“I just love watching people from our city do well” - Liverpool’s Brad Kella - video Dailymotion

National World - LocalTV

Few stories in music are as moving and inspirational as Brad Kella's. Still at the start of what promises to be a remarkable career.

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00:00I just love watching people from our city do well. It's the best thing.

00:04A few stories in music are as moving and inspirational as Brad Kellis.

00:08Still at the start of what promises to be a remarkable career,

00:11Brad's already faced more ups and downs than many artists see in a lifetime.

00:16I wanted to bring the genre of classical music to become cool.

00:20People always think when you're a classical musician that you've had a rich upbringing

00:23and you've been classically trained and stuff like that and it's all nonsense.

00:27I grew up on a council estate and through the care system

00:30and I've never had a classical lesson in my life,

00:33but yeah, I can go and play in these amazing concerts with orchestras

00:36because they had hard work and dedication to push towards it.

00:40His breakthrough came with Channel 4's The Piano,

00:43where his moving personal story and breathtaking performances

00:46captivated audiences across the country.

00:50Vulnerability was a massive side of it because obviously I exposed my story to the world,

00:54but I think it was the best decision I ever made

00:57because of how of a positive reaction it's had on so many people.

01:01Now the 24-year-old self-taught pianist is preparing to take his next big step,

01:05his very first UK tour.

01:08It's a tour in September.

01:10I'm doing London Union Chapel,

01:12which is going to be one of the biggest concerts in my life.

01:16We do Glasgow, Birmingham and Manchester as well.

01:18But Union Chapel is the one that I'm most looking forward to.

01:22I've got a few extras that night that I'm not going to even announce,

01:27so it's going to be amazing.

01:29And I can't wait for people to come down.

01:31It's my first ever UK tour,

01:33so I'm a bit apprehensive to how it's going to turn out,

01:36but the way I've been practising and stuff, it's going to be gorgeous.

01:39His momentum's only grown since supporting Gary Barlow and his UK tour,

01:43a personal invitation from the pop legend himself.

01:45The buzz around Brad's debut album Phoebe's Melody's been building ever since.

01:50Following its release,

01:51the album soared to number one on the global classical charts,

01:55firmly establishing him as one of the UK's most exciting new classical musical talents.

02:00Yeah, my album's doing really well.

02:02Obviously, we got to number one in the UK classical charts

02:04and, yeah, some well better than I ever, ever imagined.

02:09I didn't expect for it to even get to top 20,

02:11so the fact that it got to number one is just beyond me.

02:13But, again, I'm just so grateful for it all.

02:16Brad stands as living proof that no dream is too distant

02:19and that music can really change a life.

02:23Hopefully I've inspired people to go and chase a dream

02:26because it might not even be piano, guitar or singing.

02:28It could be absolutely anything in the world,

02:30but as long as you chase something that you're passionate about,

02:33no matter what obstacles are in your way,

02:35then I hope I push that towards people.

02:37Brad's already graced the stages of the Pearsall Room

02:41and the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall,

02:42but this is only the beginning for a rising star

02:45who's clearly ready to show the world what he's capable of.

02:49I used to wear tracksuits all the time

02:50and not many people would ever believe that I play piano,

02:54so it was boss when I went on the piano, the show,

02:56to prove to people what I can actually do.

“I just love watching people from our city do well” - Liverpool’s Brad Kella

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