Alistair McGowan, Festival Chair and Artistic Director, looks forward to LPF Pop-Up and Open Piano in November 2026 – and further forward to next year
While we work on putting together another exciting festival for you for next May – some very exciting names are already confirmed – Pop-Up returns for its November Weekend.
As well as getting your chance to enjoy playing the concert Steinway during the two days, we are bringing you two incredible Pianists.
Polish-Welsh-English pianist, Cordelia Williams, has performed all over the world including concerts with the CBSO and the RPO. Winner of BBC Young Musician of the year in 2006 she, unusually, enjoys introducing the music she plays and, as the mother of three small children, wrote the award-winning ‘Happy Music Playbook’ for parents of young children who want to make music a joyful part of everyday family life.
So, as well as hearing her playing a typically varied programme there is much for me to ask her about during our second-half interview. I’m very excited to find out more about what she does and just how she does it all!
Scipione Sangiovanni is another unique spirit within the world of piano performance. We are so thrilled that he has chosen to come back from Italy with his wonderful mix of baroque and jazz and rock music. He believes that all music is ‘just music’ and loves to interweave every style. It is a unique offering.He performs all over Europe but this is a rare chance to see him in England. I can’t wait to see him again!
Myself and my team look forward to welcoming you (back) to Ludlow this Autumn.
Alistair
Upcoming Events
Lucy Parham’s unique and beautifully crafted ‘words and music’ concerts are always hugely popular. In 2023, she performed her show about Rachmaninov with Alistair reading Rachmaninov’s words and moving quite a few of us to tears. Lucy returned in 2024 with Harriet Walter to do her show about Clare Schumann. And Lucy is now returning on September 30th with her show about Claude Debussy. Alistair will again perform alongside her as he takes on the role of Debussy: a man with huge pianistic talent but a complex and shocking personal life (Debussy, that is; not Alistair). It promises to be a show full of passion – musically and dramatically.
Then a few weeks after that, we return with our next Pop-Up weekend. And we have two fabulous events. The return of Scipione Sangiovanni and his incredible ability mix the likes of Bach and Purcell with Radiohead and Nirvana.
And, if that weren’t enough: have you ever wanted to ask a concert pianist what their chosen career is like? Now, you can! Cordelia Williams performs at leading venues all over the world. She is coming to perform at the Assembly Rooms but, during her event, she will also be interviewed by Alistair and take questions from the floor on life as a classical Pianist.
And Open Piano returns! Your chance to play the Steinway in The Church. Bookings will open in late summer so please ensure you’re on the mailing list.
So, there’s plenty coming up to get excited about, later this year. And, of course, we are already planning our festival for 2027! You can now guarantee we will have some big names, some enviable events and will draw people to Ludlow from around the country to play, to listen and to enjoy our fabulous town!
30 SEPTEMBER 2026
Rêverie: The Life and Loves of Claude Debussy
Ludlow Assembly Rooms
7:30pm
Rêverie is the fourth Composer Portrait compiled and scripted by internationally renowned pianist Lucy Parham.
13 NOVEMBER 2026
LPF Pop-UpCordelia Williams
Ludlow Assembly Rooms
7:30pm
In a wonderfully varied programme, leading pianist, Cordelia, brings us a Bach Partita, Janacek’s In The Mists, several of Prokofiev’s Visions Fugitifs and several Mazurkas by Chopin.
14 NOVEMBER 2026
LPF Pop-UpScipione Sangiovanni
St Laurence’s Church
7:30pm
The return of Scipione Sangiovanni who delighted a full house when he closed our second piano festival with his incredible ability to interweave highly dexterous playing of Bach and Purcell with ‘banging’ tunes by Radiohead and Nirvana!
LPF Pop-Up
Pop-Up is a two day, winter celebration of piano music which tries always to bring a ‘straight’ classical concert alongside something more quirky.
LPF Presents
Due to popular demand from audiences and performers alike, we are aiming to put on a small number of piano concerts throughout the year as well as during our main five-day festival and winter Pop-Up.
