Pianist who learned to play again after stroke hosts concerts in UCC

A renowned classical pianist who overcame a stroke and taught himself to play again will recall his remarkable story at a special performance at University College Cork (UCC) this spring.

UCC/Ritmüller Classical Artist in Residence David Syme will host a season of lecture concerts in UCC’s Aula Maxima over the coming weeks, beginning this Wednesday, February 8.

The series of performances will culminate with a special event on March 22 during which he will recall his recovery from a stroke.

Mr Syme was performing in Kerry in 2017 when he suffered a stroke on stage.

“I was playing a relatively simple passage, but the notes I was playing were not the notes I tried to play,” he recalled.

“I came to a sudden stop and told the audience I had to do it again, which I had never done before. I tried it again and my right hand would not work. I discovered my right side had become completely numb, I was immobilised.”

After being told he would most likely never play at concert level again, he didn’t give up and started by focusing on playing five notes every day.

After four months, he contacted his friend Keith Pascoe and subsequently played with the Cork Fleischmann Symphony Orchestra in May 2018, roughly 10 months after his stroke.

His performances in the coming weeks will feature the works of Beethoven, Franz Liszt, Chopin, and Schumann.

For details on tickets, visit https://tinyurl.com/y9ezfaw2