Piano Week is a new non-residential piano course for children and adults, set in the beautiful north Wales countryside near Bangor.
The initiative of pianist Samantha Ward, Piano Week offers courses for pianists of any age and ability. Participants will have the opportunity to perform on a beautiful Steinway grand piano in Powis Hall at Bangor University, as well as benefitting from one-to-one tuition, masterclasses and faculty recitals. The area also offers an abundance of other activities, from hill-walking in the stunning Snowdonia National Park, dry-slope skiing and go-karting.
Faculty includes: Samantha Ward, Chenyin Li, David Daniels, Maciej Raginia, Sachika Taniyama, Vesselina Tchakarova. The course is sponsored by Blüthner pianos.
I’ve just attended another of my piano teacher’s excellent 3-day courses for advanced pianists. As regular readers of this blog will know, I am a great fan of my teacher’s courses, which provide a supportive, friendly and inspiring setting for study.
The course is run as a series of masterclasses, offering plenty of input from other participants and important one-to-one tuition with Penelope Roskell, who is a highly-skilled and experienced teacher. There are regular breaks which give everyone the opportunity for “piano chat” and on the last day, we have an informal concert followed by a drinks party.
One of the things I love most of all about these courses is the transforming effect they can have on people who may arrive on the first day anxious and uncertain what to expect. Penelope is a very patient and sympathetic teacher, who is able to draw out the very best in people. One of this year’s participants was on the Autumn 2012 course, an anxious player who gradually unwound as the weekend progressed. It was wonderful to see how far she has come, following private lessons with Penelope in the intervening months, and to hear her playing with greater confidence and poise.
Some people come on the course simply to run repertoire by a friendly audience ahead of a concert. Others are preparing for diplomas, competitions or auditions. For me, this course was to encourage me to pick up some new repertoire following my Diploma. I felt very flat in the days immediately after the exam, and the need to prepare some music for the course was just what I needed to get me playing again. I wanted to run some pieces by my teacher to make sure I was heading in the right direction with them. A number of my pianist friends were attending the course this time as well, so in many ways it was a social event for me and the chance to catch up with friends and colleagues. And make new friends too.
As always, the range of repertoire was very wide, from Bach to Satoh (a contemporary Japanese composer), and the standard very high. But there was never a feeling we were in competition with each other. We were there to share repertoire, offer positive feedback on one another’s playing, and learn. I have compiled a playlist on Spotify of all the pieces we played (except for Fazil Say’s transcription of Mozart’s ‘Rondo Alla Turca’, which should be available on YouTube).
Jackdaws Music Education Trust in Frome, Somerset, offers a wide range of courses for musicians of all abilities, with a great team of visiting tutors. Forthcoming courses of interest to pianists in 2013:
10-12 May 2013 – Piano Workshop with Philip Fowke
If you enjoy playing the piano, suffer from nerves, yet long to perform with greater security and confidence, then this is the course for you. Bring along your favourite pieces for discussion and exploration in a relaxed, informal environment. There is no obligation to perform any piece in full; it may be that you only wish to tackle a few bars at a time. The general standard is from about Grade 5 upwards, though this does not preclude those of a humbler ability. The emphasis is on learning with enjoyment, sharing difficulties with others, and discovering comfortable, practical ways to overcome musical and technical problems (NB this course is repeated in September).
24-26 May 2013 – Pianos for All with Caecilia Andriessen
Are you an amateur pianist who can play Bach’s Inventions and Haydn’s Sonatas? Would you like to play in an ensemble with other pianists, just like string players do in a string quartet? Then join “Pianos for All”!
31 May-2 June 2013 – Russian Miniatures with Julian Jacobson
As well as writing some of the grandest works in the repertoire, Russian composers poured forth a stream of piano miniatures; music that can be passionate, reflective, charming or fantastical but which always demands a heartfelt response and a big but varied tonal palette. Composers such as Tchaikovsky, Borodin, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, Medtner, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Kabalevsky, Kapustin and many others have given us a wealth of exquisite music in preludes and other short forms. Julian Jacobson, himself of partly Russian descent, will guide you through this challenging and inspiring repertoire. Course suggested repertoire: two or three contrasted pieces of up to 5 minutes each.
