The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) has introduced a new syllabus featuring a dedicated one-hand repertoire list for piano exams, a significant development for musicians with limb differences. This change, implemented for the 2027-28 academic year, marks the first time in the 137-year history of the exam board that such a provision has been made across all eight grades.
The initiative was directly inspired by the achievement of Freya Terris, a teenage pianist who became the first person to pass the ABRSM Grade 8 piano exam using only one hand. Her success demonstrated a demand for higher-grade musical qualifications adapted for single-handed performance.
When Terris's family initially contacted ABRSM, the board was already considering adaptations for one-handed playing for lower grades. Rory Dowse, who collaborated with Terris, stated that her achievement and the subsequent engagement showed them the viability and demand for such accommodations at advanced levels. "We weren't sure whether or not one person with one problem would even be considered, so we were really surprised and really grateful whenever they did," Dowse commented.
The updated syllabus means that one-handed pianists can now pursue recognized qualifications from Grade 1 to Grade 8 in the 93 countries where ABRSM operates. Terris expressed her excitement about the change, noting, "It's meant a lot, for me, what they have done and it is really exciting that this is something that other people can do."
Terris, a two-time Young Musician finalist, has been a trailblazer in her musical journey. She previously competed with a two-handed repertoire and in 2025, she was a finalist again, this time performing with a left-hand repertoire. She is planning to study music at university upon completing her final year at Friends' School in Lisburn.