A personal view by Christopher Axworthy
At home with John and Noretta. In conversation with Leslie Howard Elena Vorotko and Christopher Axworthy, Artistic directors of the Keyboard Trust
A family celebration appropriately on Valentine’s Day for an extraordinary man, much loved and admired. Celebrated in ‘his’ club with many illustrious guests, family and friends and introduced by his daughter Caroline von Reitzenstein with a celebration in words and music.
The year had begun with the first of three concerts in the collaboration with Stephen Dennison for the Haslemere HHH concerts at St Barthomews, with William Bracken 11th January, Milda Daunoraite 25th January and Emanuil Ivanov 15th March.
And on the 15th January Emanuil Ivanov played in our annual collaboration with the Kensington and Chelsea Music Society in Leighton House.
https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/01/07/emanuil-ivanov/
Can Arisoy had presented the project to record his piano transcription of Schumann’s Dichterliebe in the Coach House Piano Salon in a recital on his birthday.
And Jonathan Ferrucci presented his new CD Toccatas at Raffaello Morales’ Fidelio.
A collaboration with Warren Mailly Smith’s City Productions where the KT was invited to present many of it’s Rising Stars in the beautiful church, now in a pedestrian precinct and no longer the centre of a roundabout in the Strand, opposite Somerset House.
On the 17th January Misha Kaploukhii played Brahms 2nd Concerto with the Apollo Sinfonia and at Cadogan Hall with the YMSO on the the 19th February
And on the 19th January Philip Leslie gave a recital in Bechstein Hall
Nicolò Giuliano Tuccia played on the 25th January for our annual collaboration with Prof Ricci at the Tuscia University in Viterbo, Italy.
Julian Chan gave the first of our Steinway Hall concerts on the 12th February. Seven concerts generously hosted by Wiebke Greinus, Concert manager of Steinway London
https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/02/13/julian-chan-a-master-at-steinway-hall/
Giovanni Berolazzi played on the 19th February for our old friends Garo Geheyan and Yvonne Georgiadou at their Pharos Arts Foundation on Cyprus. An introduction by Garo with a moving eulogy to his dear friend John Leech.
Jeremy Chan and Nikita Lukinov played at the Bechstein Hall both on the same day for the Young Musicians Series and for their regular ‘Roast’ series. An important venue for young musicians that hopefully will be able to continue after some difficult obstacles to overcome in their first season
Chloe Mun played in Andras Schiff’s ‘Building Bridges’ series in Perugia on the 28th February.
And Anna Fedorova took Florence by storm at Teatro La Pergola on the 1st March
And a few days later Ruben Micieli played in our series in the Harold Acton Library
before being noted in the Chopin Competition in Warsaw. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/09/28/ruben-micieli-a-poetic-kapellmeister-getting-to-the-heart-of-chopin/
Two weeks later Sherri Lun played in Florence as part of her North Italian tour in Vicenza ,Venice, Padua and Abano that John and Noretta had created with Maria Antonietta Sguelia and Agimus of Elia Modenese https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/03/15/sherri-lun-keyboard-trust-italian-tour-2025-part-1/
Bridget Yee played at Steinway London on the 12th March and in our Rising Star Series at St Mary Le Strand on the 10th April https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/03/13/bridget-yee-at-steinways-for-the-keyboard-trust-effervescence-of-youth-with-a-heart-of-gold/
Mihai Ritivoiu played at the Bechstein Hall on the 29th March
A tour of four concerts in Germany with Andrea Molteni, superbly organised by Dr Moritz von Bredow.
A memorable recital by Leslie Howard founder trustee of the KT and President of the jury of the Trapani International Piano Competition https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/04/11/trapani-a-diamond-shining-brightly-for-the-3rd-international-piano-competition-domenico-scarlatti-part-1/
On the 19th April Mikhail Kambarov, who had won the previous competition in Trapani. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2024/04/11/trapani-the-jewel-of-sicily-where-dreams-can-become-reality-the-international-piano-competition-domenico-scarlatti/
He was invited to play at the Walton Foundation on Ischia thanks to our collaboration with Lina Tufano, their enlightened artistic director. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/04/20/mikhail-kambarov-illuminates-la-mortella-for-easter-with-poetic-inspiration-and-mastery/
Our annual organ concert at Temple Church was given by Piotr Maziarz
It was followed on the same day by a recital a few hours later at Steinway Hall with Sonya Pigot
On the 1st May Nicolò Giuliano Tuccia played in our ‘Rising Stars’ Series in St Mary Le Strand in collaboration with Warren Mailly Smith’s City Productions https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/05/02/nicolo-giuliano-tuccia-a-star-in-ascent-in-the-shadow-of-guido-agosti/
Louis-Victor Bak played at St Mary the Virgin, Wingham on the 4th May
https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/05/05/louis-victor-bak-in-wingham/
Two recitals followed at Steinway Hall in London on the 14th May with Alessio Masi.
