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.
A master class with Andrei Gavrilov
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. As we say goodbye to 2015, I’m posting this master class given by Russian pianist Andrei Gavrilov. I interviewed Gavrilov in 2013. His interview is one of the most fascinating of all my 40 filmed interviews with eminent classical pianists. This class was recorded in Glasgow at…
A Master class with Jean-Efflam Bavouzet
Today’s post highlights an interesting chamber music master class given by French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet. It was recorded live from the Daniel & Joanna S. Rose Studio at the Lincoln Center in New York on October 19th, 2015. Published by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the class features students from Yale School of…
A master class with Jerome Lowenthal
Today’s post features a master class which I hope will be of interest. Jerome Lowenthal is an American classical pianist and noted pedagogue. He is a member of the piano faculty at the Juilliard School in New York. Additionally, he is on the faculty at the Music Academy of the West, located in Santa Barbara,…
New Pianofforte Magazine & the Jaques Samuel Junior Piano Festival
Faber Music’s annual magazine Pianofforte is now available. It’s a superb periodical, as might be expected from one of the UK’s foremost music publishing houses, which is essentially for piano teachers, featuring many interesting piano related articles. This edition comprises information on all recent Faber Music publications, including new Messiaen works, Piano By Ear by…
A Master Class with Leon Fleisher
I’m off to Germany today for a weekend of piano workshops. I thought it appropriate for my Friday post to feature this master class. It was given by the late American pianist, conductor, and master teacher Leon Fleisher, and was recorded at the Music Academy of the West’s Summer Festival. After becoming the first American…
So You Want To Organise A Piano Competition?
Piano competitions are becoming increasingly popular around the world, whether amateur or professional. Sally Olson, an amateur pianist and competition planner, lives in Chicago in the USA. She is on the committee of the Chicago Amateur Piano Competition 2016. This competition began in 2010. It is steadily growing in popularity. Entrants hail from many countries….
The Piano at the BBC Proms 2015
The BBC Promenade concerts are upon us once more. This Spectacular Summer festival is celebrating its 120th anniversary, and it’s enjoyed by music lovers around the world. I’ve written about this inspiring concert series here on my blog for the past few years, and each year the variety, diversity and selection of music, concerts and artists expands significantly. Many question the idea of…
Dublin International Piano Festival and Summer Academy 2015
There are a plethora of Summer schools on offer around the world, many with superb faculty teachers and performance opportunities. The Dublin International Piano Festival and Summer Academy is in its third year, and boasts an excellent Summer School programme for advanced students plus a concert series all rolled into one. This year’s Academy (taking place from 25th July…
Training to be a Repetiteur
Kevin Thraves, who is a repetiteur, accompanist, and teacher, has enjoyed a highly successful career. Here he writes an illuminating article on the prerequisites of this demanding role. As Head of Music Staff in the School of Vocal Studies and Opera at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, one of my main responsibilities…
Miniatures for Piano by Robert Bruce
Canadian composer and pianist Robert Bruce has been active in Ontario for many years. He has penned copious works for the instrument, and published his first set of piano pieces in 1991 for Celestial Music Publications (his own publishing company). Robert has written music for young children, as well as piano repertoire for students which is…
Murray McLachlan plays Piano Sonata No. 5 by John McLeod
I wrote last week about the Overseas Masters Winter Piano Academy held at the Yehudi Menuhin School. You can read the post here. Students and teachers could enjoy the recitals and lectures given by the faculty during the evenings. Scottish pianist Murray McLachlan is Head of Keyboard at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, and…
Review in Faber Music’s Pianofforte Magazine
I’m very happy to be included in Faber Music’s Pianofforte Magazine. This magazine is designed for piano teachers, students and all those who are interested in music education. This yearly publication offers plenty or information about various books, scores and everything related to piano study. In the magazine, I review Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang’s new series of piano books, Mastering the…