Thomas Kelly

Thomas studied at the Purcell School for Young Musicians and is currently The Britten Fellow at the Royal College of Music, (the highest award for any pianist at the RCM) where he is guided by Professors Dmitri Alexeev and Vanessa Latarche.

Thomas was a prizewinner at the 2021 Leeds International Piano Competition, enjoying critical recognition and in 2022 won 2nd Prize and the semi-final concerto prize at Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition. He has won numerous international competitions including 1st prizes at the Pianale International Piano Competition (2017), Kharkiv Assemblies (2018), Lucca Virtuoso e Bel Canto Festival (2018), Theodor Leschetizky Competition (2020), and Intercollegiate Sheepdrove Piano Competition (2022).

He regularly collaborates with fellow musicians, including stepping in for Nikolai Demidenko alongside Dmitri Alexeev in his transcription of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite for 2 pianos in 2021. Past performances include Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, St John’s Smith Square, Steinway Hall, Leighton House, St James’ Piccadilly, Stoller Hall (Manchester), Leeds Town Hall, Paris Conservatoire, the Lunel-Viel festival near Montpellier, StreingreaberHaus in Bayreuth, Teatro Del Sale and the British Institute in Florence.

Kumi Matsuo

Kumi Matsuo is a versatile solo pianist, chamber musician, and accompanist. Winner of the 5th Louisiana International Piano Competition, she has also won Second Prize at the 75th Music Competition of Japan, Third Prize at the 22nd Ferrol International Piano Competition and First Prize at the 6th lsidor Bajic International Piano Competition. After graduating from the Toho Gakuen School of Music, she moved to London for her further study at the Royal College of Music where she gained an Artist Diploma and a Master of Music in Performance with Distinction. Her study was generously supported by the Charles Napper Award, the Russell Gander Award and the Rohm Music Foundation.

During her study at RCM, Kumi performed Ravel’s Piano Concerto for Left Hand with RCM Sinfonietta conducted by Peter Stark, Schnittke’s Concerto Grosso No.1 with RCM Chamber Orchestra under Vladimir Jurowski and Prokofiev’s 3rd Piano Concerto with RCM Symphony

Orchestra conducted by Martin André. She is now on the staff at RCM, working as Duo Coach to the String Faculty, as well as accompanying other instruments.

Hamish Brown

Hamish Brown is a British collaborative pianist, arranger, and composer. A versatile and award-winning artist, he has won prizes for his performances at the Kathleen Ferrier Awards, ROSL Annual Music Competition, Wigmore Hall Song Competition, Copenhagen Lied-Duo Competition, Oxford Lieder Young Artist Platform, Mozart Singing Competition and Somerset Song Prize.

His work as a song accompanist has taken him to Wigmore Hall, Oxford International Song Festival, BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, Kings Place, International Lied Festival Zeist, Three Palaces Festival (Valletta), Beethovenfest Bonn, Heidelberger Frühling, and has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and Danish Radio (P2).

As a chamber musician, Hamish has performed at Cadogan Hall, Saffron Hall, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Klosters Music Festival and the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, with broadcasts including BBC Radio 4 and BBC Four. As a concerto soloist, Hamish has recently performed the Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major (Mozart), with forthcoming plans for the Piano Concerto in A minor (Schumann).