25-28 July – Piano Summer School with Mark Tanner
A very popular course, offering the opportunity to use the longer time of three days to get a better understanding of the sprawling piano repertoire. This lively course will concentrate on repertoire, style, technique and practice methods. How to choose music for diploma, grade exams and skeleton score study, improvisation, duets and more will all be discussed. Support will be available for those taking grade and diploma exams as well as those who just want to play for pleasure.
Alan Rusbridger’s book Play It Again about his determination to learn Chopin’s G minor Ballade in a year is likely to spur on many amateur pianists to greater things. A great way to seek inspiration and support, share repertoire and meet other pianists is through a piano course. As regular readers of this blog will know, I am a big fan of my teacher’s weekend courses, which are held twice a year, and are always inspiring and supportive.
Here are details of my teacher’s courses, and others which have been recommended to me by friends, colleagues and teachers:
Penelope Roskell’s Advanced London Piano Course Faculty: Penelope Roskell (Trinity College of Music). Three-day intensive course for advanced amateurs, students, teachers and professional pianists. Limited to 8 students, the course begins each day with exercises to relieve tension, followed by one-to-one tuition for each student (everyone gets to play at least once each day). Coaching on repertoire, technique, performance, anxiety. Particularly useful for those preparing for diplomas, competitions or concerts. Ability: advanced (post-Grade 8 – post-graduate). B&B accommodation available nearby. Dates: 26-28 April 2013 and 11-13 October 2013. Cost: £195 (EPTA and ISM members £185), students £120. Penelope also runs various one-day workshops for pianists and piano teachers throughout the year. Details here.
Hindhead Piano Course For the advanced student, teacher and competent amateur, who wish to further their pianistic knowledge and enjoy four days of intensive study, with master-classes on technique and repertoire, workshops on improvisation, faculty recitals and participants’ concerts, with a special accent on the music of Bach and Mozart this year. Faculty: James Lisney & Simon Nicholls. Ability: Grade 7 to post diploma. Dates: 30th July – 2nd August. Cost £390 performers, £270 observers, residential and non-residential. Further information info@jameslisney.com ***SOME SPACES STILL AVAILABLE***
Piano Summer School, Walsall Formerly Hereford Summer School for Pianists, this popular and long-standing summer school moves to the state-of-the-art Performance Hub at the University of Wolverhampton for 2013. Faculty: Graham Fitch, James Lisney, Karl Lutchmayer, Christine Stevenson, Neil Roxburgh, Natasia Lipovsek, Catherine Edwards. Ability: c.Grade 6 to advanced/post-diploma. Masterclasses, lectures and performances by faculty. Dates: 17-23 August. Cost £595. ***PLEASE NOTE – THE 2013 COURSE IS NOW FULL***
Chethams International Summer School for Pianists One of the biggest and best piano summer schools. Wide range of abilities from intermediate to post-diploma/professional. Courses for children and adults. Faculty includes: Peter Donohoe, Philip Fowke, Leon McCawley, Murray McLachlan, Christopher Elton, Norilo Ogawa, and many more. Dates: 14-20 and 20-26 August 2013.
Jackdaws Music Education Trust, Frome, Somerset. Various courses for pianists, singers and instrumentalists throughout the year. Piano faculty includes: Elena Riu, Margaret Fingerhut, Julian Jacobson, Mark Tanner, Philip Fowke. Residential.
Dartington Summer School courses for pianists, singers and other instrumentalists. All ages and abilities welcome.
Lot Piano Summer courses for pianists set in the picturesque landscape of the Lot Valley, south-west France. Faculty for 2013: James Lisney (week 1), Vanessa Latarche (week 2).
Music at Ambialet Summer school for pianists for advanced and amateur pianists in the magnificent Tarn Valley, France. Faculty includes Paul Roberts and Charles Owen.
Further details of many more courses in the UK, Europe and North America can be found in the February-March issues of ‘Pianist’ magazine.
Another excellent three days in the company of other advanced pianists – some students, some piano teachers like me, and some professional pianists – on the piano course run by my teacher, Penelope Roskell. We enjoyed a wide range of repertoire, from Scarlatti to Stephen Montague, and discussed and practiced aspects of technique such as soft hands and forearms, ‘Mozartian’ staccato (what Penelope descibes as “detached legato”), ‘orchestrating’ sonatas and piano works by Haydn and Mozart, and how to achieve a beautiful cantabile sound in Schubert’s Impromptu in G flat (D899 No. 3) and Chopin’s ‘Aeolian Harp’ Etude (Opus 25, No. 1). And much more besides….. Our coffee and lunch breaks were full of interesting ‘piano chat’ and it was both instructive and enjoyable to exchange ideas with other pianists and teachers. The next course is on September – details at the end of the post.
