KATYA Apekisheva is a phenomenally talented pianist. Coming from a family of musicians in Moscow, she was early recognised as an exceptionally gifted child and studied at major institutes in Russia, Israel and the Royal College of Music in London where she was awarded the President’s Rose Bowl.

Since then she has become one of Europe’s most renowned pianists, and has performed with many world-class orchestras, among others the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra and the Moscow Philharmonic, and working with conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, David Shallon and Alexander Lazarev.

Her performance at Stokesley, organised by Teesside Music Society, generated a full house of appreciative music lovers, and they were not disappointed.

Apekisheva opened her recital with Four Impromptus Op.12 and Op.14 by Scriabin. The first notes of Impromptu No.1 in F sharp minor are quite transfixing. It is a lovely thing with a poignant, wandering quality, contrasting with No.2 in B flat major which is roaming, wild and fierce.

Apekisheva’s style is highly mobile; her hands on the keyboard are beautiful to observe – elegant and expressive. She gave an outstanding performance of the Scriabin Impromptus which was warmly applauded.

Her style was well suited to the two Fauré Impromptus – Op.25 in E flat major and Op.31 in F minor. In Op. 31 in particular her keyboard technique was absolutely breathtaking.

Beethoven’s well-loved Piano Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight) was performed with delicacy, tenderness and Apekisheva’s magic touch. The opening Adagio sostenuto was played with engaging lightness, while the rhythmic Allegretto was full of light and shade in contrast to the stormy final Presto agitato.

Chopin provided a spectacular finale with a series of Impromptus, waltzes and to finish, Scherzo No.1 Op.20, in B minor.

The evening was an absolute feast of piano music, performed to a towering standard by this amazing young pianist and I can imagine that her CDs will be flying off the shelves in Teesside.

Irene MacDonald