THE hands seen playing Rachmaninoff’s breathtaking Piano Concerto No 3 in the Oscar-winning film Shine belong to Martin Cousin, a young man regarded as one of the most exceptional pianists of his generation.

Now, thanks to arts charity Concerts in the West, audiences in Somerset will have the chance to see those hands live in action at Ilminster Arts Centre on Friday, February 6 .

Since graduating from the Royal College of Music, Cousin has performed at major venues in London including the Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall, Barbican and Royal Festival halls, and around the globe with tours in New Zealand, Italy and the United States.

Cousin’s talents have been recognised with prestigious awards, including first prize at the 2005 Ettore Pozzoli International Piano Competition in Italy and gold medal at the 2003 Royal Overseas League Music Competition in London.

Highlights of Martin Cousin’s past three seasons include Rachmaninoff's 2nd Concerto with the Philharmonica at Barbican Hall and Royal Festival Hall, Grieg’s Concerto at Symphony Hall, Mozart's Concerto K488 at Royal Festival Hall and a solo recital at Wigmore Hall.

As well as his solo performances, Cousin’s chamber music work has taken him to Prague, Tokyo, Indonesia, Thailand, Zimbabwe and Barbados.

He is also a founder member of the Aquinas Piano Trio, which played a series of enormously popular concerts for Concerts in the West in 2013.

Concert tickets are £15 wwith a pre-concert supper available for £12. For details or to book, call The Meeting House on 01460- 55783 or visit themeetinghouse.org.uk