And in Milan on the 15th with Pavle Krstic followed by a very special occasion at the British Institute in Florence.
The ever generous Angela Hewitt had given a very special recital for Stephen Dennison on the 24th May playing the Goldberg Variations in Haslemere which I had helped coordinate.
Many of our KT artists graduated this year and gave end of school recitals. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/06/12/hollywood-comes-to-the-royal-academy-lunwudaunoraite-and-mikuzis-stars-shining-brightly/
https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/05/30/jeremy-chan-miracles-at-milton-court/
On the 5th June Axel Trolese gave a recital in Florence in the Harold Acton Library .
In Grosseto Vitaly Pisarenko was invited to judge the competition on 6,7,8 June for Recondite Armonie created by KT emeritus Gala Chistiakova with her husband Diego Benocci.
In the foreground Fausto De Cesare
The Keyboard Trust awards a recital to a top prize winner decided by the jury. Alessio Tonelli will play in Viterbo on the 24th January.
On the 12th June, Phillip Leslie played in our ‘Rising Stars’ series
On the 14th and 15th June, Kasparas Mikuzis was invited to the Walton Foundation on Ischia for two recitals.
On the 25th June, Kenny Fu played at Steinway Hall in London
On the 8th July, Filippo Tenisci played in the Deal Festival and tasted real fish and chips for the first time!
We have a very successful continuing collaboration with Erin Arts centre on the Isle of Man with masterclasses and concerts with William Bracken 18th January, Jeremy Chan on the 22nd March and Julian Chan on the 27th September.
Pavle Krstic was on the Jury of the International Competition in Farfa Italy where he also gave masterclasses. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/07/19/castelnuovo-di-farfa-the-land-of-dreams-the-5th-international-artepiano-competition-of-niel-du-preez/
Yuanfan Yang gave a recital at St Andrews, Lyddington, Rutland on the 19th July
On the 24th Sebastian -Benedict Flore gave the last in our ‘Rising Stars’ series in St Mary Le Strand for Warren Mailly-Smith City Promotions
On the 9th August a recital by Apolline Khou who gave a harpsichord recital in St Cecilia’s Hall Edinburgh for our Historic Instruments Series organised by Elena Vorotoko. A programme of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) – English suite in G minor BWV 808 : Prelude; Marin Marais (1656-1728) – Prélude en G minor (Livre V), Le petit badinage, Prélude en D minor (Livre IV) ; Johann Sebastian Bach : French suite in D minor BWV 812: Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Menuets, Gigue ; Silvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750) – Sonata in B flat Major: Prelude, Presto; Marin Marais – Les regrets ; Johann Sebastian Bach – Partita in B flat Major BWV 825: Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Menuets, Gigue.
On the 12 August a recital by Pedro Lopez Sales for the Festival of Simone Tavoni in Spain in Paisajes. A few weeks later he repeated the programme in London at St James’s Piccadilly.
Playing on Ischia and in Cremona in preparation for the Warsaw Chopin Competition. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/09/27/cremona-the-city-where-dreams-become-reality/
On the 19th August Mark Viner gave another recital on his eclectic voyage of discovery shared in his numerous CD’s received rapturously and voraciously by discerning music critics worldwide.
On 21st and 22nd August Jeremy Chan and Bridget Yee gave two joint recitals in the Lunel Viel Festival near Montpelier Avignon in France
On the 6th and 7th September I accompanied Shunta Morimoto to Ischia and although he has not yet needed help from the KT, Lina Tufano ever sensible to helping young exceptionally talented musicians, very kindly invited him to their series on Ischia. Winner of the Hastings Competition at 17 now at 20 he is on the threshold of an important career that I have been following for the past five years whilst he has been studying in Rome.
