One of the island’s promising talents in classical music has been given a helping hand as she embarks on her further studies.

Award-winning classical pianist Annabel King is a recipient of the 2020 Isle of Man Arts Aid charity and has been backed by the island-based firm Ramsey Crookall. Sixteen-year-old Annabel, a former pupil from Castle Rushen High School is set to take her place at the prestigious Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester.

During January this year, Annabel travelled to Poland to attend the International Piano Festival held in Mazovia, where she was one of a group of students who were presented with a Laureate’s award, following her impressive performance of the D minor Prelude and Fugue from Book 2 of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier and Chopin’s B flat minor nocturne and G flat major etude.

Annabel recently performed a concert for Ramsey Crookall, who hosted an afternoon tea at the Comis Hotel, where she performed a piano recital, which included music by some of her favourite composers, including Chopin and Bach. Isle of Man Arts Aid was established in 2018 as an Island of Culture legacy project and helps students who demonstrate exceptional talent in their field and helps them in furthering their studies.