Thomas Kelly started playing the piano aged 3 and aged 9 performed Mozart’s 24th Concerto with Orchestra. Thomas studied at the Purcell School for Young Musicians and is currently the Benjamin 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). In 2024 Thomas was awarded the Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother Rose Bowl upon graduating the RCM, and most recently became a finalist of the International Liszt Competition in Utrecht which will take place in January 2026.
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, and performing Messiaen's Turangalila-Symphonie with Jac van Steen conducting the RCM Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. Past performances include Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, St John's Smith Square, Steinway Hall, Leighton House, St James’ Piccadilly, Stoller Hall (Manchester), West Road Concert Hall (Cambridge), Leeds Town Hall, Kammermusiksaal Berlin Philharmonie, Paris Conservatoire, the TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, the Lunel-Viel festival near Montpellier, StreingreaberHaus in Bayreuth, Teatro Del Sale and the British Institute in Florence. Thomas was also recently featured on the BBC Arts In Motion documentary series in a masterclass with Yuja Wang.
Thomas has also been a C. Bechstein Scholar supported by the Kendall-Taylor award, generously supported by the Keyboard Charitable Trust, and is grateful for the generous support of Talent Unlimited. Thomas is currently looking forward to a solo Wigmore appearance and regular concerto appearances among other upcoming performances.
Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, RCM
Daniel Hogan Conductor, Ravel Piano Concerto in G major M83 and Ravel Piano Concerto for Left Hand M82 - details:
Recital
Exeter Cathedral
TivoliVredenburg Utrecht
Darlington Concert Society
Joseph Joachim Concert Hall Universitat der Kunste Berlin (behind closed doors)
Chopin Piano Concerto No.2 Op.21, conductor Daniel Hogan
Rachmaninov Paganini Variations Op.43
Rachmaninoff Paganini Variations
Holst "The Planets" Op.32, 2 piano arrangement with Simon Callaghan
Beethoven Piano Concerto No.3 Op.37
Mozart Piano Concerto No.20 K466
Repertoire TBC
Royal Festival Hall, London
Oxford and Cambridge Club
Exeter Cathedral
34 College Walk, Winchester SO23 9NF
Strand, London, WC2R 1ES
Leighton House museum, 12 Holland Park Road, London W14 8LZ
Philharmonie Berlin, Herbert-von-Karajan-Str., Berlin, Germany
Trinity Church, Hindes Road, Harrow, HA1 1RX
Fellowship House, 136A Willifield Way, London NW11 6YD
Cranleigh Arts Centre, 1 High Street, Cranleigh, GU6 8AS, London
- Fiona Maddocks, Observer 2022
- Michael Church, International Piano Magazine 2023
- Mark Edelston, on Winchester Symphony Orchestra concert 19th March 2022
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