"The B Minor Sonata" | Tyler Hay | Lunchtime Recital

Virtuoso pianist Tyler Hay performs works by Chopin and Liszt at the stunning National Liberal Club, Embankment.

Following the recital, a Kettner Lunch will take place at 1.30 pm, providing an opportunity to discuss the concert with the artist and fellow audience members in a social, friendly atmosphere. Entirely optional, but highly recommended! £39 for a two-course lunch with coffee. Bookings for the Lunch must be made in advance directly with the National Liberal Club

The Programme

Liszt's B minor Sonata stands as one of the towering achievements of the piano repertoire. More than 170 years after its composition, it remains one of the most compelling and enigmatic works ever written for the instrument, and among the most discussed masterpieces of the Romantic period. Possible hidden meanings within the music? Either way, this is a work of extraordinary imagination and power – epic, daring, visionary, and breathtakingly virtuosic.

A selection of Chopin's Waltzes provide a striking contrast to the dramatic scale of the Liszt Sonata. In these miniatures, Chopin reimagines the earlier Viennese Waltz form with poetic imagination, creating music of grace, brilliance, and emotional depth. Each waltz offers a distinctive character, from sparkling exuberance to quiet introspection, revealing the extraordinary expressive range of one of the piano's greatest composers.

The Artist

Tyler Hay first showed prodigious talent at the age of 11, winning a local award in Kent with a performance of Liszt's Mephisto Waltz No. 1. He subsequently gained a place at The Purcell School for Young Musicians, where he studied with the renowned Tessa Nicholson.

A virtuoso pianist drawn to some of the most demanding works in the repertoire, Tyler has given recital programmes at London's Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, and Purcell Room. As a concerto soloist, he has performed Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall.

His competition successes include first prizes at the Liszt Society International Piano Competition and the Dudley International Piano Competition, as well as the Royal Northern College of Music's coveted Gold Medal.

Recordings of music by Liszt, John Ogdon, Kalkbrenner, and Field are available on Brilliant Classics.

The Kettner Lunch

Established in 1974 by Peter Boizot MBE DL (best known as the founder of PizzaExpress) at Kettner's Restaurant in Soho.

The Venue

Designed by Alfred Waterhouse and completed in 1887, the National Liberal Club's Italianate building on the Embankment of the river Thames is the second-largest club-house built in London — located at Whitehall Place, close to the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square. Built on a foundation of inclusivity, the NLC is proud to be one of the most welcoming clubs in London. The David Lloyd George Room is home to our concerts, with a spectacular Steinway Model D piano for artists and audiences to enjoy.