Talented pair on right track for victory in railway station piano competition

The winner of a piano competition has jokingly said he will take “legal action” against the event’s organisers for “making an eejit out of me”.

Denis Hession’s tongue-in-cheek response came after winning the final of Translink’s Grand Pianist competition 2025 in Belfast’s Grand Central Station.

The 82-year-old said he “couldn’t actually believe it, I was very embarrassed” when his name was announced as having come top of the over-16s category on Thursday evening.

The event in Belfast followed a regional stage of the competition, last month, during which a concert piano travelled to four rail and bus stations across Northern Ireland.

More than 70 amateur pianists competed in the roadshow, with 14 progressing to the next stage.

A retired electrical engineer, Mr Hession started learning the piano in 1950 and performed a rendition of Carrickfergus, both as a tribute to his hometown, and because it was “easy to play and I got away with it”.

He said he loves the social aspect of performing music “you play with friends all over the place, you’ve got all these groups of friends” adding “the whole lot of them are here tonight”.

Eight-year-old Jacob Purdy, from Portadown, won the under-16s category.

He said his parents’ mouths fell open when the result was announced, adding he was “happy” and “excited” about his victory.

Jacob chose to perform the Very Vicious Velociraptor and October Song adding they are his two favourite piano pieces.

Nicholas McCarthy, the world’s only professional one-handed pianist, helped judge the grand final.