Royal Academy of Music performers excel at Salisbury Medieval Hall

The shows were hosted by Farley Music, which has been bringing live music to Wiltshire for more than 25 years. Musical director Nicholas Walker, a teacher at the Royal Academy of Music, selected three of his best students from the last year to perform.

Concert pianist Lily Petrova got the shows underway at 11.30am by playing Robert Schumann’s challenging Fantasie in C major and Béla Bartók’s Piano Sonata.

Pianist Lily Petrova impressed – despite a delayed start to her performance (Image: Farley Music) Organisers said the piece was “wonderfully executed” – but it was delayed by five minutes to allow her mother, who had flown from Bulgaria, that morning time to find the Medieval Hall.

Next up was Nikita Demidenko at 2.30pm, whose show featured Nikolai Medtner's Night Wind Sonata and Sonata-Reminiscenza.

The third concert at 6pm came from Sejin Yoon, who played Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op 101, and two short pieces by Leoš Janáček.

Nikita Demidenko and Sejin Yoon (Image: Farley Music) William Dunkerley, chair of the Farley Music Committee, said the “unusual” format paid off.

He said: “The venue was perfect for this event and the near-capacity audience for each of the concerts really supported these brilliant young musicians.”

Salisbury MP John Glen wrote on Facebook: “I was very pleased to support Farley Music 2024 at at the Medieval Hall.

“Farley Music Festival does so much to promote young musicians and bring them to Wiltshire.”