This week, my guest writer is pianist and composer Evelyn Chang. Evelyn, who was born in Taiwan and is now based in Hong-Kong, charts her musical journey from her home country to the UK. She studied at The Purcell School and the Royal College of Music in London. Becoming a mother was a life changing…
Tag: Royal College of Music
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….
Tokyo International Piano Association (TIPA)
I’m extremely honoured to be on the faculty of this inspiring and versatile association, and, in today’s blog post, I would like to share a little more information about its achievements, aims and aspirations. The Tokyo International Piano Association (TIPA) was founded in 2016 by Japanese concert pianist and Artistic Director Aisa Ijiri. Aisa’s dream…
Master Class with Alfred Brendel
The following class is particularly interesting as it focuses entirely on Franz Liszt’s monumental Sonata in B minor S.178, and is hosted by legendary Austrian pianist Alfred Brendel. Recorded at the Royal College of Music in London, the class has been split between two pianists, Elmar Gasanov and Petr Limonov, both of whom have since…
At the piano with Phyllis Sellick: Clara Rodriguez
My guest writer today is Venezuelan pianist and teacher Clara Rodriguez. Clara came to the UK as a young student on a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London. At the RCM, she studied with eminent professor Phyllis Sellick, who had a profound influence on her development as a pianist and…
A student’s memories: Patricia Carroll (1932 – 2017)
Last Friday I attended the funeral – probably the most beautiful and moving I have ever witnessed – of one of my piano professors, and I felt compelled to write this short, personal reflection. Teachers have a huge impact on our lives, particularly when we worked with them as youngsters; they influence everything from repertoire…
A Year At A British Music Conservatoire: Lewis Kesterton
Music conservatoires. Opinions are rife as to whether they are an ideal way to study music. Some find them inspiring, others wish they had studied elsewhere. My own experience at the Royal College of Music was great. It was a really steep learning curve. Studying at such a great institution was a privilege. I will…
Master classes at the Royal College of Music with Sir Andras Schiff
Sir András Schiff visited the Royal College of Music in London last month and conducted a series of master classes. These will no doubt be of interest to many readers. These classes were filmed on April 10th 2016 and they feature several students. One of these students is Martin James Bartlett, BBC Young Musician 2014…
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…
Nicholas McCarthy in conversation with Melanie Spanswick
The latest Classical Conversations interview features British left-handed concert pianist Nicholas McCarthy, who is my thirty-seventh guest. He met with me earlier this month at Steinway Hall in London. Here’s the transcript for those who prefer to read my interviews: MELANIE SPANSWICK: British concert pianist, Nicholas McCarthy, made history when he was the first left-handed…
Martin James Bartlett in conversation with Melanie Spanswick
The thirty-fourth interview guest in my Classical Conversations Series is BBC Young Musician 2014, Martin James Bartlett. We met up for a chat at Jaques Samuel Pianos, where he talked about his life and career. Find out more about Martin, here. Here’s the transcript for those who prefer to read interviews: MELANIE SPANSWICK: British concert…
Vanessa Latarche in conversation with Melanie Spanswick
My twenty-fifth interview features British concert pianist, Head of Keyboard and Professor of International Keyboard Studies at the Royal College of Music Vanessa Latarche. Find out more about Vanessa, here. Here’s the transcript, for those who prefer reading interviews: MELANIE SPANSWICK: British concert pianist and professor of piano, Vanessa Latarche, has performed extensively. She’s in…