That was Scriabin's Nocturne for the Left Hand,
Op. 9 No. 2, and it was performed by Nicholas
McCarthy. I'm Erica Worth and welcome to this
Pianist Podcast. Today I am catching up with
the British pianist Nicholas McCarthy, who, having
been born without a right hand, talks to me about
his many inspiring achievements. Nicholas, it's
so wonderful to have you on the Pianist Podcast
today. Thanks for being here. Thank you so much.
It's lovely to be on this, so thank you. you're
absolutely welcome i think it would be really
helpful for listeners to hear about your background
i mean having been born without your right hand
did you ever think you'd be a concert pianist
Yeah, obviously not. I mean, it's not the first
thing that anyone would think of, you know, being
born without my right hand, you know, being a
concert pianist. No, certainly not the first
on the list of career choices. And I had I come
from a very normal background. You know, I'm
an only child, mum and dad, you know, just normal
working people. And, you know. kind of humble
background you know didn't have some country
estate somewhere or you know likewise didn't
have some famous concert violinist aunt or anything
like that so it was just very normal background
and I didn't start and I had a completely unmusical
childhood so you know the closest that I got
to any music would be mum and dad doing the dishes
listening to the radio and that would be pop
stuff you know it certainly wasn't you know radio
three or anything like that and and I didn't.
So I had this kind of unmusical childhood, didn't
know anything about classical music whatsoever.
And I then was in my school assembly and I saw
a friend of mine who was a very good pianist.
I'd seen her play many times before. But this
particular time, she was playing for, I don't
know, an awards thing. She was always asked to
do something because obviously, you know, she
was the only talented one, really, in our school.
So she was wheeled out for everything. And she
performed the first movement of Beethoven's Waldstein
Sonata. And all I can describe it, Erica, is
just this outer body experience and this kind
of real changing point in my life as a 14 -year
-old boy. One that, you know, you would hear
like Oprah Winfrey describe on her talk show,
you know, this kind of thing that I heard this
and by the final crashing chords of the first
movement. My life had kind of been changed and
it had been changed forever. And I decided at
that very moment that I was going to play the
piano for a living. Now, obviously, I didn't
know what a concert pianist was. You know, I
didn't have a clue. But remember, I really knew
nothing about music at this point. But I knew
that I wanted to communicate something and I
wanted music to be that vessel for me. in way
to communicate. And I think the fact that I was
14, you know, I was filled with teenage invincibility.
You know, it's so easy to become a national.
It's so easy to become a gold medalist Olympian.
In my case, so easy to become a one -handed concert
pianist, you know. And so because of that teenage
invincibility, you know, I was very open to everything.
I was like, you know, the possibilities are endless.
And that's how it started, really. That's how
my love of piano kind of begun. Goodness. Wow,
that's so interesting. So from then on, I believe
you went to the Guildhall? Yeah, so I started
with a local teacher down the road from me and
very quickly I kind of did my first grades. I
did my grades as a two -handed pianist. So I
used to play with what I call my little arm.
So any listeners, I was born without my right
arm and my arm stops just below the elbow. So
I have my elbow and a little bit of forearm and
then that's it. But I can play a single note
with my little arm. So anything like, you know,
the famous Mozart sonata in C, I used to be able
to play. My left hand would do... Alberti bass
and my right arm would play a single note and
so I did my grade two and my grade four ABRSM
grades as a two -handed pianist playing standard
repertoire and it wasn't till I um and then my
current teacher that then she she encouraged
me to audition for She felt that I had something
special, that I had something to say that she
wanted to cultivate in a school. So, yes, I went
to the Junior Guildhall at 17. And so it was
quite a whirlwind. And then obviously into the
Royal College at 19. So it was a real, from 14
to 19 at the RCM, you know, a really quick progression.
And at that point, when you went to the Guildhall
and Royal College of Music, you then became a
left hand. That's correct. Yeah. So I was encouraged
to kind of wave goodbye to my beloved repertoire,
my Mozart, my Mendelssohn, all these things that
I, you know, these composers who I grew to know
and love, but sadly didn't write anything for
Left Hand Alone. I was then encouraged to specialise
in left hand repertoire, which was the absolute
right decision. And yeah, obviously that came
with its own challenges as well, because, you
know, I was, you know, only played the piano
for a number of years, literally a number of
years on one hand. and then all of a sudden thrust
into the world of left -hand repertoire, which,
as you know, is incredibly tough. You know, there's
no kind of intermediary stuff. It's all big,
big concert pieces and incredibly tough 20th
century repertoire or late 19th century repertoire.
