The Cliburn is not unusual in this respect. Only two women have won the Leeds and Queen Elisabeth competitions, and only one ...

Fear of a black key?… Don't be afraid. Adding flats and sharps to your music will give it a new lease of life.

And they offer a potential solution. “Piano keyboards come in one size, people don’t,” wrote Rhonda Boyle, who analyzed the handspans, or distance between the thumb and pinky, of 473 pianists.