A very Happy Easter to those who celebrate. I hope that you are able to rest, relax and recharge during this holiday break. This week’s post features the following master class with Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes. The class was recorded on September 3rd 2021 at the Riga Jurmala Academy and features student Ilana Lode,…
Tag: Chopin
Pianists From The Past: Raoul von Koczalski
Today’s Pianists From The Past post, which is the second in my series (you can view the first, written by pianist James Kirby, here), has been written by Japanese concert pianist and artistic director of Mousikos, Yuki Negishi (pictured at the end of this post). She highlights Polish pianist Raoul von Koczalski, a pianist who’s…
Practising Nocturne No. 20 in C sharp minor Op. Posth. by Fryderyk Chopin
I wrote about practising this beautiful Nocturne a few years ago (you can read the article here), and it has become one of my most ‘viewed’ blog posts. This work is now especially popular partly due to the fact that it is on the current ABRSM Grade 7 syllabus (2017 – 2018). I was invited…
Weekend Competition winners
Many thanks to all who took part in my weekend competition. The prizes consist of one copy of My First Chopin and one of The Piano Playlist, both published by German music publisher, Schott Music. Without further ado, the winners are… David Barton wins My First Chopin and Helen Miller wins The Piano Playlist CONGRATULATIONS!…
Words and Music with Lucy Parham and Friends
British concert pianist Lucy Parham came to prominence when she won the piano final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 1984, and has since played with many of the world’s finest orchestras and conductors. More recently, she has become synonymous with performances of Words and Music. Lucy teams up with eminent actors, and themes…
‘Divine Fire’ at the Radcliffe Centre in Buckingham
The quaint, attractive market town of Buckingham, situated in North Buckinghamshire, played host to a rather special performance held at the Radcliffe Centre earlier this week. The centre, formerly a splendid church, is attached to the University of Buckingham and has been tastefully refurbished and renovated, catering perfectly for recitals and lectures. The venue presents a popular concert series and is…
A few thoughts on Chopin’s Nocturne No. 20 in C Sharp Minor Op. Posth.
Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturnes offer a rich array of depth and emotion for both the pianist and listener. Written between 1827 and 1846, they consist of 21 short pieces. The genre was developed by the Irish composer John Field, but Chopin expanded on this original conception producing what are generally considered to be among the finest…
Valerie Tryon in conversation with Melanie Spanswick
My nineteenth Classical Conversation is with British concert pianist Valerie Tryon. Valerie now resides in Ancaster in Ontario, Canada, but was visiting the UK to record a disc with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra when I caught up with her in London last week. Valerie’s career as a concert pianist began while she was still a child….
Melanie Spanswick 