2 weeks ago
Viewers of Channel 4's The Piano were near captivated by nan victorious capacity connected nan show's debut from then-13-year-old unsighted and autistic girl, Lucy Illingworth.
The teen from Halifax successful West Yorkshire moved viewers to tears pinch an awe-inspiring recital of Debussy's Arabesque, starring judges Lang Land and Mika to telephone her a 'genius'.
One twelvemonth connected and the infinitesimal was nominated for a BAFTA, successful a class pinch scenes from Doctor Who, Succession and Happy Valley.
Also since her astonishing capacity connected nan Channel 4 talent show, Lucy has performed to a packed Royal Albert Hall, and near nan King and Queen speechless arsenic King Charles III's Coronation concert.
So, wherever is Lucy now, arsenic The Piano returns to find different hidden philharmonic star?
Viewers of Channel 4 's The Piano were near captivated by nan victorious capacity connected nan show's debut from 13-year-old unsighted and autistic girl, Lucy successful nan show's 2023 debut
She went connected to put successful nan 'best performance' astatine nan show's performance finale astatine nan Royal Festival Hall
In nan months aft nan programme aired, Lucy near nan newly-crowned King and Queen speechless during a capacity astatine their Coronation performance (pictured)
On her measurement to The Piano's final, Lucy wowed passers by astatine Leeds train position pinch her rendition of Chopin's Nocturne successful B-flat minor, pinch nan video being viewed complete 5 cardinal times online.
The pianist, who was calved pinch cancerous tumours successful her eyes and is mostly non-verbal, was put guardant by her mother Candice guardant for nan title arsenic she wanted to show others really 'amazing' she was and raise consciousness of her condition.
Her capacity has landed her and nan programme successful nan Best Moment class astatine the BAFTA Television Awards - which return spot connected May 12.
Other nominees successful nan class are: David Beckham teasing Victoria astir her 'working class' upbringing successful their Netflix documentary, Ncuti Gatwa being revealed arsenic nan 15th Doctor successful Doctor Who, Catherine Cawood and Tommy Lee Royce's last showdown connected BBC One's Happy Valley, Bill and Frank's Story successful Sky Atlantic bid The Last Of Us and Logan Roy's decease successful Succession connected nan aforesaid channel.
Since signaling nan show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, Lucy has been learning much and much pieces by artists including Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington and Stevie Wonder.
Less than 2 months aft her triumph aired, Lucy wowed nan newly-crowned King and Queen, arsenic good arsenic tens of thousands much spectators, astatine Charles' Coronation performance successful Windsor.
She was connected nan measure alongside world-renowned artists for illustration Lionel Richie and Nicole Scherzinger.
A fewer months later, successful October 2023, Lucy played to nan Royal Albert Hall, pinch a repetition of her show-stopping Arabesque rendition from The Piano arsenic good arsenic playing Bach's Prelude successful C to a afloat location astatine Classic FM Live.
The power station's station of nan capacity online received their largest viewing fig ever pinch complete 11million views.
Lucy returned to nan venue 2 months later to play nan ITV Royal Variety performance.
That will not beryllium nan talent's last TV appearance, arsenic she is group to prima successful a 70-minute Channel 4 documentary, The Incredibly Talented Lucy.
Pictured: The unsighted musician (centre) astatine nan Coronation performance pinch mother Candice, left, and her school assistant Lisa, right
Lucy performed pinch The Piano judge and pianist Lang Lang astatine 2023's Royal Variety Performance astatine nan Royal Albert Hall (pictured together)
The pianist is group to prima successful a 70-minute Channel 4 documentary, The Incredibly Talented Lucy, which will attraction connected her and her euphony coach Daniel Bath (pictured pinch Lucy)
The movie will attraction on Lucy and her euphony coach Daniel Bath, who person been moving together since nan erstwhile was conscionable 3 years old.
Lucy had started plaing nan keyboard moreover earlier - aged two, and received lessons from Daniel done nan philharmonic kindness The Amber Trust.
Daniel recalled previously: 'I first met Lucy successful shot excavation astatine schoolhouse and I couldn't spot anyone successful nan room astatine first. And past I saw this small manus sticking retired of nan shot pool.
'And personification said "Oh that's Lucy". So I put a small keyboard nether nan hand, and nan manus started playing, alternatively mutinously, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
'And I thought: "Here's a woman for whom euphony is really important."
'And it could it beryllium a measurement of unlocking her language, her societal skills, and supra all, her enjoyment of life.'
The family upgraded her keyboard and realised she was composing euphony successful her caput while sitting connected nan sofa. She was besides capable to play backmost euphony aft listening to it conscionable once.
'From a fairy communicative book pinch a soft connected it, she started playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star but it was transportation perfect. It was specified a infinitesimal to perceive that,' Lucy's mother Candice recalled.
Daniel said lessons weren't easy astatine first arsenic he had to fig retired really to thatch and make nan astir of her talent.
When he first started teaching, Lucy couldn't perceive to a portion for much than 10 seconds earlier she sewage impatient and would push his hands retired of nan way.
By her teenage years, he would play nan full nan portion to Lucy earlier asking her to singing what she remembered hearing.
He said: 'You can't thatch Lucy, you tin only guideline her successful nan journey.'
Lucy was calved pinch cancerous tumours successful her eyes and is mostly non-verbal
She started playing nan keyboard property two, and had lessons pinch Daniel from a twelvemonth later
Daniel said lessons were difficult astatine first arsenic Lucy couldn't perceive to a portion for much than 10 seconds earlier she sewage impatient and would push his hands retired of nan way
They thatch nan hands separately, pinch Daniel saying he has to physically prime her hands up astatine times truthful they tin jump complete each other
By her teenage years, Daniel would play nan full nan portion to Lucy earlier asking her to singing what she remembered hearing
Lucy's quality connected The Piano has been nominated for a BAFTA Television Award
They thatch nan hands separately, pinch Daniel saying he has to physically prime her hands up astatine times truthful they tin jump complete each other.
The brace activity together pinch Lucy putting her manus underneath Daniel's, pinch Daniel still playing, pressing her fingers down mildly earlier she tries nan portion connected her own.
'She loves to improvise, she loves playing jazz and nan societal interplay of that', he added.
Lucy reacts to nan euphony pinch her body, particularly her caput and leg, which Daniel said he sometimes has to hone her power to her fingertips.
This was evident successful her uniquely captivating performances connected The Piano, which could gain Lucy a BAFTA connected Sunday, May 12.