So that posed, you know, some challenges as well.
But, you know, I fell in love with that new repertoire
and enjoyed kind of uncovering as much as I could.
That's amazing. You must have had some very supportive
teachers. Yeah, definitely. I mean, my first
teacher, Laura, who, you know, when I was doing
my early grades, she was lovely because she was
a music student herself. So she was young. She
reminded me of Alicia Keys. So I kind of looked
up to her and she, because she was young. And
she was, again, open. She had a very open mind
with that. So when you're teaching someone with
a disability like me, I think that was helpful
that she could really think outside of the box.
And then obviously Nigel Clayton, my lovely teacher
at the RCM, who I still will play. I've got a
concerto that I'm coming up. I'll still go to
him and he'll play second piano for me and we'll
still have a chat. And he'll often offer some
perspective on certain things. And he was great
because I... I wait. knew my career wouldn't
be a standard career you know for numerous reasons
you know I have one hand so I'm only able I couldn't
do 120 concerts a year even if that was offered
to me you know because my you know the left hand
repertoire is incredibly tough and yet that that
one single hand you know it it's it's a different
kettle of fish two I like doing other things
you know I do a lot of presenting I do a lot
of public speaking so I I knew I had these other
um strings to my bow and Nigel really understood
that about me and really could understand what
what my career could could be you know it's very
interesting when you say that because I haven't
actually thought about it you're just playing
with your left hand and so you know if if Us
pianists with both our hands, if we were practising
only with our left hand every day, day in, day
out, I mean, it's quite a stress on the hand,
isn't it? It's an incredible stress on the hand.
If you think about it, you know, what I'm doing
in a 90 -minute recital with five fingers versus
a 90 -minute recital with a two -handed pianist,
you know, there are some reprieves in the right
hand and the left hand when you've got two hands.
You know, these little moments where the tension
can be released, whereas in left -hand repertoire,
you know, there really isn't, apart from the
end of the piece where the pedal comes up and
there's... silence apart from that you know there's
something going on all the time and and of course
that I factor in into my practice into my rehearsal
schedule into my my performing schedule you know
as well that that's very important yeah I mean
you can't do like and there are some pianists
in music school that practice hours like six
hours eight hours It's not possible, is it? No.
Well, when I first went to the Royal College,
obviously, you know, get flung into this wonderful
world of, you know, these Russian competition
winners and music. Amazing. Fabulous. And and,
you know, you're this new student. And I remember
thinking, oh, God, I need to be doing six, seven,
eight hours a day. And again, it was Nigel who
said. no and I was I was trying I'm sailing miserably
you know and I was getting really bad hand strain
probably on the verge of tendonitis I imagine
right right back in my first year and he said
he said you need to just think about you're doing
different repertoire here and different you know
it's incredibly tough um and he said just think
about two to three hours and see how you go so
really I tend to do about three hours which for
a concert pianist isn't many actually but for
me that seems to to work I I managed to get done
what I need to get done in three and and it's
enough for my hand anything more than that I
do start to feel it I'm sure. I'm sure. Well,
it must have paid off because you were the first
one handed pianist to graduate from the Royal
College of Music. Is that right? Yeah, that was
right. I mean, I didn't realise that, of course,
during the whole time I was studying there until
the graduation day. My professor, Nigel, who
I mentioned, he rang and he said, Nick, he said,
now you're about to actually walk on stage and
collect your scroll. He said, do you know you've
made history in the College of History? There's
been none other. And of course, that was that
was lovely. You know, once we confirmed it with
the college and everything, that was really lovely
and extra special something for my for my grade.
graduation and you've been honoured by the king
yeah so that was in 2018 yeah the RCM they made
me an honorary member which was lovely so that
was again a very special moment and it was lovely
to be alongside you know Sir Andrew Schiff was
was being honoured at the same on the same time
so got to meet him and spend some time with him
as well so that was very special for me as a
periodist especially you know of course it's
fantastic it's fantastic I mean going back to
the repertoire There's so much gorgeous repertoire.
And on your album, your solo album, as it's called,
you play some fabulous pieces, you know, by Scriabin,
original pieces, but also all these yummy arrangements.
