University News Last updated 30 October
Fourth-year BMus piano student Teddy Otieno was recently selected as a rising star to perform at the Black Lives in Music: Classically Black 2025 festival at King’s Place in London.
Teddy performed solo piano works on Saturday 18 October by Brahms and Mel Bonis in The Next Movement, a concert celebrating the next generation of composers and performers shaping the future of classical music
The performance showcased talented artists from underrepresented backgrounds, each bringing bold, fresh perspective to the classical genre. It marked not only a platform for talent, but also a milestone moment in advocacy, creativity and cultural transformation.
Now in its fifth year, the Black Lives in Music festival continues to champion equity and representation in the industry.
Originally from Nairobi, Teddy launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund his studies at RBC and be the first Kenyan to study piano at a conservatoire in Europe. He was also picked as a finalist last year in Channel 4’s The Piano, a competition to unearth the UK’s most exciting amateur pianists.
Teddy said: “It was huge privilege for me to perform at such an important and forward-thinking event. It was exciting to have taken part in the selection process and ultimately to be chosen.
“I have received so much help and support at RBC to make my dreams of studying piano a reality. It was fantastic to showcase my playing but even more importantly to go some way to represent young musicians from my home in Nairobi.”
Senior Lecturer in Piano Katharine Lam, who is Teddy’s Tutor, commented: “Having overcome huge hurdles to study the piano at a conservatoire in the UK, we are very proud of Teddy and the hard work, dedication and talent he continues to show.
“I know how much it means to Teddy to be given these opportunities to play onstage and show other young players that classical music is for everyone and to encourage others to develop their passions and talents.”