I came across this interesting master class given recently by French-Cypriot pianist Cyprien Katsaris held in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong City Hall on October 1st, 2025, for the Chopin Society of Hong Kong. Edmond Cheng is the piano student in this class and he plays Frédéric Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantaisie in A-flat major, Op. 61….
Tag: Festivals and Competitions
Composing Educational Piano Music
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of judging the Pianist magazine Composing Competition. I’ve done this really fun ‘job’ for the past five years alongside my superb colleagues and fellow judges, owner of The Piano Shop Kent, Nigel Scaife, Presto Music’s Product Manager, Matthew Ash, and, of course, Pianist magazine editor, Erica Worth….
Guildhall Young Artists Residency Dubai 2026
An aspect of teaching that I particularly enjoy is the chance to meet and work with new students and this type of coaching is instantly possible on music courses. Here, one has the chance to work with a variety of students in a much shorter time frame than would be feasible with regular one-to-one coaching….
Seeds of Hope: Music Aid for the Children of Palestine
Pianist, composer and teacher Alison Mathews is the brainchild behind this innovative concept. I was delighted to be asked to contribute a short piano piece to the book which sits alongside works by such renowned educational composers as Pam Wedgewood, Chris Norton, Wynn-Anne Rossi, and Elissa Milne. Alison was inspired by a film that she…
Opus One Summer Music Festival
Over the summer, I had the good fortune to adjudicate at an up-and-coming music festival and competition in London held at the Royal Academy of Music (pictured above). The Opus One Summer Music Festival concluded its second edition this year, further establishing itself as an international platform for young musicians. The week-long programme running in…
Start Playing the Piano: Pianist Magazine
Pianist Magazine publishes several ‘extra issues’ per year and the latest one is out today. I’m writing a little about it as I recently proofread most of the articles: I’ve been proofreading for Pianist for the past couple of years. Intended as a beginners’ handbook, this concise 84-page guide offers a bevy of useful articles…
World Piano Day 2025
Wishing you a very happy World Piano Day! This world-wide celebration occurs on the 88th day of the year thanks to the number of keys on the instrument. Founded by German composer and pianist Nils Frahm, Piano Day is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and there are many planned events across the globe including…
Ravel Master Classes led by Pierre-Laurent Aimard for G. Henle Verlag
French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard has teamed up with publisher G. Henle Verlag to offer a series of master classes in honour of the 150th birthday of French composer Maurice Ravel (1875 – 1937). This piano course is intended for young professional pianists who wish to receive advice and guidance from a leading interpreter of Ravel’s music. Pierre-Laurent…
A New Practice Plan for the New Year
Happy New Year! I wish you a wonderful 2025 full of happiness, peace, success, and, of course, good health. The new year is upon us once again. One of the most popular topics in my Facebook piano group, Adult Piano Returners (find out more about this group, here), often centres around finding a workable…
Master Classes with Dame Imogen Cooper
It’s the start of a new academic year and as it’s been a while since I posted a master class, I thought the following might be just the ticket to inspire a fruitful term’s work. Filmed in the Performance Hall at the Royal College of Music in London on January 30th 2024, this class was…
New Online Courses at Guildhall Young Artists: Pathways To Conservatoire Programme
Guildhall Young Artists Online – Pathways To Conservatoire Programme – BMus 2 Since September 2023, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London has offered an innovative new course for students. This advanced two-year online course is aimed at international musicians who are interested in studying for a degree at the Guildhall School. This course has proved popular and Guildhall are…
Beyond the Score – The case for reintegrating improvisation and composition into classical piano lessons: Garreth Brooke
Last weekend I published a post highlighting a useful new website called pianocreativity.com. In today’s post, Garreth Brooke, who runs this website, has written his own article introducing his new project and sheds light on the importance of incorporating such an approach for use in piano lessons. One of the curious paradoxes of being a…