Viewers were moved to tears after witnessing the captivating performance of Chopin by a blind 13-year-old girl at a train station in Birmingham. Her incredible mastery of the piano was beyond inspiring.
On Channel 4’s The Piano, hosted by the charismatic Claudia Winkleman and judged by renowned pop artist Mika and esteemed concert pianist Lang Lang, aspiring musician Lucy took her place behind the piano to show off her skills.
As the judges watch in a hidden room, pianists take center stage at Birmingham New Street and London St Pancras stations to captivate crowds. After each episode concludes, one talented musician is chosen by the judges to perform on an even grander level!
The Channel 4 official account posted a preview of Lucy’s performance on Twitter, and it was so moving that viewers cannot wait to see the full version.
Her captivating performance leaves the station’s audience in awe, and even evokes tears from viewers online. The clip has everyone spellbound!
At the start of the video, a man assists Lucy to her seat at a piano while Winkleman converses with an individual who appears to be either her mother or guardian.
The woman reveals Lucy, who is neurodivergent, covers her ears when people applaud her.
The woman said: ‘She likes the applause, but she doesn’t like the sound of the applause.
‘So her fingers go in her ears for sensory reasons.’
When Winkleman enquires whether he needs to inform the audience not to clap, the woman firmly states that Lucy thrives off of their adoration.
Lucy stands resplendent in her navy blue tulle dress adorned with gleaming gold butterflies, accompanied by a crisp white cardigan – bunches of hair framing her delicate face. She is prepared to play Chopin’s beloved Opus 9 Number 1.
An audience gathers around the piano, all of them eagerly capturing and recording her performance on their phones. Mika and Lang Lang watch from a separate room, awe-struck by what they are seeing as tears glisten in their eyes. The music is captivating; it moves both those playing and listening with mouths agape.
At an emotional moment, Mika held his hand to his face in a valiant attempt to conceal the tears that brimmed in his eyes.
Lang stated: ‘It’s unbelievable that she can play this piece. How – how does she study? I mean, it’s incredible.’
The performance concluded with a standing ovation, and Lang exclaimed:’Oh my God. Oh my God, this is – this is impossible.’
He added: ‘I’m speechless, I don’t know what to say.’
Mika, with tears streaming down his cheeks, let out a gleeful chuckle and responded:’There nothing to say.’
He was utterly astounded by Lucy’s poignant performance, unable to muster a word in response.
After the clip made its rounds on Twitter, others shared in agreement with what the judges had said.
‘Wow! Made me teary-eyed that. Amazing stuff,’ one person wrote
Another said: ‘A magical and beautiful performance by Lucy. An inspiration to everyone watching and a reminder that being neurodiverse is a gift.’
Praising the video as ‘stunning’, one viewer noted: ‘[Lucy] looked so wrapped up in a cocoon of beautiful sound and her playing looked effortless.’
Numerous individuals declared that the clip had left them with a ‘big smile’ and was incredibly ‘uplifting’, while an experienced piano instructor recounted her time spent teaching a blind student.
She said: ‘Blind musicians are incredible in how they learn and memorize music. I have been so blessed by my own, young blind student who has challenged me to look again at my teaching and more besides.
‘Lucy featured here is very special.’
Last night, viewers were enthralled by the talents of people from all ages and corners of Great Britain featured in The Piano’s inaugural episode on Channel 4 at 9 pm. While Lucy’s episode is still yet to be aired, it will surely capture your heart as well!
At the tender age of 11, Ilya was the youngest performer. His passion for music started when his father gifted him with an old piano that had been tucked away in his grandmother’s attic.
The student chose to perform Dance of the Knights by acclaimed Soviet composer Sergei Prokofiev, a piece known best as the theme song for BBC’s The Apprentice.
Erol, Ilya’s father, expressed that his son had opted to play a Prokofiev piece due to his mixed heritage. Half Ukrainian by way of his mother who hails from Kyiv inspired him to choose this musical selection.
‘We used to go back there all the time,’ Erol stated.
When Ilya discovered his piano teacher, Misha, while visiting Kyiv, the two had an instant connection. As he appeared on a video call in the show, Misha revealed that their initial lessons were face-to-face until Russia’s hostile invasion last spring when they decided to transition online.
The two still partake in their piano lessons through a video call, with Misha firmly settled in Ukraine.
‘Their friendship is incredibly strong,’ Erol stated. ‘It’s just a shame that the circumstances are now that Misha can’t actually come over.’
After Ilya’s remarkable performance, he stood and bowed in acknowledgment of the enthusiastic crowd before him. However, when asked how his performance had gone by a journalist later on, he admitted that he hadn’t even noticed – it was all one ‘blur’ to him!
With pride, Erol – who had been observing the event intently from the sidelines – declared:’It was really good.’
