World Heart Beat proudly announces acclaimed Classical Pianist, Cyrill Ibrahim as its Artist in Residence from September 2025.

Cyrill, a firm believer in bringing classical music into the mainstream, will support World Heart Beat’s mission to make music accessible to all, enriching lives. The partnership reinforces the music charity’s status as a beacon of musical excellence, whilst putting its world-class music venue, World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens, firmly on the London map.

Cyrill Ibrahim is an exceptional concert pianist and Royal College of Music graduate, known for his poetic interpretations and distinctive programming. Described by The Daily Telegraph as “one of the most exciting pianists of his generation,” Cyrill has appeared on BBC One’s The One Show, BBC Radio 3, and international concert stages including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Philharmonie Berlin. He will also feature in the upcoming Sky TV documentary on Mozart, airing this winter.

Cyrill brings his wealth of experience and expertise to the World Heart Beat community and beyond with a series of immersive live performance concerts in both its stunning auditorium and communal café at World Heart Beat Embassy Gardens. He will also be taking part in masterclasses, mentoring and other engagement opportunities over the course of the year.

Cyrill Ibrahim said:

“It’s an absolute delight to be Artist in Residence at World Heart Beat; a venue I truly love. I’m grateful for the space to create a concert series that is different, exciting, and innovative, collaborating with artists and building programs that bring diverse art forms together in an accessible way.

 

“Alongside these performances, I’m committed to educational projects that inspire young people from all walks of life to discover classical music, helping them experience the beauty, creativity, and sense of possibility it can offer.

 

“It’s wonderful to see World Heart Beat champion inclusive, forward-thinking programming that moves classical music into the heart of culture and ensures it belongs to everyone.”

Cyrill will be joining Patron and additional Artist in Residence, Julian Joseph, virtuoso pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger, broadcaster and undisputed heir to the global house of jazz. Julian was the first black British jazz musician to lead a series of concerts at Wigmore Hall in London and the first to open the prestigious BBC Proms with his All-Star Big Band as headliner. During his career, he has received major commissions from the BBC, Hackney Music Development Trust, City of London Festival and London Jazz Festival.

Cyrill will be performing with the talented opera singer, Simona Mihai in his concert, ‘Harmonie du Soir’ on Friday 26 September, as part of World Heart Beat’s Season of the Song concert series. The concert is inspired by Charles Baudelaire’s poem, Harmonie du Soir, and the recital interweaves solo piano works by Liszt, Debussy, Philip Glass and two new commissions. Soprano Simona Mihai performs Liszt’s Tre sonetti di Petrarca, creating a seamless tapestry of poetry, voice and music.

The series, which runs from September until the end of December, will be an inspiring and immersive concert season celebrating the human voice in all its expressive beauty—across opera, jazz, folk, world, and contemporary music. All concerts will take place at World Heart Beat’s groundbreaking boutique concert hall enriched by a state-of-the-art d&b Soundscape system; specially designed for the intimacy, nuance, and emotional power of the voice, offering audiences a deeply connected and personal experience.

For further details on the Season of the Song concert series, please visit:

https://worldheartbeat.org/whats-on/season-of-the-song/