The legendary musician is making a final solo tour

Legendary keyboardist Rick Wakeman is set to grace the stage at Wolf Trap’s The Barns on March 27 at 8 p.m., kicking off a solo tour he revealed will be his last one ever. 

“This is the first date in my final set of one-man shows,” Wakeman said. “It was meant to finish last year, but I couldn’t fit in all the dates people wanted, so I’ll just be doing a few weeks.”

While he’ll still be touring in band settings, the one-man shows are stopping because Wakeman suffers badly from arthritis in his hands—though it hasn’t stopped him from playing yet.

“It’s painful; I stick my hands in ice buckets after every show,” he said. “It’s got to the stage where I’ve found that if I have other musicians with me, the pressure isn’t on me and my hands, so I wanted to do one more run of one-man shows. Then, I’m going to work with other musicians.” 

Known for his virtuosic playing and charismatic storytelling, Wakeman’s performance promises to be a nostalgic and thrilling experience for his fans. 

Wakeman began his musical journey at just 5 years old while studying piano privately for 12 years. His dedication paid off when he secured a scholarship to the prestigious Royal College of Music, where he honed his piano, clarinet and orchestration skills. In March 2012, he was honored with the Fellowship of the Royal College of Music by then Prince Charles, and he has also been named a professor at the London College of Music, reflecting his immense contributions to the world of music.

Wakeman’s career took off in the late 60s and early 70s when he established himself as a sought-after session musician, lending his skills to over 2,000 records. Some of his most notable collaborations include timeless hits like Cat Stevens’ “Morning Has Broken” and David Bowie’s masterpieces “Space Oddity” and “Life on Mars.”

The early 70s marked a pivotal point in Wakeman’s career as he joined the folk-rock band Strawbs, with whom he released the influential album “Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios.” However, his role in the progressive rock band Yes, which he has been a part of on and off since 1971, truly solidified his legacy. 

“I never thought I would still be doing this at this age; my only aim was to be the best I possibly could,” Wakeman said. 

Between Yes and his solo recordings, Wakeman has sold more than 50 million albums and toured around the world. Last year, he released “Yessonata,” a 30-minute instrumental work featuring Yes themes and melodies woven into sonata form. He will play tunes from the album at the concert.

“I’ll be doing stuff from my entire long life, including Yes and Bowie, though it might be slightly in a different way,” he said. “The Yessonata stuff is great fun to play on stage because it’s different every night.” 

He also has some newer work planned for the show, as Wakeman recently finished a new album, which will be released later this year. 

Outside of the stage, Wakeman has composed film scores, starred on TV, and is also a bestselling author with two books, “Grumpy Old Rockstar” and “Further Adventures of a Grumpy Old Rockstar” and a third, “Even More Adventures from a Grumpy Old Rockstar” coming out in 2026. 

“There’s so much I still want to do, so somehow I have to stay healthy and get it all done,” Wakeman said. “One thing I do want to get more involved in is in the U.K. They have removed music from the majority of schools, and I am working really hard to try and get it put back in. It’s such an important part of the educational system.”

Despite such a busy schedule, Wakeman still delights in performing worldwide, whether in intimate performances like The Barns or large-scale performances involving symphony orchestras and choirs.  

“I feel very honored to be able to walk out on stage and play,” Wakeman said. “It’s a privilege and I respect that. I always prepare my best and perform my best. I love doing what I do so much.” 

For tickets or more information, visit www.wolftrap.org.