My work as a composer: Wendy Edwards Beardall-Norton

My guest writer today is Canadian composer and teacher Wendy Edwards Beardall-Norton. Wendy has taught the piano for over 40 years and, more recently, she has been writing music for it. In this article she describes her journey towards composition, and how she became a published composer. You can also enjoy her music by hearing…

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Julian Lloyd Webber at 70

Today’s guest post has been penned by Julian Lloyd Webber, who turns 70 today. A musician needing no introduction, I am honoured to feature Julian’s work here on my blog. This renowned ‘cellist has also become a beacon for music education, and, as the following article testifies, he has worked, and continues to work, tirelessly…

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Practice Tips for Exam Pieces: Christopher Norton

Today’s guest post has been written by renowned composer Christopher Norton. This is the first article in a mini-series on this blog over the next few months, where Chris will take students through his own piano pieces, many of which are currently featured on various exam syllabuses, offering helpful practice tips and suggestions. We begin…

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An Easter Master Class

Wishing you a very peaceful and restful Easter break. Wherever you are in the world, I hope you’re able to share it with your friends and family, despite the continuing pandemic restrictions. I’d like to celebrate with this master class which was filmed in 1973. Taken from the Jerusalem Music Centre’s archives, this historic class…

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Tricky Corners: Wrist Circles & Finger Articulation

Speed isn’t always synonymous with clarity.  My work as an adjudicator can testify to the fact that’s it’s quite common to hear semiquaver (or demisemiquaver) passages played in a ‘garbled’, unstable, or just plain unrhythmical, manner; either too fast, with the tendency to rush through technically challenging sections resulting in the inevitable slips, errors and…

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Pianists From The Past: Vera Franceschi

The Pianist from the Past in the spotlight today is Italian-American pianist Vera Franceschi, and as I have enjoyed her playing over the past few years, I have written this post myself. During her short life, Vera Franceschi made her mark on the concert stage working with some of the world’s greatest conductors and orchestras….

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Weekend competition: The Winners

Many thanks to all those who took part in my weekend competition. The prize is a digital download copy of Play Women Composers, which is a new and interesting publication from Pianist Magazine. You can find out more about it here. The three winners are: Leila J Viss,  AmyPianist, and Astrid C Congratulations! Please send…

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Weekend Competition: Play Women Composers

I don’t normally host two Weekend Competitions in a row, but today’s offering is another interesting publication for pianists of all abilities. Play Women Composers is a new digital volume, published by Pianist Magazine, comprising twelve piano works, taking pianists from elementary to advanced level. Featuring nine female composers spanning a couple of centuries, it’s…

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Palm Court Waltz: The Winner!

Many thanks to all those who took part in my weekend competition. The prize is a copy of the newly published Palm Court Waltz for piano duet, written by pianist, composer and professor of piano at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Julian Jacobson. The winner is: JILL MORTON Congratulations! Please…

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Palm Court Waltz: Weekend Competition

It’s time for a weekend competition. Today’s prize is a copy of the score of this majestic, rousing, and effective duet written by pianist, composer and professor of piano at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Julian Jacobson. Julian has been composing for many years and his work is published by…

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