I guess there are a lot of arrangements out there
as well. Yeah, I mean, I've made a lot of my
own arrangements. You know, I'm very, I always
think no matter when I'm programming a recital
or likewise an album. Yes. I always think of
my audience. So, of course, a lot of them are
not going to have heard, you know, Brahms' Chaconne
or they're not going to have heard Blumenfeld's
Etude or whatever. And they'll enjoy listening
to them, I hope. But at the same time, I feel
that listeners' ears, including my own, you know,
thinking from personal experience, are much more,
we're much more ready to listen to something
unfamiliar. when we've been warmed up with something
familiar. And so I'm very keen to add onto any
recording I do, or likewise into any programme,
some pieces that just... are familiar to people.
So that's where my own arranging comes in. Or
likewise, I've worked with various different
arrangers around the world, actually, who've
written for me. And because I then feel, one,
on a commercial level, on an album, that's good.
But secondly, I feel that they're then much more
open to listening to repertoire that you absolutely
wouldn't have heard before. that's fascinating
that's absolutely fascinating and i believe um
tell me about the first abrsm graded syllabus
for one hand which you launched in 2024. yeah
what did that comprise of so obviously for me
you know I've had to jump through many a hoop
in my career. And as you would have known, we've
known each other for many, many years as well.
You know, it's not been an easy road, of course,
when you've got a limb difference and wanting
to be a concert pianist, it's hard. It's a bit
like swimming upstream. And so I didn't want
that. to be a barrier for younger people or people
who have acquired disabilities. You know, most,
you know, anyone can become disabled at any point.
You know, stroke, you can lose the whole side
of your body, car accident, whatever. And so
I wanted to... allow people not to jump through
the hoops that I had to jump through and so when
when I approached ABRSM we did this collaboration
and and we've just finished now grade grade eight
that will be coming out next year I believe so
now now from initial grade right through to grade
eight you can do your exams for any hand, one
right hand or left hand. And so it's really opened
up a whole world for people who thought that
this was completely not for them. And so it's
something I'm incredibly proud of, actually.
It's probably one of the few things in my career
where I'm very, very proud of it. And I'm so
thrilled that the response has been fantastic.
You know, the messages I get online from people,
oh, I've just done my grade or whatever. And,
you know, it's really great. It's really great.
doesn't often think about repertoire for the
right hand. Yeah, well, as you know, there's
really not a great deal of repertoire for the
right hand. I always joke and say, you know,
thankfully I was born the right way round in
the sense I've got my left hand that I can, you
know, have access to all this wonderful repertoire.
But again, through commissioning and we worked
with ABRSM composer scheme and they wrote some
new works for right hand. There are a couple
of works for right hand, you know, in the repertoire.
But again, there's just not a huge amount. So
we've managed to correct that and try to expand
that. And again, this will be an ongoing thing.
This will be expanded, you know, throughout.
But for now, there's plenty of repertoire for
either hand and for students to be able to take,
which is which is exciting. Fantastic. I mean,
obviously, some pianists with both hands do perform
left hand repertoire. Do you think this is a
good thing as a means of getting this music known
to a wider audience? I would. I mean, I've spoken
about this and I'm always very honest in my interviews.
It's a literal half and half. I'm thrilled that
I get to hear other people's interpretations,
especially when it's a star pianist like Yuja
Wang playing Ravel left -hand concerto or something
like that. I get excited as a left -hand pianist.
At the same time, and this is me being completely
honest. Yes. It is quite irking sometimes where
you have a pianist who has, you know, access
to a huge amount of repertoire, you know, and
they can play everything. They play Raktuta that
comes out of the roof. And then they've chosen
maybe not the Ravel because that's obviously
a very, very famous concerto, but perhaps a lesser
known left -hand concerto. And that's what they're
going around touring. And I'm kind of, you know,
that's... And it's just me being human, isn't
it? It's that kind of thing. Okay, well, you
know, let's think of the authenticity behind
why this piece was written. It was written for
a one -handed pianist, not a two -handed pianist.
You know, where does that conversation start
and end? That's not up to me to decide. But obviously
my feelings, you know, being human, I think everyone
would be the same. But like I said, it doesn't
take away from the fact that there is also joy
from me. So it's very much split in my mind,
you know, how I view it. That's a really, I can
understand even more so with concertos. Because
you're right, there's so many great concertos
out there. Maybe a pianist playing the odd Scriabin
left hand piece at the, whatever is a different
thing. Yeah. So it's an interesting one, isn't
it? And again, it's, and like I said, I'm half
and half. I get joy and not joy from the same
thing. I can totally get that. But I mean, your
achievements, they go on and on. Last year, you
gave your prom's debut with Ravel's left hand
concerto. And I believe you said a dream come
true. Oh, it really was. I mean, it was just
it was everything I wanted it to be and more.
