INTERNATIONAL concert pianist Charles Owen, a former pupil at Mill Chase School in Bordon, is organising the first London Piano Festival to be held in October.

The London Piano Festival - at King’s Place, the music hub for the King’s Cross area, from next Friday, October 7, to Sunday - is the joint vision of Charles and Katya Apekisheva, a Russian concert pianist.

The festival will include such names as Alfred Brendel, Stephen Kovacevich, Kathryn Stott and many other high-profile pianists.

Charles, whose recordings are frequently heard on Classic FM and BBC Radio Three, was a pupil at Mill Chase from 1982 to 1984 before he moved to the Yehudi Menuhin School in Cobham. He had his first piano lessons in Whitehill and Headley with teacher Anne Butterworth.

His father was vicar of St Mark’s Church in Bordon from 1976 to 1989 before moving to Worcestershire.

His mother, Avis Owen, told the Bordon Herald: “Charles was five when we moved to Bordon and he went to Weyford School where Mr Smart was the headmaster.

“Charles became somewhat of a celebrity passing grade eight piano at 12 years old. He was getting on well at Mill Chase but the music teacher said he needed a specialist music school and so he won a place to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School, where he was educated with 45 pupils.”

Charles was a finalist in BBC Young Musician of the Year competition when he was 15.

“One of his earliest concerts was at the Farnham Maltings when he was 13,” his mother recalled. “We made many happy visits to Farnham for music scores and Godalming for music recordings. Little did he know then that he would have more than eight recordings of himself playing.

“At present, he is editing his latest recording - the Six Partitas for piano by JS Bach.”

Charles’ career has taken him to many countries, including Taiwan, the United States, Norway and Greece. He is equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician or with a full orchestra.

He has been a professor of piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London for 10 years, and has several CD recordings and is launching more.

Hs recent highlight has been a duo recording of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring with Katya.

International Piano magazine labelled him: “One of the finest British pianists of his generation.”