Piano Walk: Hundreds pack into unique Mirfield venues for extraordinary open air concert
For one extraordinary day, Mirfield became a unique open air concert arena as the town hosted its first ever Piano Walk.
The new cultural event brought a trail of live music to the town on Sunday, May 17, with performances spread across eight different, and unique, venues.
Professional and amateur soloists performed carefully chosen classical pieces, and the opening concert at a full St Mary’s Church featured three finalists from Channel 4’s The Piano - Anisa Ford, Zak Imar, and Mia Odeleye.
Other pianists played in intimate, quirky, and surprising locations, including Mirfield Cricket Club, Eastthorpe Hall, the fire station, and the town’s library.
A highlight of the day was the closing concert at St Mary’s Church, where Dutch piano virtuoso Aidan Mikdad performed a series of Chopin compositions.
Albert Wassenaar, the event director of the Piano Walk said: “Both concerts at St Mary’s attracted hundreds of enthusiastic visitors, and the other venues were also very well attended, far exceeding expectations.
“The Mirfield Piano Walk has clearly established itself as a valuable new addition to the town’s cultural calendar.
“With excellent soloists, welcoming venues, and dedicated volunteers, the event was exceptionally well organised - leaving audiences already looking forward to next year.”
The event was also attended by the MP for Spen Valley, Kim Leadbeater.
She posted on her Facebook page: “What a magnificent start to the Mirfield Piano Walk at St Mary’s Church. Outstanding performances from three hugely talented pianists with lots more performances throughout the day.
“Well done to Albert, all the volunteers and everyone involved in bringing this fantastic event to Mirfield.”