The world’s only one-handed professional concert pianist – Nicholas McCarthy – makes his much-anticipated Harrogate International Festivals debut this month. Over the past 60 years, the Festivals have brought some of the most gifted, boundary-shaping classical musicians to Harrogate, with Nicholas the latest iconic star to grace the Festivals’ stage.
Despite being born with only one arm, Nicholas graduated from the Royal College of Music, London, in 2012 – becoming the first one-handed pianist to graduate in the institution’s 130-year history. That same year he performed at the closing ceremony of the London Paralympic Games, where he appeared with the British Paraorchestra and Coldplay, playing live to a global audience of over 500 million.
Since then, he has performed around the world, both in recital and with major orchestras. Ahead of his Harrogate solo recital on 29 March, Nicholas talks about his inspirational musical story…

Who (or what) inspired you to first start performing (other artists, a particular composer, or maybe someone close to you)?

I went to see a friend of mine who was an accomplished pianist playing Beethoven’s Waldstein sonata and I had an epiphany. It’s the kind of thing you would see on Oprah Winfrey’s show, one of these life-defining moments. I’d heard my friend play before, but there was something about this piece of music and how wonderfully she was playing it. I knew at that moment I was put on this earth to communicate through music, and I knew the piano was going to be the way I did that.

What have been your music career highlights so far?

I’ve been lucky to have so many incredible moments. But if I had to pick one it would be making my BBC Proms debut last year. It was something I’d longed to do and it was everything I wanted it to be. It was one of those ‘pinch me’ moments.

What advice would you give upcoming artists wanting to follow in your footsteps?

Don’t assume that you’re not the smartest person in the room. Trust your gut instincts and don’t think that other people necessarily know what’s best for you because sometimes they don’t. This is your career and you know what you’re capable of better than anyone else.

What do you hope the audience in Harrogate takes away from your performance?

I hope they enjoy the performance and the stories behind the music because when I give a concert, I like to tell anecdotes about left hand repertoire. And hopefully they will leave more knowledgeable about this fascinating repertoire.

Describe your programme in 3 words.

Emotional. Virtuosic. Informative.

Do you have any pre-concert rituals?

I do and I’ve only really adopted them in the last year or so and they’ve made a real difference. I do guided meditation. It’s only 20 minutes and it’s specifically designed for musicians that was recommended to me by a very well-known concert pianist and I’ve found it transformative. I do also like to have a banana before I go on stage – it’s good to have some healthy sugars!

What do you most enjoy about performing live and why is it still important in our digital age?

I love being able to communicate to an audience whether it’s 10 people or 10,000. My aim is always to make those audience members feel something. I don’t mind what it is, I just want them to feel an emotion because that’s what I’m trying to do – convey emotion through my music. I think in this digital age nothing beats a live performance, hence why concert halls still sell out and why we don’t all sit at home on our devices 24/7. The need to experience live performances is something tangible and it’s only going to increase with the advent of AI because I think we’re going to start craving that which is real. The appetite for live music where the audience really feels something is only going to grow stronger. I hope that’s the case otherwise I’ll be out of a job!

If you could collaborate with any other artist, alive or dead, who would it be and why? I love all music, pop, jazz, all of it. But it would be wonderful to be Adele’s pianist and accompany her, even for just one song. That would be amazing. I love her music.

What music are you listening to at the moment?

My favourite pianist, Martha Argerich, performing Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.1 and No. 3.

Nicholas McCarthy Photo: Paul Marc Mitchell

Nicholas McCarthy | Piano | Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate | Sunday, 29 March, 11am. Book online at harrogateinternationalfestivals.com or call the box office on 01423 562 303.