I couldn’t let this weekend pass without a nod to the new age dawning upon us here in the UK. The Coronation of King Charles III will no doubt be a traditional and lavish affair, and whether you are a fan of the royal family or not, the sheer scale of this historical event is…
Tag: Piano Music
Chord Playing and Improvising: Christopher Norton
This is the first of five articles written especially for this blog by renowned composer and educator Christopher Norton. These posts are intended to encourage classical players (and teachers) to explore jazz and pop styles. Deep in Thought is the first featured piece, and you can download it here for free. Chris also offers some…
Women Composers – A Graded Anthology For Piano
I’m delighted to introduce my new three-book piano series: Women Composers – A Graded Anthology For Piano (Schott Music). This series was published in February/March 2022 and was one of my lockdown projects. Schott and I worked on these publications over a significant period. I’m happy to say that this series won a Presto Music Award for…
Piano Music by Women
Over the past few months, musicians have been carefully rethinking their work; the pandemic has forced artists to develop in a completely new direction. The internet has proved a splendid alternative platform. We have witnessed new online concert series’, master classes, workshops, and for teachers, copious online lessons. I’ve enjoyed performances from international artists, many…
Pianists From The Past: Cyril Smith
My Pianists From The Past series continues today and this article has been written by British pianist and pedagogue Julian Saphir. Julian’s past pianist of choice is the British concert pianist and pedagogue Cyril Smith, with whom he had a personal connection. One day in the Spring of 1991, during my third year of study…
Beethoven Piano Concerto Project
Beethoven’s piano concertos are amongst the most emotionally satisfying in the whole piano repertoire. British pianist and teacher David Alexander has, for the past few years, been programming all five concertos in London as part of his own Beethoven project. On January 10th 2019 he will be performing Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 Op. 58…
My Journey as a Composer by Lindsey Berwin
British teacher and composer Lindsey Berwin is my guest writer today. She has written several pedagogical publications for teachers and students. I asked Lindsey about her work as a composer, and why composing has become an increasingly important element in her life. My journey as a composer began some thirty years ago, primarily in response…
Weekend Competition: Relax With…
The Relax With series is a relatively new collection of piano music books edited by British concert pianist Samantha Ward (published by Schott Music) and designed primarily to be played at home, simply for pleasure. Selected for their relaxing qualities, the pieces in this volume range from well-known classics to delightful lesser-known gems. Featuring both…
New Year Weekend Competition: the winner
Many thanks to all who took part in my weekend competition. The prize is a copy of The Ultimate Easy Piano Songlist published by British music publisher, Faber Music. Without further ado, the winner is… LEON WHITESELL CONGRATULATIONS! Please send me your address via the contact page on this blog, and your book will be…
The Faber Music Piano Anthology
I’m extremely honoured to have been invited to compile a new anthology for leading UK music publisher, Faber Music. This hefty volume is designed to be a gift book for anyone who enjoys playing, or who fancies exploring, a large and varied collection of piano works. A luxury hardback edition featuring high-quality premium paper, page…
Melanie Spanswick 