71-year-old pianist astounds Lang Lang with his heartfelt Chopin

17 July 2024, 13:56

71-year-old man wows with Chopin on Channel 4 show The Piano

An uncommonly emotional nocturne has caught the attention of a superstar pianist as part of the Channel 4 series ‘The Piano’, and touched viewers around the world.

As a musician, you don’t know where or when your big moment might come – and for this pianist, it happened on a train station piano, as part of the first season of Channel 4’s hit series, The Piano.

For Liam, who is in his 70s, sharing piano music is clearly very important. He built a little trailer concert hall for his own instrument so he could take it out and play for people.

Read more: The Piano on Channel 4: what is the talent contest and who are the judges

“I’ve always been a maker, I’ve made loads of things in my life. During lockdown I thought it was quite good to do some music outside,” he said in his introduction. “A piano is normally in a house, a concert hall or a school – and all of a sudden it can be anywhere.”

Liam agreed to play for the cameras as part of the TV series. But little did he know that he was on his own musical journey, with his performance secretly being watched by judges Mika and superstar Chinese pianist Lang Lang. Watch him play in full below.

71-Year-Old Liam Draws In A Big Crowd Playing Chopin's 'Opus 9 Number 1' | The Piano Series 1

“I’ve got a good feeling about this Chopin somehow – I don’t know why,” said Lang Lang, as the bearded pianist took to the public piano and began to play.

“This guy has something – look at that crowd,” said Mika as bystanders gathered to hear the performance of Chopin’s Nocturne in B flat minor.

Lang Lang praised what he heard as the ‘free’ playing he heard. “It’s really beautiful... it’s like a poem,” he reflected. Mika then notices a tear from the pianist’s eye.

Liam finishes by revealing a loss in his life, and the role music plays.

“There’s a word in Polish, ‘żal’. It means sorrow, remorse, sadness – and Chopin expressed that so well,” the 71-year-old pianist said.

Viewers felt the ‘żal’ too, it seems. “Melodious sound! You have to feel when he plays his music. Captivated!”, wrote @Chatosvideos on YouTube.

“The piano is a great friend,” the performer said, after reflecting on the emotion of the music. “Not always an easy friend. But a great friend.”