Any concert by this very fine pianist is always an occasion. Apart from having a brilliant technique Stephen also shows in his recitals a highly developed musicality and sensitivity. This will be his second appearance at a Richmond Concert Society event and one which will be awaited with much pleasure.

Stephen Hough’s reputation as a great pianist is without doubt. His recordings frequently win major awards and perhaps outstanding among his concerto records are the complete set of the Saint-Saëns concerti and more recently the complete Rachmaninov works for piano and orchestra. As a chamber musician, many accolades have been given for his recordings with Steven Isserlis of the cello sonatas by Brahms, Rachmaninov and Franck.

But it is not only as a fine musician that Stephen is known as he has, at the start of 2007, won the First Prize in the Sixth International Poetry Competition for his poem Early Rose against stiff competition.

Stephen is also a composer of note; his latest work is an Elegy for Cello and Orchestra which he conducted in March 2007 with Steven Isserlis as the soloist. As a writer Stephen has a number of books to his credit, mainly on religious themes; his latest book is The Bible as prayer. Altogether a remarkable and wonderful person.