AN INTERNATIONALLY respected pianist delighted Felsted Arts Festival audiences with his recital at Felsted’s Music School.

John Lill, frequently described as the leading British pianist of his generation, performed works by Bach, Busoni, Beethoven, Chopin and Prokofiev with enormous panache and put Felsted’s new grand piano through its paces.

Director of Felsted Arts Festival Andrew Widdowson said: “From the moment Mr Lill played his first note, the audience appeared to be mesmerised and not a pin dropped in the next hour and half. This was a rare opportunity to see one of the world’s greatest performers at first hand and a real privilege for Felsted to host him.”

Indeed Mr Lill enjoyed his visit to Felsted. “I am delighted the concert was well appreciated,” he said. “It’s inspiring that music is given such rightful prominence at Felsted, when so often elsewhere it is fast disappearing.

“All strength to you and all at the school – you remain a great example to all.”

John Lill’s career has taken him to more than 50 countries, both as a recitalist and as a soloist with the world’s greatest orchestras. He regularly performs in all the European capitals, Russia, the Far East and Australasia and he is a frequent visitor to the United States where he has worked with the Cleveland, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia, Dallas Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Boston Symphony, Washington and San Diego Symphony Orchestras.

He is greatly admired by audiences and musicologists for the depth of his readings as well as his technical mastery and is recognised as one of the world’s leading interpreters of Beethoven and is also noted for his sensitive performances of Prokofiev and Rachmaninov.