We are delighted to announce that Lower Sixth student Joshua (16) has been named Trinity’s Steinway Scholar for 2026-27, following a competitive selection process involving 21 talented young pianists from across the school.
Josh, who has played the piano since the age of six, was selected following a final audition with Professor Vanessa Latarche, Head of Keyboard at the Royal College of Music during half term.
This year’s scholarship saw a new format introduced by Head of Piano, Mr Evans, opening up the opportunity to more students, including some as young as First Year. Following individual auditions, a Senior Piano Concert and a recital at St Mildred’s Church, Josh was joined in the final three by Lower Sixth student Lily and Upper Sixth student Ellis.
Mr Evans praised the exceptional standard of playing throughout the process and Josh’s thoughtful, inquisitive approach to music. He said, “Josh has been building towards this for two or three years. He’s very inquisitive and thoughtful, and he listens to and researches a lot of music. I’m very excited about his year because I think he’s going to bring something a bit different.”
For Josh, who has auditioned for the scholarship several times before, the experience has been valuable in itself. He says, “Auditioning in and of itself develops you as a pianist, whether you get the scholarship or not. You learn to perform in a high-pressure situation, and that’s a very useful skill to have, not just in music.”
Josh moved to the UK from Hong Kong, joining Trinity in the Junior Year, and credits his school piano teacher, Miss Laetitia Fédérici, and the wealth of performance opportunities at Trinity with inspiring his growing passion for music. He has a particular interest in French composers, including Debussy and Ravel, and hopes to use his scholarship to introduce audiences to a wider range of piano repertoire.
“The Steinway Scholarship is an opportunity to showcase the music that you want to showcase to other people. I want to share this variety of piano music and hopefully interest more people in it.”
The scholarship provides £1,000 towards musical development, including specialist tuition and performance opportunities. Josh is particularly looking forward to performing at Trinity’s Piano Festival and giving his end-of-year recital in the school’s Steinway Hall.
Mr Evans added: “What I like about the Steinway Scholarship is that it allows students to find their own pathway. Rather than fitting into a scholarship mould, the scholarship fits around what they want to achieve.”
For Josh, music is about much more than mastering an instrument. He says, “Music is a means by which you can express emotion to other people, and I think that’s a very important part of it. You have to have passion to do well. You can tell when someone really loves their craft.”
Congratulations to Josh, and to all the pianists who took part in this year’s auditions.
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The annual Trinity-Steinway Scholarship is a unique award and collaboration between Trinity, Steinway & Sons and the Royal College of Music, supporting talented young pianists. Joshua will attend lessons with Professor Vanessa Latarche at the RCM, use the grant to attend a masterclass of his choice, give a recital as part of the Trinity Piano Festival, perform in Europe alongside professional musicians and give a final performance at the Steinway Hall.
Trinity became the first All Steinway School in London in 2012 and now benefits from an impressive fleet of 25 pianos, including two model D concert grand pianos and five further grand pianos. The Steinway Suite is the first teaching facility of its kind in the world, offering exceptional practice and research facilities.
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