Pioneering pianist on finding her forte

Sarah Nicolls’ talent for music takes many forms. She is the inventor of the groundbreaking vertical piano or ‘Standing Grand’, CEO of First Light Pianos and a regular soloist on BBC Radio Three. She was also a Senior Lecturer at Brunel University, and she composes her own musical theatre shows. This year, Sarah’s entrepreneurial talents earned her a prestigious Purple Plaque Award as an Innovate UK ‘Women in Innovation’ award winner.

A life-long love of music

'Music has always been at the centre of my life. I played the piano from a very young age and practised for hours as a child. At 14, I went to Chetham’s School of Music, and decided I wanted to continue studying music.’

Striking the chords of inspiration at King's

‘I chose King’s because I wanted to come to London and have lessons at the Royal Academy of Music, where I was taught by classical pianist Piers Lane.

‘The lecturer who really influenced me was Professor Arnold Whittall. He taught us musical analysis, focusing on contemporary scores. Analysing the structures of a piece of music (even the most mathematically complex) particularly fascinated and enthralled me. It got me into playing modern music and gave me the tools to approach and understand it.

‘Being a student in London was just as much fun as I figured it would be. I loved walking around Zone One, seeing everything, experiencing so many new things. I loved that we were in mixed halls, so my friends were from every course: I loved the amazing cross-disciplinary environment and the ease of the campus. We were in a bubble and yet in central London.’

Fine tuning the vertical piano

'Earlier in my career, I was playing lots of new music and kept being asked to play “inside” the piano. This means playing on the strings directly - so plucking, or playing a harmonic, or strumming.  The sounds are amazing, but it involves reaching into the piano which can be uncomfortable and awkward, so I decided to change the piano’s shape.