On the 7th September In Bolzano Yifan Wu was declared the winner of the Busoni Competition.
https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/09/07/busoni-2025-the-final-lap/
He will be performing for the Keyboard Trust in London as the Career Development Prize established by our founders, who had attended every competition since the first in 1949
Giulia Contaldo played at St Michael and All Angels Adbaston on 7th September.
On the 12th September Mikhail Kambarov played in the Emergences Festival, Aramon Gard near Avignon, Nimes.
Magdalene Ho gave three recitals at Bechstein Halls in Cologne,Düsseldorf and Hamburg dedicated by Moritz von Bredow to the late Alfred Brendel, a founder trustee of the Keyboard Trust :
Ayane Nakajima played in Florence in the Harold Acton Library – British Institute on the 25th September .
On the 12th October our annual organ recital at Westminster Abbey with Thomas Howell.
From the 12th to the 19th October Vladimir Petrov undertook our annual American tour.
Chenyu Wang played at Steinway Hall in London on the 15th October
Tomos Boyles gave our last Steinway concert of 2025 on 12th November.
Misha Kaploukhii played on the 17th October at the North Fylde Music Circle and went on to play Brahms 2 at the Royal College of Music on the 6th November as prize winner of their annual concerto competition. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/11/07/misha-kaploukhii-plays-brahms-2-igniting-with-martyn-brabbins-the-rcm-philharmonic/
Emanuil Ivanov the first Sulamita Aronovsky laureate at the RAM played Rachmaninov 1st Concerto with a very enthusiastic John Wilson
Alessio Masi flew in from Manhattan, where he is studying this year, to play in Florence at the British Institute on the 23rd October
On the 13 November Julian Chan played in Cyprus at the Pharos Arts Foundation 
Ahead of his recital Julian Chang took the opportunity to visit the Music School in Nicosia, to deliver an extremely interesting educational concert. It was a wonderful atmosphere, and the students were fantastic as always!!
‘Last Thursday, 13 November 2025, pianist Julian Chan gave his Cyprus debut recital at The Shoe Factory by Pharos Arts Foundation performing a demanding programme of Chopin, Bartók, Liszt, Schubert and Earl Wild. With a remarkable musical intentness and composed authority, he offered a strong, uncompromising performance that affirmed his great gifts and growing stature on the international scene.’ Photos © Polina Ioannou
On the 13th,too, Axel Trolese played at the Steinway Flagship in Milan,a concert that was repeated in Latina, his hometown, on the 5th December https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/12/06/axel-trolese-in-latina-refined-musicianship-and-poetic-mastery-in-celebration-of-ravel/
On the 16th November Misha Kaploukhii and Magdalene Ho gave a public recital together in Perivale having played in my house with the critic Jed Distler just for the fun of making music together
.https://www.youtube.com/live/i1js8PFdoNM?si=jdb65DQQ5NJ9M1gN
On the 18th Zala and Val Kravos played at Leighton House in our collaboration with the KCMS with Willian Vann in the chair.
years winner 17 year old Max Walsh
Liszt Day in Perivale on the 22nd November with a recital by last year’s winner, Sebastian-Benedict Flore, and the annual competition which was won this year by 17 year old Max Walsh. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/11/22/liszt-society-day-at-st-marys-perivale-st-cecilias-day-2005/
Two concerts in Italy on 27th and 28th November for Gabrielé Sutkuté. In Florence on the 27th, and on the 28th in a new venue for us in Forlì, created by Nicoló Giuliano Tuccia to celebrate their illustrious citizen Guido Agosti.
Our final concert on the 13 December of a long and very successful year was given by Mikhail Kambarov in the historic Laeizhalle in Hamburg.
Well almost! Because two emeritus artists signed us out on the 16th: Andrea Bacchetti in Perivale
And Mark Viner’s annual Christmas Concert on the 18th was repeated at St Michael and All Angels in Bedford Park on the 19th. https://christopheraxworthymusiccommentary.com/2025/12/20/mark-viners-christmas-concert-2025-intelligence-scholarship-and-mastery-a-scintillating-cocktail-shaken-not-stirred/
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 