SATURDAY & SUNDAY, 7 & 8 MARCH 2026
CLOSING DATE: 31 JANUARY 2026
Performing Arts Centre, Redmaids’ High School, Westbury Road, Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol BS9 3AW
PIANO SECTION INFORMATION
JAMES KIRBY
James appears as recitalist and concerto soloist throughout the UK and Europe. Highlights include performances at London’s Wigmore Hall, Edinburgh and Aldeburgh Festivals, St George’s, Bristol, and Dora Stoutzker Hall, Cardiff. He is increasingly in demand in the Far East, where recent appearances include concerts in China, Singapore and Malaysia.
James studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Hamish Milne and the Moscow Conservatoire with Tatiana Nikolaeva and Eliso Virsaladze. Following his student years in Moscow he undertook regular solo and chamber music tours of the former Soviet Union, making notable appearances at the Sakharov Festival in Nizhny Novgorod, the Omsk Festival and the Viktor Merzhanov Festival in Tambov. He was a semi- finalist in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and won First Prize in the Citta di Marsala Piano Competition in Sicily.
He has appeared as concerto soloist with the English, Scottish and Belarusian Chamber Orchestras, the Moscow, Kazakh, Astana and Penang Symphony Orchestras, the Arad and Oradea Philharmonic Orchestras (Romania), in venues including the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire and Astana Opera House. He has performed both Brahms Concertos in Russia and Romania.
James is a member of the Barbican Piano Trio, performing at Wigmore Hall, in major UK festivals and concert series, and throughout Europe and the USA. Highlights include Carnegie Recital Hall and many cycles of Beethoven’s complete Piano Trios including the Master Concert Series at Wigmore Hall. The Trio’s repertoire consists of over seventy works.
He enjoyed a long collaboration with the celebrated Russian violinist Lydia Mordkovitch and has worked with Martyn Brabbins, the Vanbrugh Quartet, BBC Singers, Dame Sarah Connolly and the pianist David Willison.
James is a dedicated teacher and holds posts at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Royal Holloway, University of London, and Eton College. He is a regular jury member of international piano competitions and much in demand for masterclasses and as an adjudicator.
VITALY PISARENKO
After winning some of the most important international awards including the First Prize at the 8th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht and the Third Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition (2015), London-based Ukrainian-Russian pianist Vitaly Pisarenko has been steadily gaining worldwide recognition.
Critically acclaimed as a pianist of unusually soft touch, prodigious technique and captivating expressiveness, Vitaly has performed in over 30 countries, including solo recitals at Wigmore Hall, Musikverein in Vienna, Bozar in Brussels, Moscow Philharmonic Recital Hall, National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing, Shanghai Concert Hall, Mozarteum in Salzburg, de Singel in Antwerp, Toyota Concert Hall in Japan, Hong Kong City Hall, Salle Cortot in Paris and Palace of Arts in Budapest.
Vitaly has played with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Noord Nederlands Orchestra, Brno Philharmonic Orchestra on tour in Japan, KBS Symphony Orchestra, Het Gelders Orchestra, the YMSO and others performing at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Cadogan Hall in London, Big Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire,Tokyo Opera City, Seoul Arts Center, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Sala San Paulo in Brazil and De Doelen in Rotterdam among others.
The Association of Music Critics of Argentina recently presented Vitaly with the '2018 Revelation Award'.
Since January 2020, Vitaly teaches at the Purcell School of Music and in September 2021, he was appointed Assistant Professor at the Royal College of Music in London.
James appears as recitalist and concerto soloist throughout the UK and Europe. Highlights include performances at London’s Wigmore Hall, Edinburgh and Aldeburgh Festivals, St George’s, Bristol, and Dora Stoutzker Hall, Cardiff. He is increasingly in demand in the Far East, where recent appearances include concerts in China, Singapore and Malaysia.
James studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London with Hamish Milne and the Moscow Conservatoire with Tatiana Nikolaeva and Eliso Virsaladze. Following his student years in Moscow he undertook regular solo and chamber music tours of the former Soviet Union, making notable appearances at the Sakharov Festival in Nizhny Novgorod, the Omsk Festival and the Viktor Merzhanov Festival in Tambov. He was a semi- finalist in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and won First Prize in the Citta di Marsala Piano Competition in Sicily.
