In 2023, audiences packed Canberra’s newest concert hall to witness one of Australia’s finest pianists put its acoustics to the test.

When Piers Lane took the stage at Snow Concert Hall, he sat before a stunning Steinway Model D on loan from Sydney’s Theme and Variations. From the very first notes, he knew the instrument belonged in that space.

“It’s hard to put into words why exactly a certain piano suits a certain hall’s acoustics. Some halls are dry, some are oversonorous and blurry,” he says.

“I thought it was unlikely they’d be able to buy it, but I told them they should try. And sure enough, that piano now sits in Snow Concert Hall.

“In Snow Hall, that piano can sing with clarity and beauty, and I look forward to playing it again soon.”

That evening, Lane enthralled the crowd with Rachmaninoff and Chopin. Now, he is set to return for a single performance dedicated entirely to Chopin’s Nocturnes — the composer’s expressive miniatures renowned for evoking the intimacy, mood and mystery of the night.

Comprising 21 pieces for solo piano, the Nocturnes represent some of Chopin’s most iconic and enduring repertoire.

In Lane’s hands, it is unfailingly popular.

“You would think 21 slow pieces in a single collection would be unbelievably boring, but in fact, every single one is so very different,” he says.

“Last year I played it in 13 cities in New Zealand, and they drew the biggest audiences they’d had that year. Everywhere I play them, people come and want to hear more.”

So ubiquitous are many of these works that most audience members will instantly recognise them. Spanning from the first Nocturne, written when Chopin was just 17, to the final pieces composed near the end of his life, the collection offers a vivid portrait of how the master’s musical language evolved.

To heighten the experience, Lane will share brief contextual insights before playing each piece.

“It is really a very emotional collection, and you can hear something of what’s happening in Chopin’s life with each piece,” he says.

“I plan to take audiences along on that journey.”

For Lane, crafting such intimate journeys on stage is the hallmark of a storied career.

Born into a musical lineage, he made his orchestral debut at age 10 and was performing on ABC Radio by 12.

After earning his degree in Australia and winning a prestigious Churchill Fellowship at 20, he expanded his studies in the United States and at his parents’ alma mater, the Royal College of Music in London.

His distinguished career now spans 40 countries, with highlights including five soloist appearances at the BBC Proms, extensive broadcasting for BBC Radio and a long-standing professorship at the Royal College of Music.

Among his many accolades, Lane was named Best Australian Pianist at the inaugural Sydney International Piano Competition in 1977. He later performed its opening concert at age 24 and today serves as its Artistic Director.

Despite decades on the world’s grandest stages, returning to home soil remains deeply meaningful for the legendary pianist.

“Australia is my home audience, and it’s always wonderful to be here,” he says.

“Snow Concert Hall is a terrific concert hall, acoustically speaking. It’s the perfect setting for Nocturnes.”

Piers Lane performs Nocturnes at Snow Concert Hall on Thursday 29 October at 7 pm — book via Snow Concert Hall.