Darlington Piano Society presents its 2026-27 International Piano Series
Another season of outstanding pianists and programmes to suit all tastes is a feature of the Society’s forthcoming season.
The season begins on Sunday 4th October with a recital by British pianist Thomas Kelly. Thomas is the current Benjamin Britten Fellow at the Royal College of Music. He was a finalist at the Leeds International Competition in 2021 and earlier this year in the International Liszt Utrecht Competition where he won second prize and the award for the best performance of the Liszt sonata (a work that closes his recital here). He is well known for his ‘outrageous virtuosity’ and technical mastery, characteristics reflected in his programme.
Our pianist on 1st November is Ethan Loch. Blind since birth, he began learning piano at the age of four and graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with First Class Honours in 2026. Also in 2026, he has won the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Concerto Competition and was shortlisted for the Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award. He is an accomplished composer and plays two of his own compositions in his programme. His remarkable story features in a BBC documentary – ‘Our Lives – Seeing with Sound’ broadcast earlier this year and available on BBC Sounds.
Amiri Harewood appears for the Society on 10th January 2027. A recent postgraduate from the Royal College of Music, he was selected as a Grand Prize winner of the Young Classical Artist Trust and Concert Artists Guild International Auditions in May 2024 and named a Classic FM Rising Star for 2025. He has performed throughout the UK and in the 2025/26 season, made his debut at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Berlin Konzerthaus and makes his North American debut with a tour including recitals in Chicago and New York.
Kazakhstan-born Samson Tsoy is our pianist on 7th February. Trained at both the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory and then the Royal College of Music, Samson is resident in London and has built an international career. He recently released his first commercial recording, described as a “probing meditation on creativity” by the Guardian. Alongside his solo career he is one half of the renowned duo with Pavel Kolesnikov. His programme includes the rarely heard piece “Le Chant du Rossignol” by Stravinsky.
The penultimate recital on 7th March is given by Rose McLachlan, who studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. She is a member of a professional pianist dynasty, whose brother Callum played for the society in 2024. Her programme includes a compilation of nocturnes written by female composers in tribute to Chopin.
The final recital on 4th April features the only returnee to the Society, Mishka Rushdie Momen, who played in 2014. Mishka is a noted chamber musician, performing with Steven Isserlis, Timothy Ridouit, and Angela Hewitt, amongst many others. Alongside Liszt, her programme features works by Ravel, Faure and Messiaen.
Details of the season can be found at www.dpiano.co.uk and in the brochure widely available in the town and other locations in Co. Durham and elsewhere. All events take place in Central Hall on the listed Sundays at 3pm. Tickets for the full season (£66, U21 free) and for individual recitals (£18, U21 free) can be purchased online via the website, through the brochure’s booking form for the season, or on the door, using contactless payment as well as cash.