He has appeared as concerto soloist with the English, Scottish and Belarusian Chamber Orchestras, the Moscow, Kazakh, Astana and Penang Symphony Orchestras, the Arad and Oradea Philharmonic Orchestras (Romania), in venues including the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire and Astana Opera House. He has performed both Brahms Concertos in Russia and Romania.
James is a member of the Barbican Piano Trio, performing at Wigmore Hall, in major UK festivals and concert series, and throughout Europe and the USA. Highlights include Carnegie Recital Hall and many cycles of Beethoven’s complete Piano Trios including the Master Concert Series at Wigmore Hall. The Trio’s repertoire consists of over seventy works.
He enjoyed a long collaboration with the celebrated Russian violinist Lydia Mordkovitch and has worked with Martyn Brabbins, the Vanbrugh Quartet, BBC Singers, Dame Sarah Connolly and the pianist David Willison.
James is a dedicated teacher and holds posts at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Royal Holloway, University of London, and Eton College. He is a regular jury member of international piano competitions and much in demand for masterclasses and as an adjudicator.
VITALY PISARENKO
After winning some of the most important international awards including the First Prize at the 8th International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Utrecht and the Third Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition (2015), London-based Ukrainian-Russian pianist Vitaly Pisarenko has been steadily gaining worldwide recognition.
Critically acclaimed as a pianist of unusually soft touch, prodigious technique and captivating expressiveness, Vitaly has performed in over 30 countries, including solo recitals at Wigmore Hall, Musikverein in Vienna, Bozar in Brussels, Moscow Philharmonic Recital Hall, National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing, Shanghai Concert Hall, Mozarteum in Salzburg, de Singel in Antwerp, Toyota Concert Hall in Japan, Hong Kong City Hall, Salle Cortot in Paris and Palace of Arts in Budapest.
Vitaly has played with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, National Philharmonic Orchestra in Warsaw, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, London Mozart Players, Noord Nederlands Orchestra, Brno Philharmonic Orchestra on tour in Japan, KBS Symphony Orchestra, Het Gelders Orchestra, the YMSO and others performing at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Cadogan Hall in London, Big Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire,Tokyo Opera City, Seoul Arts Center, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Sala San Paulo in Brazil and De Doelen in Rotterdam among others.
The Association of Music Critics of Argentina recently presented Vitaly with the '2018 Revelation Award'.
Since January 2020, Vitaly teaches at the Purcell School of Music and in September 2021, he was appointed Assistant Professor at the Royal College of Music in London.
- Teachers, parents and performers are advised to read the Festival Rules and the following Piano Rules carefully.
- Age of performers is as on 1 March of the Festival Year. Adults are those who are 18 years or over on or before 1 March of the Festival Year.
- In all classes, a copy of the music must be provided for the Adjudicator before performing. Performers may use a copy or purchased copy for performance, but a purchased copy must be available at the time of playing.
- Only one piece to be performed unless playing in the Repertoire class or where otherwise indicated.
- Time limits must be strictly adhered to.
- The title and composer of items to be performed should be submitted at the time of entry. Please include the movement, key and opus number where relevant. Pieces must be stated on the online entry form before the closing date. The timetable will be published in mid-February.
- Substitution of duet or ensemble partners is only allowed at the discretion of the Piano Section Secretary.
- Own choice classes are designed to include players of different standards. It is important to understand that each performance is judged primarily on the quality of playing regardless of the grade of the piece. Performers playing at a much higher standard than their age group may consider entering classes above their age group. This may be necessary in order to remain within the time limit of the class.
- Performers may not enter more than one class of the same type in different age groups. For example, a performer may play in either Repertoire class 13 years and under or Repertoire class 15 years and under, but not both. This does not apply to the Grade classes.
- In the event of a class having a large number of performers, the Piano Section Committee may decide to split the class into two. Performers will be allocated a section at random. Two different trophies may then be awarded.
- No performer may perform any piece more than once during the Festival.
Bristol Festival Syllabus 2026
1. How do I make an online entry?
Click ‘enter online’ above. Create an account with your details. Then add each player’s details by pressing ‘Create a New Individual’ pink box. When you have added all your players you can then enter them into classes. Click on the green ‘Enter’ button. Find the relevant class and click ‘Add to Basket.’ You will then need to give permission, or not, for the official photographer, and enter the details of the piece to be played and composer. You can then press the green ‘Add to Basket’ button. You can continue to enter all players in this way. You will need to add the ages of the performers when prompted if you are entering a class with an age restriction. When you have everything you need in the basket, you can then click ‘Checkout’ and pay the fee.
