Canadian pianist Angela Hewitt has been hailed 'one of the outstanding Bach pianists of our time' and 'the Bach pianist par excellence of her generation'. On Friday, August 4, she contributes to the Ealing Summer Festival with her performance with the English Chamber Orchestra.

Angela's childhood was that of a true prodigy. She was introduced to piano playing at an earlier age than either Beethoven or Mozart, and was performing in public at the age of four!

She doesn't regret a minute of it. 'I definitely wouldn't say my parents pushed me, although they were both very musical,' she remembers. 'My father was the cathedral organist in my home town, Ottawa, and my mother still teaches music. They just sat me at the piano before I was three, and I took to it naturally.'

So naturally, in fact, that she was able to take the Grade 1 exam at four and was travelling to lessons at the Royal Conservatory of Music at the tender age of six. 'It was a five hour journey each way, every other week. It was pretty hard,' she laughs.

Despite their pride in her achievements, however, her parents were careful not to let her hit the big time too young. 'I should've gone for a TV appearance in Hollywood at that time, too, but quite sensibly my parents said no,' she says.

Not only did Angela master the piano at a very young age, but she was also playing the violin and the recorder. As well as the music, she was busy studying classical ballet and, of all things, Highland dancing ,, quite a busy life for a young girl.

The time came, however, for Angela to choose her path in life, and all the other skills were cast aside in favour of the piano when she reached 16. 'Giving up ballet was the hardest thing,' she says ruefully. 'I'd have loved to carry on.'

Still, it all paid off. She received a grant from the Canadian government to finish her studies in Paris, and ended up staying for seven years. 'The flat I was living in had mice,' she smiles. 'I tried everything to get rid of them, but in the end it was me who had to go!'

Angela's years of study came to fruition when she triumphed at the 1985 Toronto International Bach Piano Competition, and she never looked back. She's also won competitions in Italy, Germany, Canada and the United States, most notably the prestigious Dino Ciani Competition at La Scala, Milan.

Such accomplishments have led to recording contracts and endless demand from some of the top venues in the world. In 1994 Angela embarked on a 10-year project to record all Bach's major keyboard works for classical label Hyperion, and the results so far have met with great acclaim. As one critic put it, Angela's interpretations are 'effortlessly eclipsing all competitors'.

Angela may be a Bach specialist, but she reels off a list of other composers she enjoys playing and listening to: 'Mozart, Schumann, Ravel...Beethoven's another one I can't live without...and I love French music.'

Further evidence of her total devotion to her art is in the time she spends performing: 'I spend at least two thirds of the year travelling,' she says. Among the prestigious venues she's played at are the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Lincoln Center in New York, Tokyo's Bunka Kaikan and Paris's Salle Caveau.

She's looking forward to her first ever performances in Spain next year. 'I'd like to do a bit more in Europe, rather than crossing the ocean backwards and forwards.'

She loves playing in her home town, Ottawa, and they're certainly proud of her. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from the university in 1995, and in 1997 was presented with the Key to the City.

'They always give me a warm welcome. Not everyone has nice memories of their home town, but I do!'

Unlike other artists, Angela doesn't have the usual complaint that, despite all the travelling, she doesn't get to see places because of being busy working. 'As I always say, some people take a sightseeing tour of the Sydney Opera House, but I get to play there!' she laughs.

Of all the places she's seen, Angela has now made her home in London. 'It definitely feels like home. I used to live in Chiswick, which is about as close as I got to Ealing!' She's looking forward to Friday's Picnic in the Park, as it will be the first time she's performed with the English Chamber Orchestra.

Despite her busy schedule, Angela still finds time to be involved with causes close to her heart. When she returns to Canada, which is about six times a year, she's part of the Piano Six project, which takes classical music to audiences in remote towns and villages.

'Sometimes we play to hundreds of children and it's their first ever taste of classical music,' she enthuses.

'Children listen so intently ,, it's when they get older that their minds close.'

A Picnic in the Park takes place on Friday, August 4 at 6pm in Walpole Park, Mattock Lane, Ealing. The English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by David Corkhill, will be performing with soloist Angela Hewitt. The programme includes works by Rossini, Bach, Stravinsky, De Falla and Roland Chadwick, and tickets are £15 (reserved seats) and £10 (picnic style). Call the box office on 020 8579 5436 to book.