AN EXCEPTIONAL young musician who has travelled the country to share his talents is on course to becoming a professional pianist – at the age of 10.

Rhys Concessao, in year six at St Helen’s College in Hillingdon, has already collected many accolades for his playing, and this month he received another.

Each term, the school in Parkway presents The Musician of the Term trophy to an outstanding pupil. Last term, it went to Rhys for his outstanding effort, commitment, dedication and achievement within the music department.

Staff are so confident Rhys will succeed, they have arranged a personalised ‘flexi-time’ timetable which allows him to practise for up to nine hours a day when he is not in school.

The school’s head of music, Ros Allery, said: “We have a thriving music department here at St Helen’s College and we are delighted to be able to support Rhys in his ambition to be a concert pianist.

“We believe that music is an important part of every child’s education and we hope to be able to report on Rhys’s musical success as an alumni in future years.”

Rhys has played at recitals and master classes across the UK and has been invited to participate in events as far away as Singapore.

In November, he won three gold medals and one silver at the Marlow Music Festival, where he also collected the Moston Cup for the Junior Piano Recital.

In the same month, he took part in the Young Pianist of the North international competition, in which he won the first round.

But his skills are not limited to tinkling the ivories.

Rhys also plays the drums and recently completed his grade three exam with distinction, after gaining 94 per cent.

As well as reading percussion music, Rhys is also able to
play by ear and learns many
of the pop songs he likes to play by memory.

He has performed both the drums and piano at the summer courses held at Purcell and Chetham’s, two of the country’s top specialist music schools.

n Find this story on our website and to watch a YouTube video of young maestro Rhys performing on the piano see www.getwestlondon.com.