And obviously, it's such a baptism of fire doing
your prom's debut, you know, and you get a lot
of attention. And obviously, it was televised
and all of that stuff. And so, you know, talk
about pressure. But I'm so pleased with how it
went. And the response was just fantastic. And
it was just such a joyous occasion. And, you
know, I mean, even now there was a little clip
come on. I was watching something the other day,
a recording of a drama. And it was obviously
recorded. from live television it was due it
was during the summer so it had the prompts and
advert in it which they the prompt had used me
in in the advert bit from my from my debut and
even then i kind of got shivers you know a little
tingle thinking god was that really me you know
it's kind of it was such a moment for me and
my family and and friends and and it was it was
yeah it was it was great it was was it nerve
-wracking um the nerves happened for about a
year prior because obviously I knew way in advance
um and I was nervous really for a whole year
until the day I had Erica I promise you I was
so calm on that day I walked out and I just felt
like happy to be there and just thrilled and
it was so strange because like I said the nerves
were absolutely present all the way up to it
but on the day they were there were no nerves
it was the most chilled I'd feel like in any
concert, really, which was just bizarre. But
I was thankful for it, you know. That is incredible.
And you gave an encore too, of course. I did
my opposite. I had to do my Scriabin. You know
me, I love that Scriabin Nocturne. And of course,
I wanted to play something that meant a lot to
me and had been part of my... my journey you
know I've always played that was the first piece
of left -hand repertoire that I ever learned
and um and it's very special plus it's a wonderful
work so I wanted to to play that to the audience
Scriabin is divine isn't he I mean yeah absolutely
Yeah. Why don't we get back to your motivational
speaking, which I think is really interesting.
How did you get into that? So like with most,
I mean, I fell into it. So it was years ago.
I'd kind of done a bit of telly stuff. And my
name was just starting kind of getting getting
out there. And I got invited to do a TED talk
when I'd never heard of TED at the time. I didn't
know that it was this massive global brand. And
and my agent said, you know. Actually, there's
no money in it, but do you want to do it? It's
at the Royal Albert Hall. You know, it's in front
of 6 ,000 people. Oh, yeah, go for it. You know,
being early 20s. And I really enjoyed it. I spoke
about my story, my journey, you know, triumph
over adversity and how to overcome challenges
and how to overcome obstacles. I kind of just
shared it in this life interest way. And it went
down really well. About a week, two weeks later,
I got an invite from ITV for a conference that
they were doing and they were, you know, offering
a very handsome fee. And I was very shocked at
that and thought, OK, great, lovely. And then
Goldman Sachs contacted me and asked the same
thing. And again, and then I realised that it
was actually a career. You know, people did this
for a full -time job and obviously it was never
going to be my full -time job. But yeah, since
that moment, really, I mean, I've done three
TED Talks to date, but I've spoken for some of
the biggest brands all over, you know, like GlaxoSmithKline
and, you know, lots of places and gone all over
the world with it. So it's a part of my job,
which I love because one, and I do include the
piano. I always give a performance as part. So,
you know, these people, you know, if I do a conference
in South America for Pfizer, for instance, or
somebody like that. These are people who necessarily
wouldn't be tuning into classical music. They
wouldn't necessarily be into piano music. They
wouldn't be watching the proms, for instance.
But my story and me being there and then bringing
them, say, some Scriven or some Brahms or whatever
that I'm performing for them, it's bringing that
audience into something that really they probably
wouldn't have sought out themselves. So it's,
again, it's a part of my job, which I love. And
it's, again, it comes down to, for me, down to
communication. about like I said when I first
started I knew I wanted to communicate and I
knew music was going to be the way to do it obviously
now music and words but you know it's the same
thing yeah well it's obvious that you really
enjoy and you're very good at presenting I mean
even chatting with you is just so natural but
you know I've seen you present at various music
related events in fact I think you will be presenting
an award very soon at the bbc music magazine
awards yes that's yes so um that's exciting i
don't know i'm not i mean obviously i don't know
who's the winner but yeah i'm not sure i can
say too much but very excited to to be there
you know again a big a big um a big award ceremony
for us in our industry so yeah wonderful to be
part of that Great. Well, I'll see you there.
What else have you got coming up this year that
we should know about? So I'm giving my Glasshouse
debut up in Gateshead. playing with the Aurora
Orchestra. Again, my debut with the Aurora Orchestra
and Nicholas Collon at Snape Maltese, which will
be wonderful. And yeah, later on, obviously a
new album. I think it's about time. I've done
two albums to date and this will be my third.
