Viv McLean

What does a family do to a talented child? What does the presence of a prodigy do to the family? The topics of Jessica Duchen’s acclaimed novel Alicia’s Gift hold perennial fascination for countless music-lovers.

It's story follows the piano prodigy Alicia Bradley and her embattled parents from the revelation of her talent, aged three, through to her adulthood and her participation in the Leeds International Piano Competition. The process leaves none of them unchanged and ultimately forces Alicia to face harsh truths about herself, her guidance and her gift.

The Alicia’s Gift concert explores its heroine’s progress with the help of some of the piano pieces in her life; words and music fuse in a closely integrated narrative, telling the story together.