WACIDOM

Saturday 21^st March 2026 1:45pm – 2:30pm

Outstanding Young Pianists
Sam Lord, Melody Zhao and Natalia Mei

“Celebrating our 550^th Concert”

Programme (Subject to revision)

Sam Lord
Beethoven Sonata No. 26 in E-flat major, Op. 81a “Les Adieux” 1^st Mvt.
Liszt Transcendental Étude No.8, “Wilde Jagd” (Wild Hunt)

Melody Zhao
Debussy Reflets dans L’eau (reflections in the water) Images, Book 1
Prokofiev PianoSonata No.2 in D Minor, Op. 14

Natalia Mei
Chopin Nocturne in D-flat major, Op.27, No.2
Say Paganini Jazz, Op. 5c

Biographies

Sam Lord
Sam is 15 years old and is in year 11 at Chetham’s School of Music, he has been there since year 8. He has been playing the piano since he was 7 years old. He first played at Rochdale Festival and got 100/100 marks. Sam entered the International Paderewski Competition in June 2025 and got 2nd prize in his class. He has also played at festivals in Ramsbottom, Hazel Grove and Blackburn winning classes in each. Sam has also played in multiple lunchtime concerts at school and concerts in Manchester Cathedral. He has played in two previous concerts in Warrington.

Melody Zhao
Melody is 16 years old and started playing the piano when she was 6 years old. She is in her fourth year at Chetham’s School of Music where she is a pupil of Mr. Simon Bottomley. Melody has won prizes in several local music festivals and was a finalist in the EPTA piano competition in Belgium. Melody recently passed her LTCL diploma with a high distinction.

Natalia Mei
Based in Poynton, Natalia has been playing the piano since the age of five. She joined Chetham’s School of Music for primary school, where she studied with Mr. Simon Bottomley, whose guidance remains central to her musical development. Alongside her academic studies, now at Withington Girls’ School, Natalia has won multiple awards at the Hazel Grove Musical Festival and won the North-West EPTA UK Finals. In Year 9, she earned a Distinction in her ATCL Diploma and recently passed her LTCL Diploma with distinction. Now in year 12, Natalia hopes to study Mathematics at University. She looks forward to continuing her musical studies alongside her future degree, carrying forward the passion for music that first took root at Chetham’s.

Next week is the last concert in the current series and features the Northerly Winds Quintet plus piano.

Saturday 14^th March 2026 1:45pm – 2:30pm

Ondine Trio
Matthew Lam – Piano, Leda Mileto – Violin, Clara Hope Simpson – Cello

Programme

Sergei Rachmaninov Isle of the Dead, (Symphonic Poem), Op. 29 (arr. Matthew Lam)

Claude Debussy Piano Trio in G Major, L.3 (1880)

i Andantino con moto allegro
ii Scherzo: Moderato con allegro
iii Andante espressivo
iv Finale: Appassionato

Biographies

Matthew Lam, originally from Hong Kong, is a distinguished pianist with a First-Class Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree with Distinction from the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) where he studied under Ashley Wass, Frank Wibaut and Jeremy Young. He has participated in masterclasses led by renowned pianists and is recognised as both a solo and collaborative pianist and chamber musician. Matt regularly performs with his twin brother, Jason, with whom he won the Piano Duo Prize at the RNCM and was placed third at the 2019 Roma International Chopin Competition. He also co-founded the Sande Duo, recording Piazzolla’s Le Grand Tango at Abbey Road Studios. He aspires to be an orchestral pianist, collaborating with various orchestras such as BBC Philharmonic, Nottingham Philharmonic and London Philharmonic Orchestral Foyle Future Firsts. In 2022, he returned to RNCM as a Junior Fellow in Accompaniment and joined the Staff Pianist team.

Leda Mileto, an accomplished musician originally from Rome, Italy, has a background in music education rooted in the Dalcroze approach, which emphasises bodily engagement with rhythm. She earned her Master’s Degree and a Postgraduate Diploma from the RNCM, where she was part of the award-winning Aestus Quartet, currently guided by violinist, Gabriel Le Magadure. Leda’s recent performances include participation in notable festivals in Cremona, Italy, such as the 2023 Stauffer Academy Summer Festival and a concert at Stauffer Academy in 2024 where she performed a duet with Viktoria Mullova and in a string ensemble with Matthew Barley. Additionally, she led the inaugural ensemble at the Lake District Music Festival in 2025. Committed to music education, she teaches various subjects at RNCM aligned with Dalcroze principles, and is pursuing a Professional Certificate with Dalcroze UK. Currently, she is among the Manchester Camerata’s 360 Fellows and is mentored by Caroline Pether. Leda plays a Johannes Cuypers violin from 1797 on loan from the Harrison Frank Family Foundation, with her E. Comin bow.

Clara Hope Simpson is an accomplished and versatile cellist who has showcased her talent in prominent venues such as Wigmore Hall and Kodak Hall. She has earned several prestigious awards, including the John Barbirolli Memorial Prize and the Musicians Prize at the RNCM, and she won the Cello Concerto Competition at the Eastman School of Music. With a global performance background in solo and chamber contexts, Clara also competed in the Schoenfeld International String Competition in China in 2025.

She has collaborated with notable composers such as Anna Thorvaldsdottir and Anna Clyne on their repertoire for solo cello works and received the Exceptional Global Talent Visa from Arts Council England. In addition to performing as a soloist with various orchestras including Manchester Beethoven Orchestra, the Oldham Symphony Orchestra, RNCM Repertoire Orchestra and Eastman School Symphony Orchestra, Clara is a passionate chamber musician and was a founding member of the Aesus Quartet, partnering with renowned artists and ensembles. She has also served as principal cellist in multiple ensembles and performed with groups such as Manchester Collective and Manchester Camerata.

Next week’s concert 21^st March – Outstanding Young Pianists

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WACIDOM is a voluntary run music society and charity that holds free lunchtime concerts on Saturday afternoons at Holy Trinity Church in Warrington Town Centre. All our concerts are funded by donations.

Our main aim is to offer opportunities to young student musicians, most often from the Royal Northern College of Music and Chetham’s School of Music, but sometimes further afield. We also support musicians at the start of their careers as they build repertoire, confidence and platform skills.

In 2024 we celebrated our 500^th free concert which was played by Patron, Leon McCawley and Patron, Sir Stephen Hough kindly offered to play a December concert, to bring our celebratory year to a close.

Sir Stephen asked that donations were to go to WACIDOM to support our work with young and aspiring musicians. He was there once!

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