And yeah, I'm very excited about it. roughly
2027 but you know these yeah these things are
kind of you know long in the pipeline it's amazing
how long a lead time sometimes these things happen
but again I'm very very pleased about that and
one of the things that just was announced the
other week is I think I've spoken lots in interviews
about how you know Paul Wittgenstein the godfather
of left hand alone repertoire and Without him,
I wouldn't have a career today because he commissioned
the leading composers of the day. Now, the difference
between him and me was he was a super wealthy
socialite, you know, absolute come from. I'm
sadly not. You know, my dad isn't a billionaire
like his dad was. And so I'm really thrilled
to be able to thank you to the Royal Philharmonic
Society and also multiple orchestras who've come
in on board with this. And I'm really happy to
be able to commission the first female composer
to write a major. left -hand piano concerto because
that hasn't been done yet and I thought now me
being you know almost the Paul Wittgenstein in
the 21st century to readdress that balance and
to commission someone new so I'm thrilled to
be working with Danny Howard the composer on
that um and again that will be premiered um it'll
probably be 2028 but again lots of exciting things
in the pipeline um and yeah I know she's starting
writing that in July so yeah very excited about
that you haven't seen the score yet No, God,
no. No notes have been added to paper yet, no.
And with regards to your next recording, have
you decided what you're going to be doing yet
or is it still mulling around in your head? The
repertoire's kind of there. One thing I will
say, I will be recording the Ravel Piano Concerto
for Left Hand. It will be my first concerto recording.
And I thought, you know... It's a concerto I'm
always going to be asked to play. It is the most
famous left -hand concerto. Obviously off the
back of the proms last year, I thought, you know
what, let's get this recorded. So again, very
excited about that. And I'm going to have solo
repertoire around it. Fantastic. Oh, this is
wonderful. Listen, you've given us so much information
already, but now I thought we'd go a bit lighthearted.
Okay, go for it. Even if you always sound lighthearted,
in the nicest possible way. I would like to pose
some lighthearted questions to you. And if you
could just answer off the cuff, that would be
wise. Here we go. The first one. If you could
play only one composer from now on, who would
it be? Ravel. Okay. Definitely. Definitely Ravel.
But I always say, you know, I do play the Ravel
Piano Concerto a lot. But I'm always very thankful.
You know, if I could play it every single day
for the rest of my life, I think I'd be a very
happy man. You know, I find it... Absolutely
astonishing and sublime. And every time I play
it, I discover something new in whether it's
in the colours even or, you know, the tone quality
and how different halls change the colours of
things. I love discovering. So, yeah, probably,
yeah, Ravel. Oh, how amazing. I mean, I just
love that first movement. I just wish as well
he wrote a left hand, you know. Kind of that's
Bardell and we or something, you know, something
like that. And he just didn't. And if he was
alive today, I'd tell him off and say, please,
can you give us like a large scale solo work?
But anyway, for now, we've got the we've got
the concerto. Oh, dear. OK, next one. One pianist
dead or alive. You travel long and far to hear.
Well, I think you will agree with me on this,
Mrs. Argerich. You know, obviously, we've got
your Martha Argerich. I adore her. I know you
share in the adoration of her as well. I have
seen her in concert quite a few times. And yes,
obviously, you know, while she's still on this
earth and long may she be healthy and well, I
will love to continue to try and get to see her.
I mean, she's just something else, isn't she?
It's just superhuman and just watching her and
even, you know, obviously as she's gotten older,
you know, I just think how her athleticism at
the piano and thing, I just think, wow, God,
if I could play, you know, a quarter as good
as that at any point, let alone age, you know,
I'd be very happy. I know. I know, no, she's
something else. She really is. I think a lot
of people feel that same way. Yes, I know. I
was going to say, I bet any pianist you've interviewed,
I'm sure they've all probably, she's been off
the top of the list. And to have a photo with
her. I think I have one or two photos with her.
I'm like, yes! I was going to say, I know you've
met her. I'm very jealous. I'm very jealous.
You have to try. I know. Okay. One person, dead
or alive, you'd love to play for? I'd love to
play for Scribbin. I feel he really understood
left -hand repertoire. He wrote The Prelude and
The Nocturne, Opus 9, and obviously I play both
often, as you know. He also is, and again, I
would tell him off if I did meet him, he also
was... known to play this third work a very large
scale 12 13 minute long concert work for left
hand alone that was meant to be amazing and he
he never notated it down he used to perform it
from memory and it obviously he never noted it
um so yes that was um so i would tell him off
for that firstly but secondly i would say look
you know if i can play for you you know because
he just knew left hand repertoire he just understood
it um and i'd love to i'd love to perform for
him yeah he'd give you lots of helpful advice
there wouldn't he I think so, yes. Yes. Now,
any technical struggles at the piano? Definitely.
