18-year-old pianist stuns with original Beethoven and Chopin medley at Sheffield train station
29 April 2025, 11:12
A young pianist wowed judges in Sheffield on the latest episode of Channel 4’s The Piano.
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A teenager from Chapeltown, Leeds stunned passersby with his performance of a classical medley in Sheffield train station in the latest series of The Piano.
Zak, 18, performed a classical medley featuring Chopin’s Nocturne in C sharp minor and Fantaisie-Impromptu, the third movement of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and Liszt’s La Campanella, as well as some of his own compositions.
“When I play the piano, I get a lot more respect than I normally would. I like seeing people look at me in a different way,” Zak said.
Judges Jon Batiste and Mika couldn’t hold back their joy when watching Zak, with Jon saying, “I like that he’s from the hood and he found this.”
Zak learnt to play the piano at Music House in Leeds, a charity that aims to break down barriers to people and communities in Leeds accessing music.
“I were looking for music lessons, but they’re really expensive, like 40, 50 quid, stupid prices”, Zac said, “But we found this place, Music House, that did affordable lessons.”
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Young man performs four songs in one on The Piano
He also described the connection he feels between Chopin’s music and the town where he has grown up.
“In Chapeltown, most of the people I’ve met who play the piano have a certain connection to Chopin. Chopin likes to use C sharp minor”, he said, “In that key you can feel the tension that can be released, which is what it feels like to live round here.
“You wake up in the morning and there’s loads of police and everyone’s out in the garden thinking what’s going on, and then it will be dead quiet and then it will just come out of nowhere again. And that’s what Romantic music’s like, that’s probably why it resonates with people from Chapeltown.”
He also spoke about his ambitions with his performance.
“Sometimes I actually daydream, and I’m dreaming of me playing on a big flipping stage.”
Read more: Music lessons and private tuition give richer children ‘significant advantage’
The hit television series returned to Channel 4 earlier this month for a third season, with pianist Lang Lang being replaced by Jon Batiste, and Claudia Winkleman and Mika both returning.
The series searches for some of the greatest amateur pianists from across the UK, and was won in 2024 by Brad Kella and in 2023 by Lucy Illingworth.
Watch his full performance below.
Zak Captivates The Crowd With 4 Performances In 1 | The Piano Series 3
