PIANO & MUSIC EDUCATION
Devoted to all aspects of music education, this page features music festivals, events, and venues, as well as piano master classes, exam preparation, and competitions.
The 4th Montecatini International Piano Competition
Over the past few years, I have been fortunate to be a jury member at several international piano competitions. Most of these have been online, which, thanks to the pandemic, has started a new ‘trend’. There are clearly some disadvantages to hearing young pianists perform in this situation regarding sound and instrument quality, but, generally,…
New Piano Repertoire for the New Academic Year
It’s a new academic year and this means new piano repertoire. Today’s post focuses on educational piano repertoire which you may be interested in acquiring either for yourself or for your students. Earlier this month a new volume of Christmas music was released by US company Willis Music. I started working with Willis last year….
G. Henle Verlag Piano Competition 2022
Those who teach or play the piano will know the significance of G. Henle Verlag. Henle is a world-leading publishing house focusing on Urtext editions, that is, editions which solely remain true to the composer’s intentions. Based in Munich, Germany, this publishing house will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary next year, so do keep an…
Eton College at Coach House Pianos
Just along the New King’s Road in Chelsea, London, stands an impressive white Art Deco building. Such buildings were generally constructed in the early part of the Twentieth century and they frequently exhibit a certain majestic quality. But they also tend to harbour a faded grandeur. This particular building is the renowned Talisman building. It…
A Master Class with Leif Ove Andsnes
This week’s post features the following master class given by Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes. The class was recorded on September 3rd 2021 at the Riga Jurmala Academy. It features student Ilana Lode, who currently studies at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. The chosen repertoire is Chopin’s monumental Ballade No. 4 in F…
The London Youth Piano Competition 2022
Competitions have always been a popular fixture in music. Whether you agree with them or not, contests have taken place since the beginning of time, and it’s often the case that the ‘best’ person doesn’t necessarily win; music, being so subjective, is open to many interpretations and, often, beyond technical issues, it’s all a matter…
A Master Class with Zoltán Kocsis
Hungarian pianist Zoltán Kocsis was one of the finest pianists of his generation. He was a true representative of the Hungarian school and a great contemporary pianist, as well as a conductor and composer. His teaching serves to evoke the major figures of the great Hungarian piano tradition, from Franz Liszt, via Béla Bartók and Ernst…
Historic Classes with Arthur Rubinstein
This post highlights a series of historic classes with the legendary Polish born pianist Arthur Rubinstein (1887 – 1982). Considered by many as the greatest interpreter of Chopin, Rubinstein gave these classes in 1978 at the Jerusalem Music Centre, and they traverse a whole selection of repertoire including Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Brahms, Debussy, Ravel, and…
Julian Lloyd Webber at 70: Julian Lloyd Webber
Today’s guest post has been penned by Julian Lloyd Webber, who turns 70 today. A musician needing no introduction, I’m delighted to feature Julian’s work. 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 to ensure young people have…
A Master Class with Gina Bachauer
This master class was filmed in 1973. Taken from the Jerusalem Music Centre’s archives, it features legendary pianist Gina Bachauer at the Jerusalem Music Centre. Bachauer works on Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491 with JMC graduate Yefim Bronfman. Gina Bachauer (1913 – 1976) was born in Athens, Greece, and gave…
Play Women Composers
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 perfect for those who wish to discover new and exciting repertoire, whether that be to learn or to sight read. The download,…
A Master Class with Freddy Kempf
It’s time for a masterclass and today’s offering was recorded at the Royal College of Music in London during October 2020. Taking place in the RCM’s Performance Hall, the class was given by renowned British-born pianist Freddy Kempf, who worked with two young RCM students, Nataly Ganina and Kirill Zheleznov. They played Chopin’s Scherzo No….