Born in 1989, McCarthy made history in 2012, when he became the first one-handed pianist to graduate from the prestigious Royal College of Music. Six years later, he was awarded honorary membership of the RCM by His Majesty King Charles III and his concert performances have seen him described as “Left-hand Virtuoso of our time” [Pianist Magazine] and a “fine pianist [who] makes the piano sing with a generous tone” [Gramophone Magazine], while The Sunday Times said “so dazzling with one hand, he doesn’t need another”.
This November, Nicholas McCarthy performs Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand, a work that was famously written for Paul Wittgenstein, a musician who lost his right arm during battle in the First World War. Wittgenstein, on returning from the front in 1916, relaunched his performing career and went on to commission music for one-hand from composers including: Prokofiev, R Strauss and Britten.
In a TEDX talk, McCarthy paid tribute to Wittgenstein saying that “without him, his steely tenacity and determination, I wouldn’t have access to 3,000 works for left hand alone, therefore I wouldn’t have the career that I have today”
In 2022, at Hong Kong Arts Festival, Nicholas performed both the Ravel Piano Concerto for Left Hand and Benjamin Britten’s ‘Diversions’ for Left Hand and Orchestra in the same concert. This was the first time this had been accomplished since Paul Wittgenstein did so in 1951. Like Wittgenstein, McCarthy hopes to inspire future generations. He explained to Classic FM: “I’m very passionate about trying to inspire the next generation of disabled musicians […] I hope that my career kind of provides some form of inspiration.”
Nicholas also enjoys a successful career as a public speaker and has given three TEDX talks. A natural communicator he talks about his journey to date, and the determination he has developed along the way. He has also presented various shows on television and radio including the BBC Proms and The Leeds Piano Competition, both for BBC4.
Join us at Lighthouse, Poole [20 Nov] and Bristol Beacon [21 Nov] for Nicholas McCarthy’s debut with the Orchestra, when he performs Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand under the baton of our incoming Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth.