Somerset International Festival of the Arts: The Virtuoso Piano

The 2026 Somerset International Festival of the Arts opening night features Bristol Ensemble and acclaimed soloist Viv McLean for a candlelit celebration of some of the most expressive and enduring works in the classical repertoire, featuring piano concertos by Chopin and Mozart – composers whose distinctive voices shaped the course of Western music.

The programme will feature Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, a brilliant and energetic introduction to his comic opera, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, often praised for its lyrical beauty and elegant orchestration. Completing the programme is Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, known for its elegance and emotional depth.

*The ticket price includes a free drink and entry to the SIFA Art Exhibition*

Viv McLean – Pianist

Described by Le Monde as “possessing the genius one finds in those that know how to forget themselves”, since winning First Prize at the Maria Canals International Piano Competition in Barcelona, British pianist Viv McLean has performed in all the major venues in the UK, as well as throughout Europe, Japan, Australia and the USA. He has performed concertos with orchestras such as the RPO, Philharmonia Orchestra, LPO, ECO, Halle Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Orchestra of the Swan, Northern Chamber Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of such conductors as Daniel Harding, John Wilson, Wayne Marshall, John Lubbock, Philip Hesketh, Christopher Warren-Green, Owain Arwell Hughes, Carl Davis, Rebecca Miller, Chloe Van Soeterstede and Marvin Hamlisch.

Viv often collaborates with groups such as the Leopold String Trio, Ensemble 360, the Ysaye Quartet, the Sacconi String Quartet, as well as with artists such as Natalie Clein, Alice Neary, Daniel Hope, Lawrence Power, David Le Page, Adrian Brendel and Mary Bevan. Viv has appeared at many festivals including the International Beethoven Festival in Bonn, the Festival des Saintes in France, Vinterfestspill i Bergstaden in Norway and the Cheltenham International Festival in the UK. Viv made his BBC Radio 3 recital debut through the BBC Radio 3 Young Artists Forum scheme and has also recorded for Classic FM, WDR Radio in Germany, Radio France, ABC Radio in Australia, NRK Radio in Norway and for the Sky Arts television channel. He has recorded for labels such as Sony, Chandos, Naxos, Nimbus, Signum Classics, Lyrita, Stone Records, RPO Records, Willowhayne Records and ICSM Records.