Nicholas McCarthy

Born in 1989 without his right hand, Nicholas was inspired to take up the instrument at the age of 14 after hearing Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata. He went on to study at London's Royal College of Music, making history in 2012 when he became the only left-handed alone pianist to successfully graduate in the college's 130-year history. He has now signed a major record deal with Warner Classics with his debut album, recorded on a Yamaha CFX launching in September 15. The album, entitled Solo, features 17 pieces from Wittgenstein’s arrangement for left hand of Bach/Gounod’s Ave Maria to popular early 20th-century works such as ‘O mio babbino caro’ from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and ‘Summertime’ from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess . Nicholas quotes "I am thrilled to be a Yamaha artist, Yamaha has always been my piano of choice and it is a status I am very proud of. Performing on a CFX is always a memorable experience, only with the CFX do I find a complete affinity between myself and the instrument. Its colour, range and depth of sound expresses the full feeling that I'm looking to convey to the audience."

Nicholas is in regular demand from broadcasters, including the BBC, Channel 4 and ITV, and has also been the subject of a BBC documentary. Credited with introducing many new people to music through his imaginative recitals, Nicholas also works extensively in schools and in 2014 presented at the world famous BBC proms for BBC 4 television.