2. How do I enter a duet or ensemble in the Festival?
You will need to click on the pink box ‘Create A New Group With People’. From there you can select a performer by clicking on their name and then the arrow facing right. You can also remove a performer by clicking the arrow facing left. When all the performers are in the right hand box called ‘Members of Ensemble’, you can click Save. Then you will be able to enter the group into a class in the normal way.
3. When will I be notified of the day and time of my class(es)?
The programme will be created after all the entries are in, and entrants will be informed of their class times shortly after.
4. Will there be parking?
There is plenty of parking on the Redmaids school site and surrounding roads.
5. Will there be any food at the Festival?
Yes, there will be snacks and drinks available to purchase. There will be a dining room where you can eat your own food and drink too.
6. Can I bring anyone with me?
We strongly encourage you to bring as many friends and relations as possible. A friendly audience is as important as the performers. You can listen to as many classes as you like.
7. What is the entry cost for the audience?
For a 1-DAY PASS: An adult ticket is £3 (concessions £2), child £2, and family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) £8. For a 2-DAY PASS: An adult ticket is £5 (concessions £3), child £3, and family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) £12. There is a small charge for programmes. You can pay by cash or card.
8. Is there a practice room?
Unfortunately we do not have a room to warm up in. There is a quiet room which you are welcome to use. To make it fair, no one gets to play before their class, but you may play a few notes and try the pedals before you start.
9. Is a page turner available?
No, but if you can't bring a friend to do this, you can ask another player or one of the stewards to help you.
10. Will footstools be provided?
We don’t provide footstools or pedal extenders, but feel free to bring your own.
11. What happens if I am late?
If you are arrive late and the class is still in progress, you can play at the end of the class and will still receive an adjudication and certificate.
Click ‘enter online’ above. Create an account with your details. Then add each player’s details by pressing ‘Create a New Individual’ pink box. When you have added all your players you can then enter them into classes. Click on the green ‘Enter’ button. Find the relevant class and click ‘Add to Basket.’ You will then need to give permission, or not, for the official photographer, and enter the details of the piece to be played and composer. You can then press the green ‘Add to Basket’ button. You can continue to enter all players in this way. You will need to add the ages of the performers when prompted if you are entering a class with an age restriction. When you have everything you need in the basket, you can then click ‘Checkout’ and pay the fee.
2. How do I enter a duet or ensemble in the Festival?
You will need to click on the pink box ‘Create A New Group With People’. From there you can select a performer by clicking on their name and then the arrow facing right. You can also remove a performer by clicking the arrow facing left. When all the performers are in the right hand box called ‘Members of Ensemble’, you can click Save. Then you will be able to enter the group into a class in the normal way.
3. When will I be notified of the day and time of my class(es)?
The programme will be created after all the entries are in, and entrants will be informed of their class times shortly after.
4. Will there be parking?
There is plenty of parking on the Redmaids school site and surrounding roads.
5. Will there be any food at the Festival?
Yes, there will be snacks and drinks available to purchase. There will be a dining room where you can eat your own food and drink too.
6. Can I bring anyone with me?
We strongly encourage you to bring as many friends and relations as possible. A friendly audience is as important as the performers. You can listen to as many classes as you like.
7. What is the entry cost for the audience?
For a 1-DAY PASS: An adult ticket is £3 (concessions £2), child £2, and family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) £8. For a 2-DAY PASS: An adult ticket is £5 (concessions £3), child £3, and family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) £12. There is a small charge for programmes. You can pay by cash or card.
8. Is there a practice room?
Unfortunately we do not have a room to warm up in. There is a quiet room which you are welcome to use. To make it fair, no one gets to play before their class, but you may play a few notes and try the pedals before you start.
9. Is a page turner available?
No, but if you can't bring a friend to do this, you can ask another player or one of the stewards to help you.
10. Will footstools be provided?
We don’t provide footstools or pedal extenders, but feel free to bring your own.
11. What happens if I am late?
If you are arrive late and the class is still in progress, you can play at the end of the class and will still receive an adjudication and certificate.