A pianist just played a Chopin concert in the Himalayas at 5,000 metres

7 January 2019, 10:00

By Maddy Shaw Roberts

Chopin Nocturnes, played on a concert grand at an altitude of 5,000 metres. This is stunning.

On 6 September 2018, Evelina De Lain, a pianist from London, carried the grand piano up to the Singela Pass in the Himalayas, India, along with a team of adventurers.

She performed Chopin’s Nocturnes No. 2 in E flat major and No. 20 in C sharp minor, his ‘Raindrop’ Prélude Op. 28 No. 15 as well as compositions from her solo album Soul Journey.

Evelina said: “It was such an honour to be asked to play my music in the clouds, [but] it was one for the hardest things I have ever done.”

Some genius made a working grand piano, made entirely of LEGO >

Fourteen years ago, Evelina lost the ability to move her hands property due to a repetitive strain injury. After undertaking an intensive course of therapy, she eventually regained most of the use of her hands.

“I would never in a million years ever think I’d play classical piano again let alone play the highest classical concert [...] but I’m not one to shy away from a challenge” she continued.

‘Concert in the Clouds’ was put on to raise money and awareness for Cystic Fibrosis. Evelina’s concert, which also involved building a concert hall out of recycled plastic bottles, broke the record for the highest classical concert in the world.

Listen to her debut album here.