Channel 4 · Broadcast 19 July 2026
Paul Murray on The Piano
The post-broadcast story of Glasgow pianist Paul Murray’s appearance on Channel 4’s The Piano and his performance of Scriabin’s Nocturne in D-flat major for the left hand alone.
The broadcast moment
One broadcast moment within a much longer musical life
For Paul Murray, appearing on The Piano marked another chapter in a musical life shaped by classical study, adaptation and an enduring relationship with the instrument.
Following neurosurgery, Paul could no longer approach the piano through conventional two-handed technique. Rather than step away from music, he began rebuilding his performance practice around repertoire written for the left hand alone.
The programme brought that story to a wider audience—not as an attempt to recreate what had been lost, but as a musical identity continuing in another form. The programme showed Jamie Cullum and Mika responding to the intimacy, delicacy and depth of the playing.
Before the broadcast
Rebuilding a musical life at the piano
Paul’s relationship with the piano began through conventional classical training, shaped by years of technical study, repertoire and performance.
After neurosurgery changed the physical way he could play, the assumptions behind traditional piano technique no longer applied. The question was no longer how to return to the same form of performance, but whether a serious musical life could continue in another form.
The left-hand piano repertoire provided a new artistic direction. Paul began reconstructing his playing around the possibilities of a single hand—developing balance, voicing, colour, movement and the illusion of several musical lines sounding at once.
This was not a reduced version of two-handed playing. It became a distinct performance practice with its own repertoire, technical demands and expressive possibilities. That experience continues to shape Paul’s work as a performer, teacher and school director.
Read Paul’s full biography“I don’t feel a difficult story, I don’t feel struggle, everything just evaporates and the only thing that stays, is music.”
Mika
The music at the centre
One Hand, Many Voices
Scriabin’s Nocturne asks five fingers to sustain bass, accompaniment, inner voices and melody as one complete musical texture.
Much of the repertoire was written for pianists whose careers had been changed by injury, illness or war. Composers responded with works that combine melody, accompaniment, inner voices and bass across the full range of the keyboard.
The challenge is not simply physical. Balance, pedalling, movement, timing and tonal control must preserve the musical line until the mechanics of one-handed playing disappear from the listener’s attention.
Nocturne in D-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2 — Alexander Scriabin
This was the first piece Paul learned after neurosurgery. Working through it showed him that his journey as a musician had not ended: the physical means had changed, but a serious and expressive life at the piano could continue.
Scriabin composed the Op. 9 Prelude and Nocturne for the left hand alone after an overuse injury affected his right hand. In the Nocturne, five fingers must carry the bass, accompaniment, inner voices and top-line melody across the range of the keyboard.
Several musical voices—and several emotions—must exist at the same time. Each line needs its own weight, colour and sensitivity, yet the listener should hear one complete musical texture rather than the mechanics of a single hand. The achievement is not that it sounds impressive for five fingers; it is that it does not sound like one hand at all.
Inside the broadcast
The performance, the response and the space between
The images are arranged as an editorial sequence: performance, concentration, broadcast response, the detail of the left hand and the moment after the final note.
After the final notes
The performance ended. The work continued.
The broadcast captured one concentrated moment. Paul’s wider musical work continues through performance, individual teaching and the leadership of The Glasgow School of Music.
Rebuilding technique from first principles reinforced the importance of close observation, technical clarity and teaching that adapts to the individual musician. That experience informs how Paul approaches touch, rhythm, voicing, interpretation and confidence.
The full personal biography sits on Paul’s profile. Professional references, approved biographies and image-use guidance sit on Media & Press. The institutional case for the school sits on Why Choose GSofM.
Continue beyond the programme
Follow the part of the story that matters to you.
The dated school announcement, Paul’s full biography, professional press information and GSofM’s teaching routes now have distinct destinations.
Choose the relevant route below rather than relying on this feature page for every aspect of Paul’s work or the school.
Channel 4 · The Piano
Read the dated GSofM announcement marking Paul’s Series 4 appearance and Scriabin performance.
Read the announcement Personal profilePaul Murray
Musical background, education, adaptation, performance and teaching philosophy.
Read the profile Professional recordMedia & Press
Approved biographies, public references, image guidance and professional enquiry routes.
Open the press desk Institutional informationWhy Choose GSofM?
Tutor matching, managed continuity, dedicated rooms and school-level support.
Explore the school Study at GSofMPiano Lessons Glasgow
Structured piano tuition for children, teenagers and adults.
Explore piano lessons