I mean, obviously, because I started so late
at 14, when I was studying, you know, especially
when I was at Guildhall and then going into the
RCM, you know, I had lots of holes in my technique
because I'd started so late, you know, and so
I worked incredibly hard to sort that. I think
strengths, I'm very good with fast octaves. I'm
very good with that. I think things like, you
know, thirds, they're always tricky, us pianists,
you know, and again, there's not many pieces
that require it. So when, in my repertoire, so
when there are like a string of fast thirds,
I'm like, oh God, this is going to, you know,
take a little bit of work here, you know? So
yes, I would say that they're always, they always
kind of make me kind of sit up a little bit.
But apart from that, no, it's okay. It's okay.
I get around. That makes me laugh. I just think,
have you ever tried, Any of the Chopin etudes
the other way, like just with the left hand?
Well, the Godofsky ones, obviously, they're incredibly
tough. And I've done most of those. But no, I
mean, obviously, the thirds, the Chopin thirds
etudes, you know, Godofsky never tried to transcribe
that for left hand. And I'm very thankful for
that. That's very funny. Oh, dear. What would
be your advice to an amateur pianist about how
to improve? I would say. Short and sweet practice
sessions. I think some people, you know, especially
when they're a new learner or they're starting
to get into the intermediate stuff, I think they
feel that they need to be doing, you know, an
hour or whatever. And I think personally, you
know, doing short and sweet, 20 minutes, go and
have a coffee, come back another 20 minutes.
And I think doing that. slowly but surely I think
that's going to be the quickest way to to improve
and the other thing I would say is recording
yourself and listening back I do that a lot especially
when you know when I was preparing for my Queen
Elizabeth Hall debut and things like that you
know here I'm lucky I've got um a Yamaha um Inspire
piano so it does the recording and everything
so I would record myself and then I'd sit here
with a coffee and my notepad and I would self
-critique basically and that's how I kind of
prepare for you know a big recital or something
that's you know very very intensely I suppose,
career important. And I would say for any pianist,
it's great to record yourself and listen back
because we just, we kind of create our own narrative
sometimes of what we do or don't do. And when
you, I mean, it's happened to me lots of times
where I've been driving home late at night after
a concert, you know, and there's someone, a piece
that I play comes on the radio. And then I'm
thinking, oh God, they play that very slowly.
Oh God, that's quite interesting. And then they're
like, oh, and that was Nicholas McCarthy playing
that. Oh, my God. You know, because we change
when we grow and we change how we play things
and our tastes change. Yeah. But secondly, you
know, it is funny. We have different perspectives
of what we have done or how we've played. So,
yeah, I think recording is a really good, valuable
thing. Very interesting. Yeah. And also, I think
we close our ears to sections that we don't think
we play very well. It's like we we're used to
closing our ears to get over it. Yes. He just
gets through it, I know. Exactly. Oh, that's
really interesting. If you weren't a pianist,
what would you be? Probably, I want to, I mean,
again, another two handed job. I'm drawn to all
these two handed jobs for some reason. I wanted
to be a chef before I was a pianist. I love cooking.
I do a lot of cooking if I'm here and, you know,
I have lots of dinner parties and things like
that. So I'd probably be a chef. But knowing
me, I'd want to be a TV chef, Erica. So, you
know, I'd be doing something like that, you know,
on your morning programme, cooking, you know,
whatever. So, yeah, probably something like that.
I think you should try that. I think you should
try that. This could be your third... My third
string to my bow. Exactly. I think you could
do it, really. How to scramble eggs. Yeah, how
to boil an egg with Nicholas McCarthy. Oh, Nicholas,
listen, it's been an absolute delight speaking
to you today. Oh, likewise. Thank you so much.
It's been a pleasure to talk to you as always.
But yeah, thank you for having me on. Time has
flown, but I really wish you well for the rest
of the year ahead. And I'll see you at the BBC
Music Magazine Awards. I know. See you there.
Look forward to it. You take care. Thank you.
You too. Thanks, Nicholas. Bye. Bye. Bye. That
was Felix Blumenfeld's Etude for the Left Hand,
Op. 36, and it was performed by Nicholas McCarthy.
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