Stories of our work
Nicholas McCarthy

The Young Talent Awards are an important source of funding for talented young musicians. Nicholas McCarthy is a very unique young musician who benefited from an award in 2006. Born without his right hand, he is one of a few left-handed pianists and at present is the youngest worldwide.

When watching Nicholas, 21, perform, it is staggering to think that he only started playing the piano seven years ago. For his 14th birthday, his parents bought him an electric keyboard from Argos and he began to teach himself how to play. It wasn’t until 2006, with our help, he was able to buy an upright piano and he practiced on it for at least six hours a day.

The practice paid off and he found himself studying at Junior Guildhall, the Saturday school of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London's Barbican. It was here that he started having lessons with acclaimed concert pianist, Lucy Parham, who is also a great supporter of our work. Lucy took him on as her protégé and introduced him to the wealth of music for left-handed pianists and this proved to elevate his unique talent.

“ If it wasn't for the Musicians Benevolent Fund I would have struggled to have bought a piano at the time, but because of the generous donation, I have been able to attain the technical level needed to fulfil my potential.”

Nicholas is now in his second year of study at the Royal College of Music and is in demand as a recitalist. This year Nicholas he was featured on ITV's 'This Morning' show with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby where he gave a live performance of Blumenfeld’s Etude in A Flat Major Op.36. Soon after appearing on 'This Morning' Nicholas was featured on ITV's 'London Tonight' show.

Nicholas has never had a moment of self-doubt nor concern that being a left-handed pianist could prove an impediment. He has never let his disability get in the way of what he wanted to do and he thanks his mum and dad for this attitude. He says “If i'd listened to the doubters I wouldn't have got anywhere.”

To find out more about Nicholas visit his website

Nicholas is a truly inspirational young musician, you can help us to tell more inspiring stories.
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