he had a life-changing musical experience during a piano recital. Despite never having played any instrument before, he decided he wanted to be a concert pianist. But there was an even bigger obstacle to overcome - he only had one hand. His supportive parents bought him a keyboard and incredibly, within a few years, he became good enough to secure a place at a top UK music school. There was one condition: he had to concentrate on the notoriously challenging scores of the left-hand alone piano repertoire. It would mean giving up the music he loved - composers like Chopin and Beethoven, but could also be the way to carve a career from the piano. (A longer version of this interview was first broadcast in August 2022.)
Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com
Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Katy Takatsuki
(Photo: Nicholas McCarthy playing piano with Manchester Camerata behind him. Credit: Courtesy of Nicholas McCarthy)
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Broadcasts
- Sat 17 Jun 2023 04:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service West and Central Africa
- Sat 17 Jun 2023 10:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service West and Central Africa
- Sat 17 Jun 2023 18:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except West and Central Africa
- Sat 17 Jun 2023 23:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Sun 18 Jun 2023 08:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa
- Sun 18 Jun 2023 22:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa & Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Afghan Radio
- Mon 19 Jun 2023 02:32GMTΒι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Europe and the Middle East
Contact Outlook
Info on how we might use your contribution on air
Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary
Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected