When he was just 14 years old Nicholas McCarthy heard a friend of his perform Beethoven’s Waldstein sonata and decided there and then that he wanted to become a concert pianist. From that day onwards he has not looked back and he does acknowledge his teenage resilience as an important driving force for him.
This can sound like a fairly ordinary story of a struggling artist making his way to the top, but Nicholas’s story is extraordinary because he was born without a right hand. Just to put things into perspective, Nicholas’s graduation from the Royal College of Music in London in 2012 made the headlines as being the first ever one-handed pianist to graduate from the College in its 130-year history.
Of course, this is not to say that before, institutions have discouraged musicians who have some form of physical disability. Nicholas mentions his piano professor Nigel Clayton at the Royal College of Music as an inspiration. But the core issue is that few musicians like Nicholas are coming forward.
“Many times, I have had a lot of knock backs in my career and some negativity from people along the way,” says Nicholas. “But I have always believed in my dream. I have always been quite good at changing a negative attitude into a positive outcome and I think that has served me well so far.”
The music industry is a tough world, especially in today’s financially unstable times. Becoming an artist is hard enough, but if you have some form of disability it makes things even harder. Artists like Nicholas are helping to change that, mostly by demonstrating that there are alternative paths to becoming a musician.
There are several important historical precedents in this regard. Beethoven, who was completely deaf by the time he was in his forties, is the most famous example. But there are plenty of others, like Biedrich Smetana who was also deaf and Joaquin Rodrigo who was blind.
There are so many hugely talented people out there, with different abilities. Yet, they are over-looked a lot of the time because of their physical situation
Closer to our times, the amazing percussionist Evelyn Glennie was deaf by the time she was 12. Nicholas is also not the first left-handed pianist to take to the concert platform. In the aftermath of World War II there were many of the surviving artists who had suffered some form of injury which impeded their career. Paul Wittgenstein is, perhaps, the more famous of these artists and he commissioned many works specifically for his needs, including the famous Concerto for the Left Hand by Ravel.
It might come as a surprise, but there is actually a vast repertoire for one-hand piano, including by famous composers like Prokofiev, Britten and Richard Strauss. There are also many works by less famous composers which deserve a wider audience. All that is needed is a staunch ambassador for this repertoire and Nicholas is proving to be that ambassador, not only in performing that repertoire but also in commissioning new works.
“I often say that without Wittgenstein and his pioneering ways with expanding the repertoire I wouldn’t be able to have a career today,” says Nicholas. “And I feel it is my job to be the 21st-century trailblazer for future left hand pianists, like Wittgenstein.”
This is not Nicholas’s first Maltese appearance... he is very fond of Malta. His programme at the Manoel Theatre will present “a real snap-shot of what is available for the left hand”, with works ranging from the Romantic repertoire down to contemporary works. His down-to-earth approach, combined with accessible programming, make his recitals a pure joy to attend.
Nicholas still faces many challenges, especially from within the music industry. “I think this attitude comes from fear, and I hope that my story makes some people think differently about people and their varying abilities. It makes me sad that I am one of very few artists with a disability signed to a major label. I feel there are so many hugely talented people out there, with different abilities. Yet, they are over looked a lot of the time because of their physical situation.”
The most beautiful aspect of Nicholas’s work is the way he he sets out to face all those challenges. For him, being a pianist goes well beyond the concert platform, and he partakes in many masterclasses and educational workshops. “If I could inspire just one person then that makes me a very happy man,” he says. Well, from the look of things he has plenty of reasons to rejoice.
Nicholas McCarthy will perform on Wednesday at 8pm at the Manoel Theatre, Valletta.
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