The London Piano Festival created by esteemed classical pianists Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva is entering its 10th year this Autumn. Held at the prestigious Kings Place venue, it is an event where one can discover pianists and enjoy the wonders of this musical instrument.
I recently had the wonderful opportunity to sit down and talk to the event’s directors Charles Owen and Katya Apekisheva who shared with me their music journeys, highlights from the upcoming London Piano Festival and so much more!
Please share your musical journeys from the very beginning. What made you both choose the piano as your main instrument?
Charles: For me, I was naturally drawn to the upright piano which we had at home when I was a child. Neither of my parents are musicians, but both love music, and they were always very encouraging. From there, I started having lessons, then went on to the Yehudi Menuhin School.
Katya: I actually grew up in a family of musicians – both of my parents are pianists – and so music is in many of my earliest memories. After I started having piano lessons, I went on to the Gnessin Music School and the Jerusalem Academy.
We both met at the Royal College of Music, where we learned under the same teacher, which is where our great friendship and musical partnership first began.
How does it feel to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the London Piano Festival?
It’s an incredible feeling! We first dreamt up the idea of starting a festival exclusively to the piano over a decade ago, feeling that there was a gap in London’s musical offering. We hoped that it would be a success, but no way we could have anticipated it would grow into what it is today. Since then, we’ve presented nine Festivals, featuring over 45 world-class jazz and classical pianists, and this year’s line-up is bigger and better than ever.
As Festival Directors of the London Piano Festival, please share some of the highlights we can expect for its 10th anniversary.
All of the events are so special, but the Two-Piano Gala is particularly close to our hearts. Collaborative piano performance has always been at the heart of our Festival, and the Two-Piano Gala has become an annual staple. This year we’re bringing together no less than eight performers! We’ll also be performing the world premiere of a new work by Stephen Hough, King’s Cross March, which was written especially for the Festival.
We’re also performing two other premieres in the opening concert – Charles is performing Stones of the Sky by Cheryl Frances-Hoad and Katya is performing Seasons by Elena Langer. They were commissioned as companion pieces to Schumann’s Carnaval and Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons respectively, so that will be a really amazing programme.
We always make sure to have a jazz performance as part of the Festival, and this year we’re really excited to be welcoming two British jazz legends – Julian Joseph and Zoe Rahman. They’ll be presenting a showcase of the next generation of jazz pianists, which should be a really inspiring evening.
You have both worked and performed together for many years. What are some of your favourite works to play on the piano together?
It is always hard to choose favourite pieces from the amazing duo repertoire we play but three pieces really stand out. Rachmaninoff‘s incredible Symphonic Dances, his final masterpiece, is full of haunting melodies and thrilling rhythmic drive. Three Nocturnes by Debussy arranged from the orchestral version by Ravel. These are such magical pieces, which sound extraordinary on two pianos, a tribute from one great composer to another. Finally, the epic Visions de l‘Amen by Messiaen, written in Paris during the darkest days of WWII, is packed with a celebration of the earth and heavens deploying the most imaginative textures.
As a piano duo, how do you practice/prepare (both together and independently) before a performance?
Of course, we spend time learning our own parts separately, but we try to rehearse together as much as possible – in the run-up to a big event, we’ll meet every other day. Fortunately, we live near to each other so we can meet up pretty easily – it’s actually lovely, because we have the special experience of spending several weeks working on a piece together before we need to perform it. When we’re together, we discuss our respective ideas and interpretations, working together to create a whole new version of the piece that represents both of us.
Is the experience of performing solo and performing as a duo very different? If so, how?
Most of our performing is still done separately (in solo recitals, concertos, chamber partnerships with other musicians), but ever since we first performed together in the early 2000s, we have often played together as a duo. Performing as a duo is about working together and inspiring each other, but there’s also a whole new practical element – you have to be aware of any moments where your hand crosses over the other person’s for example! We always switch who plays which part as well – the best part about chamber music is getting to play both the melody line and the supporting voices (though sometimes the lower voices are far more difficult than the main tune!).
Which artists do you consider to be your musical influences?
Charles: I would have to say Irina Zaritskaya, who taught me at the RCM. She had such a generosity of spirit, and shared her secrets for unlocking pianistic fluency in my playing. I was also lucky to work with the great Imogen Cooper, who taught me to ‘dig deep’ into the scores, focusing on phrasing, sound, projection and colour in particular – everything that makes her own playing so special.
Katya: Each of my four teachers were a huge inspiration to me. Ada Traub, my first piano teacher, instilled a lifelong love of music in me, and my second teacher, Anna Kantor, taught me to pay close attention to detail, whilst Irina Berkovich taught me how to analyse the structure of the score. Like Charles, I learned with Irina Zaritskaya, who shared her secrets to achieving the sound and colour of the golden age of piano greats.
Thank you so much for your time Charles and Katya. Charles Owen and Katya Apeksiheva are co-founders and co-Artistic Directors of the London Piano Festival, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The Festival runs from 9-12 October 2025 at Kings Place, London.