Despite finding the first course (in April 2009) very daunting, because of the very high standard of the other participants, I have always gained a huge amount from these courses: they are instructional, inspiring, very supportive, and non-competitive. Everyone comes to the course with different needs and interests, from help with tension or performance anxiety, or simply a desire to play through some repertoire to other people in a relaxed setting. The course always ends with a concert, to which friends and family are welcome. The performance aspect of these courses has done wonders for my confidence and I have lost any shyness I had about performing, and now actively enjoy it. The 30 seconds of contemplative silence which greeted my performance of Chopin’s Nocturne in E, Opus 62, No. 2 was the ultimate compliment at the concert yesterday afternoon, and I was flattered and touched by some of the comments I received afterwards.
What we played during the course:
Debussy – Preludes Book I: ‘La fille aux cheveux de lin’
Villa-Lobos – Prole de bebe No. 1: ‘O Polochinello’
Bach – Prelude & Fugue in F minor, XII, WTC Book 2
Chopin – Nocturne in E, Op. 62, No. 2 (me)
Mendelssohn – Variations Serieuses, Op. 54
Chopin – Berceuse, Op. 57
Scriabin – Piano Sonata No. 4, in F sharp major, Op. 30
Mozart – Piano Sonata in A minor, K 310 (1st & 2nd movements)
Haydn – Piano Sonata in E flat, No. 59, Hob. XVI:49 (1st movement)
Mozart – Piano Sonata in D, K 576
Chopin – Waltz in E minor, No. 14
Beethoven – Piano Sonata in F major, Op. 10 No. 2
Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 5 (1st movement)
Dave Brubeck – ‘Dad Plays the Harmonica’
Henry Cowell – ‘Exultation’
Stephen Montague – ‘The Headless Horseman’
Bach – Concerto in D minor after Marcello BWV 974 (me)
Chopin – Etude, Opus 25 No. 1 ‘Aeolian Harp’
Mozart – Rondo in A minor, K511 (me)
Scarlatti – Sonata K.215
Martin Butler – ‘After Concord’
Joanna MacGregor – Lowside Blues
Diana Burrell – ‘Constellations’
Schubert – Impromptu in G flat, D899 no. 3
Chopin – Nocturne, Op. 48 No. 1
Bach – Prelude & Fugue in C-sharp major, WTC Book 2, III
Prokfiev – Piano Sonata No. 3 (1st movement)
Liszt – Concert Study: ‘Un Sospiro’
Charles Tebbs – ‘Moonlight from Sunlight’ (Charles is a pianist and composer who attended the course and performed some of his own pieces for us)
My teacher, Penelope Roskell, is running a number of courses for pianists and piano teachers through the autumn and into next year. I have attended two of her weekend courses for advanced pianists and her one-day workshop for piano teachers, and can thoroughly recommend them. She is a patient, skilled and inspiring teacher, and the courses are very stimulating and supportive. For further information about any of these courses, please contact Penelope direct (details at end of post).
Advanced London Piano Courses
5-7 October 2012, 26-28 April 2013, and 11-13 October 2013 (10am – 5pm)
Penelope is an inspiring and dedicated teacher, and the courses, which are open to all advanced pianists (Grade 8 – post-diploma), amateur, student or professional, offer a very supportive and stimulating learning environment. There are still some places available on each of these courses.
Taking place over three days, the advanced course focuses on repertoire, technique, and yoga for pianists, and is ideal for pianists preparing for concerts, competitions, diplomas or auditions, or for anyone suffering from technical problems, physical tension, injuries or nerves. The course is run as a series of masterclasses with plenty of opportunities for discussion and exchange of ideas, and ends with an informal concert on the Sunday afternoon.
Limited to eight students per course for maximum participation – two student scholarships available.
Fee: £195 (ISM and EPTA members £185) Students £120.
A relaxed, supportive opportunity for pianists Grade 7 and above to meet other pianists and work on own-choice repertoire. Ideal for those who may not really ready yet to attend a three-day advanced course.
