It was a tough job but someone had to do it. When SJE Arts decided they needed a Steinway piano for their new concert venue, it involved a trip to Spain — and Sholto Kynoch who went out there to try it out.

“It was probably the closest I’ve ever been to being wined and dined, almost to the point where it was slightly suspect, when I was so obviously being looked after as a potential customer,” he says.

“I took the music for the next concert I had coming up and, just as if I were at home, I spent several hours in the showroom each day just playing on the piano so that I could try it out for its full range of potential. After two days it became clear that it was a fantastic instrument.

“We’re now one of the few venues in Oxford that has a proper Model D in really good condition.”

Granada might seem a long way to go just to buy a piano, but it turned out to be around £20,000 cheaper than buying direct from Steinway in London — and it came with free delivery, as the dealer happened to be coming to England anyway.

“It almost seemed too be good to be true!” Sholto says.

Once the piano had arrived and was safely installed in its new home, it seemed natural for Sholto to be the first to give a recital on it — despite the fact that he usually performs as an accompanist or as part of a chamber ensemble.

“I had been thinking maybe I should do a little more solo work, so it came at the right time,” he says. “I always keep some solo repertoire on the go anyway, which I think is very healthy as a pianist, so I thought this would be a good challenge.”

Sholto’s recital will include Beethoven’s seminal Sonata No.1 in F Minor, Schubert’s Four Impromptus and a selection of pieces by Chopin, including some waltzes and the notoriously difficult Ballade No.1 in G Minor — recently brought to public attention by Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, who set himself the challenge of learning to play it in a year.

So does this signal a shift in focus in Sholto’s career, from ensemble player and accompanist to regular soloist? “No!” he says emphatically. “What I do most of the time was a conscious decision to do something I find incredibly rewarding and challenging, and there’s obviously the joy of collaborating with other people.

“I’m sure it’s going to be the most nerve-wracking thing I’ve done for a long time, sitting in the Green Room before the concert with nobody else there chatting and joking and calming each other down. “But in some ways it makes a nice change not to compromise or discuss anything, just do exactly what I want to do, and that’s one of the most rewarding things. “I’m very excited about this, and I’m looking forward to it.”

 

St John the Evangelist Church, Iffley Road
Friday, 7.30pm
Tickets: From £12 (under 18s and students £5 off)
Visit musicatoxford. com or tickets oxford.com