Now in its 10th year, the London Piano Festival returns to Kings Place this October with a jubilant programme that bridges generations, genres and artistic disciplines. Curated by pianists and co-Artistic Directors Katya Apekisheva and Charles Owen, the 2025 Festival features three world premieres by acclaimed composers Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Stephen Hough and Elena Langer, plus an all-encompassing roster of performers from across the classical and jazz worlds.

The Festival opens on 9 October with Apekisheva and Owen giving the first performances of new works by Frances-Hoad and Langer – each commissioned to mark the Festival’s 10th anniversary. Also on the bill is Schumann’s Carnaval and Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons, with a pre-concert discussion led by Ella Lee, host of The Classical Circuit podcast.

Highlights across the four-day event include: Solo recitals by Ingrid Fliter, Mishka Rushdie Momen and both co-founders, a family concert narrated by Michael Morpurgo, with performances of The Firebird and Babar the Elephant, a masterclass with Stephen Hough and a jazz showcase featuring Julian Joseph, Zoe Rahman and young talents from the Julian Joseph Jazz Academy.

The centrepiece of the Festival is Saturday night’s Two-Piano Gala, bringing together eight pianists – including Stephen Hough, Ingrid Fliter, Ronan O’Hora and Mishka Rushdie Momen – for an evening of multi-handed works by Mozart, Brahms, Smetana, Poulenc and others. The programme will also include the UK premiere of Joseph Havlat’s 64 Geese and the world premiere of Hough’s King’s Cross March.

Reflecting on a decade of the Festival, Apekisheva and Owen commented:
‘When we first dreamt up the idea of starting a piano festival, we hoped to fill a gap in London’s musical offering. Ten years on, we are proud to still be presenting world-class performances at our Festival home, Kings Place.’

The London Piano Festival runs from 9 to 12 October 2025 at Kings Place. For more information and tickets, visit www.londonpianofestival.com