Fee £70 (half day £40)
Workshop for Piano Teachers ‘Teaching Piano Technique’
Sunday 3rd March 2013
This workshop is open to all piano teachers, who are interested in discussing aspects of teaching technique within an encouraging setting. Each teacher will be invited to prepare one or two short students’ pieces, which will form the basis of discussion.
Fee £70, (EPTA and ISM members £65)
North London Piano Group for Adult Amateurs
Regular monthly meetings in North East London, first Tuesday in the month, 7.30-9.30 (except during holiday times). Fee: £180 for 8 sessions.
This coming weekend (Friday – Sunday) I will be attending my teacher’s course for advanced pianists. I did it last year and, despite going to it with a degree of trepidation (would everyone be better than me? would I manage to keep my cool to play for others, and in the concert?), I found it one of the most stimulating, supportive and inspiring ‘piano events’ I have ever attended. Such is my teacher’s style and manner that everyone was made to feel very comfortable (playing in the end of course concert is not obligatory, for example, though most people do opt to perform) and encouraged, I met some very nice people, it was a joy to spend an entire weekend immersed in glorious and varied piano music, and to “talk piano” with the other students over our coffee and tea breaks, and during lunch. The standard was extremely high, but at no time did it feel like a competition. We listened sympathetically, offered comments, took in Penny’s wisdom and I am sure everyone came away from the weekend having gained something important. It inspired me to start studying for a performance diploma and has helped me refocus the way I work so that my practising is far more productive, intense and carefully thought out.
Here is the repertoire list for this year’s course:
Bach – Toccata from Partita in E minor (me)
Mendelssohn – Prelude and Fugue no 4 in Ab
Liszt – Concert Studies Nos 1 and 3,
Liszt – Annees de Pelerinage: Vallee d-Obermann
Liszt – Annees de Pelerinage: Sonetto 123 del Petrarca (me)
Debussy – Prelude and Sarabande from Pour le piano (me)
Debussy – L’isle joyeuse
Schumann – Intermezzo in Eb minor from Faschingschwank
Scriabin – Prelude and Nocturne for left hand
Mozart – Sonata in Bb K281, Sonata K 311 3rd movement
Schubert – Impromptu Op 90 No 3
My teacher’s course, which runs twice-yearly (in the spring and early autumn) is one of many piano courses that take place around the UK, and further afield. A selection of some of the most popular:
Summer School for Pianists, Hereford (faculty includes John Barstow, Andrew Ball, James Lisney, Christine Stevenson). Ability: c.Grade 6 to advanced/post-diploma. Concerto, soloists, duet and improvers classes. Masterclasses, lectures and performances by faculty.
Chethams International Summer School for Pianists (faculty includes Peter Donohoe, Philip Fowke, Leon McCawley, Jeremy Siepmann, Penelope Roskell, and many more). One of the biggest and best piano summer schools. Wide range of abilities from intermediate to post-diploma/professional. Children and adults.
Penelope Roskell’s Advanced London Piano Course (faculty Penelope Roskell, Trinity College of Music). Three-day intensive course for advanced amateurs, students, teachers and professional pianists. Limited to 8 students, the course begins each day with exercises (in Penny’s garden, if the weather is fair) to relieve tension, followed by one-to-one tuition for each student (everyone gets to play at least once each day). Coaching on repertoire, technique, performance, anxiety. Particularly useful for those preparing for diplomas, competitions or concerts. Ability: advanced (post-Grade 8 – post-graduate)
Piano Course, Hindhead Music Centre, Hindhead, Surrey (faculty Simon Nicholls and James Lisney). Four-day intensive course with masterclasses, workshops, lectures, recitals by faculty. Ability: Grade 7 to post-diploma.
Jackdaws Music Education Trust, Frome, Somerset: various courses for pianists, singers and instrumentalists throughout the year.
Sherborne Summer School of Music, Sherborne, Dorset. (Formerly Canford Summer School of Music). Various courses for pianists, singers, conductors and instrumentalists. The piano course is taught by Andrew Ball and is open to good amateurs and students.
Information on various other courses, for a wide range of abilities, here
International courses and summer schools (small selection: there are more extensive listings in recent issues of ‘Pianist’ and ‘International Piano’ magazines). Many are aimed at advanced students, but there are also plenty of courses for keen amateurs.
