Bethany Reynolds: Two Years On

Bethany Reynolds is an 11-year-old pianist, cellist and composer. She began playing the piano at age 5 and quickly discovered a love for music, especially the piano. By the age of 8, she had achieved her ABRSM grade 8. Bethany currently studies under Siu Chui Li at Saffron Centre for Young Musicians. In addition, she is a member of the National School for Young Chamber Music Players (Pro Corda), and the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain. She also plays piano and percussion with the Essex Youth Orchestra and cello with the Essex Young People’s Orchestra. Alongside these commitments, she contributes to a number of other county and national ensembles.

A passionate performer, Bethany has played at numerous venues in London and the East of England. These include the Elgar Room at the Royal Albert Hall, Saffron Hall, the Angela Burgess Recital Hall at the Royal Academy of Music, and the 1901 Arts Club. Her performances have brought opportunities to work with many distinguished musicians. In 2025, she performed a duet with Tom Poster as part of the Roman River Festival’s 25th anniversary year. Bethany made her concerto debut with the Wivenhoe Orchestra in May 2024, and played her first Solo Recital in March 2025 as part of the St Andrew’s Lunch Time Concert Series. She performed the Andante movement from Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with St Botolph’s Music Society in November 2024. Her appearance at the Young Soloists Concert marks her first complete concerto performance.

Masterclasses with Tom Poster, Alex Redington, and Andrew Quartermain have further enriched her musical development. Bethany enjoys exploring a wide variety of repertoire through both performance and composition. She particularly loves Romantic music and the opportunities it offers for expressive interpretation. Her achievements include several national and international competition successes. Among these are a Gold Award at the UK Schools Music Festival and the CCMF Cup for Outstanding Performance on Piano, with an “Exceptional” rating awarded at the Cambridge Community Music Festival.

When not making music, Bethany enjoys attending concerts. Recent highlights have included performances by Tom Poster, Martha Argerich, Leif Ove Andsnes, and Mitsuko Uchida. Outside of music, she enjoys reading, especially fantasy novels. She is also a keen track athlete who particularly enjoys sprinting.

Bethany will perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 at the Young Soloists Concert on Saturday, 11 July 2026. This event is kindly sponsored by the Hervey Benham Charitable Trust.