7 left-handed classical pianists and the Southbank Centre

The piano however is a more forgiving tool for left-handers, especially as pianists are, from an early age, taught to play independently with each hand. And though the instrument’s repertoire is largely composed with right-handers in mind, it’s perhaps no surprise that some of the world’s most famous pianists, whether through choice or necessity, have been southpaws. Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Rachmaninov were all left-handed as too were this collection of performers whose skill, or inspiration, you may have enjoyed in our concert halls.

Daniel Barenboim

A name that will need little introduction to regular attendees of classical music at the Southbank Centre. Buenos Aires-born Daniel Barenboim debuted in our Royal Festival Hall in 1956, aged just 13, he has appeared in our concert halls every decade since, most recently joining us as part of our 2020/21 Classical Season. Arguably his most famous appearance in our venues came in 1969, when he was part of the iconic fivesome – alongside Jacqueline du Pré (cello), Itzhak Perlman (violin), Pinchas Zuckerman (viola) and Zubin Mehta (double bass) – which performed Schubert’s Trout quintet in our recently opened Queen Elizabeth Hall. 

As a pianist Barenboim would become admired for his artistic interpretations of the works of Mozart and Beethoven in particular. He has also earned acclaim as a conductor, particularly for his co-founding, along with Edward Said, of the West–Eastern Divan Orchestra in 1999, with its aim of fomenting a feeling of sympathy and co-existence between Arabs and Israelis through music and musical performance. And though Barenboim is undoubtedly left-handed, he conducts with the baton in his right hand.

Leon Fleisher

Unlike the others on this list, the American pianist Leon Fleisher began and ended his career in music as a right-hander. Taught by the Austrian Artur Schnabel, Fleisher was just 16-years-old when he made his Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Philharmonic. He very quickly established himself as one of the leading pianists of the day, winning Belgium’s Queen Elisabeth International Piano Competition in 1952, and releasing a number of recordings in an exclusive contract with Columbia Masterworks, earning particular acclaim for his interpretations of Brahms and Beethoven. 

But in 1964, at the age of 36, Fleisher lost the use of his right hand due to a neurological condition. He continued to play, but from 1967 his performances were concentrated on the left-handed repertoire, with a number of pieces written specifically for him. With advancements in medical treatments, Fleisher was able to return to playing with both hands in the 1990s, as those who were lucky enough to see him perform in our Royal Festival Hall in 2009 and 2012 will attest. However, he remained in demand for left-handed works, notably giving the world premiere of Paul Hindemith's Klaviermusik (Piano Concerto for the Left Hand), Op. 29, with the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Simon Rattle, in 2004.

Hélène Grimaud

Among Fleisher’s many students was another left-handed pianist, Hélène Grimaud. Born in Aix-en-Provence Grimaud discovered the piano at the age of seven and went on to work with Pierre Barbizet in Marseille before being accepted into the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 13. In 1987 she gave her well-received debut recital in Tokyo, and in the same year was invited by another left-hander, Daniel Barenboim, to perform with the Orchestre de Paris.

Grimaud has gone on to work with many other celebrated conductors, making her debut with the Berlin Philharmoniker in 1995 under Cladio Abbado, and giving her first performance with the New York Philharmonic in 1999 under the baton of Kurt Masur. She has released a number of acclaimed recordings and performed as a soloist throughout the world, including concerts in our own Royal Festival Hall, which she most recently graced in November 2023 with a performance of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G.

Glenn Gould

One of the most celebrated 20th century pianists, Canadian Glenn Gould was inspired to become a pianist at the age of six after attending a concert by Josef Hoffman in Toronto. By the age of 13 he was debuting on a Toronto stage himself, performing the first movement of Beethoven’s 4th Piano Concerto with the Toronto Symphony. A prodigious talent, Gould was especially renowned for his interpretations of works by Bach, and his reputation grew rapidly following his US performance debut in 1955.

Gould would become known as much for his eccentricities as his music. He would only play when seated 14 inches above the floor, using a chair made for him by his father, and  had a habit of humming or singing whilst he played. He also disliked public performance, to the extent that at the age of 31 he stopped giving concerts, believing that the presence of an audience corrupted musical interpretation, encouraging showmanship and superficiality. Thankfully his relatively brief performance window did include a concert here in our Royal Festival Hall, which he gave in May 1959.

Claudio Arrau

The Chilean Claudio Arrau boasted a long association with our Royal Festival Hall, having first played here during the 1951 Festival of Britain, in only the hall’s second week. Born in 1903, Arrau moved from Santiago to Berlin in 1912 to study under Martin Krause. He later toured Europe between teaching at Julius Stern’s Conservatory in Berlin, but had relocated to the United States by the time of his Southbank Centre debut.

Arrau returned regularly to London, giving annual recitals in our Royal Festival Hall during the 1970s and 1980s. Arguably his greatest performance at the Southbank Centre came in June 1986, when the then 83-year-old Arrau, received a huge ovation for a programme of four Beethoven sonatas that, according to The Times, ‘ would have taxed a man half his age’. The Financial Times was full of similar praise for the recital, writing that ‘Arrau's technique seemed to lose 30 years. It was an extraordinary performance’.

Paul Wittgenstein

The only pianist on our list not to have appeared on stage here at the Southbank Centre, but a worthy inclusion as were it not for him, the left-handed piano repertoire would be much smaller. Paul Wittgenstein had grown up in the company of musical greats. Born in 1887 into a wealthy Viennese family, his home was regularly frequented by prominent cultural figures, including composers Johannes Brahms, Gustav Mahler, and Richard Strauss whom the young Wittgenstein often accompanied on the piano. Having studied with Theodor Leschetizsky, Wittgenstein made his recital debut at the age of 26, in 1913, with his concerto soloist debut coming the following year.

That following year also brought the outbreak of the First World War and having been called up to fight Wittgenstein was shot in the elbow during the Battle of Galicia, necessitating the amputation of his right arm. The injury however did not deter Wittgenstein from becoming a pianist and aided by his family’s wealth he successfully enlisted a number of composers to write works he could perform with only his left hand. Among those who did so were Benjamin Britten, Paul Hindemith, Sergei Prokofiev, Franz Schmidt, his old houseguest Strauss and, most famously, Maurice Ravel. The latter’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand has ultimately become much more famous than any of the other compositions, and remains a staple of any left-hander's repertoire.

Nicholas McCarthy

Born without a right hand, Nicholas McCarthy began piano studies at the age of 14, and at 17 was accepted into the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. In 2011 McCarthy was a founder member of Charles Hazewood’s Paraorchestra, who you may have seen in their many Southbank Centre appearances, and the following year became the Royal College of Music’s first ever left-hand-only graduate.

Over the last decade McCarthy has established himself as a soloist, making a number of international tours and releasing several recordings, beginning with 2015’s Solo, which reached number four on the Classical Music charts. And in March 2024 McCarthy appeared on our Queen Elizabeth Hall stage to perform a number of left-handed works, including pieces by Wagner, Schubert and Bartók.