Derek Paravicini and Adam Ockelford: In the Key of Genius

Born three and a half months prematurely, Derek Paravicini is blind and has severe autism. But with perfect pitch, innate talent and a lot of practice, he became an acclaimed concert pianist by the age of 10. Here, his longtime piano teacher, Adam Ockelford, explains his student’s unique relationship to music, while Paravicini shows how he has ripped up the “Chopsticks” rule book.

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ABOUT Derek Paravicini

Pianist Derek Paravicini understands music systematically. Once a child prodigy, he’s matured into a creative musician, able to re-imagine songs in ways few can.

Growing up blind and with severe autism, he had trouble communicating, but was fascinated by sound. Derek began teaching himself how to play the piano and, by 4-years-old, had taught himself an incredible catalogue of songs that he played with unusual technique.

Soon Derek began studying with Adam Ockelford, a teacher at the Linden Lodge School for the Blind in London, who saw in him the marks of a highly inventive musician. He gave his first concert at age 7 and, two years later, played the Barbican Hall.

Now in his thirties, Derek has continued to grow as a performer, with the ability to re-imagine complex pieces of music even after only hearing them once. He was featured in the series ‘Extraordinary People’ in the United Kingdom.

In the United States, he was also featured on Stan Lee’s Superhumans, which verified his musical ability and confirmed his savantism. Derek has also worked with composer Matthew King. The two have played improvised pieces on BBC Radio and collaborated on Blue, the first concerto ever composed for someone with learning impairment.”

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