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What is your first memory of the piano?

I remember playing tunes that I recognised from films on the piano when I was about 4 and then I started having lessons when I was 7.

Who or what inspired you to start teaching?

No one person inspired me to teach and I never really thought about starting teaching – I have just always done it. I started when I was 17 and then never stopped!

Who were your most memorable/significant teachers?

Joyce Rathbone was the person who probably inspired me the most. It was because of her that I became a pianist rather than a violinist. She inspired me to be free at the piano, to love the music and to become a musician rather than a pianist! She had an enthusiasm for so much more than the piano, which I found so refreshing, because I had only come across very single-minded musicians before that.

Paul Hamburger taught me for Lieder accompaniment at the Guildhall and he was wonderful. He always believed in his students and counteracted all the judgment and criticism that was around when I was there.

And Peter Wallfisch was fabulous. He gave 5-hour piano lessons just because he loved it. He was warm, inspiring and supportive.

Who or what are the most important influences on your teaching?

My influences have come from far and wide. Teachers obviously have been very influential but not just the good ones. The less good ones showed me how not to teach! Aside from that, absolutely every experience I have had has influenced how I teach along with years of bodywork courses, lots of study and research into the arena of psychology and emotions, going to good performances and much, much more.

Most memorable/significant teaching experiences?

The wonderful experience of seeing a student transform in front of your eyes, not just as a pianist but as a person!

What are the most exciting/challenging aspects of teaching adults?

Adults (and by adults I mean adult amateurs) tend to be more advanced in their cognitive ability than they do in their fingers! They can easily get frustrated by how much slower it can be for them to pick up new techniques than children. They also take much longer to get out of bad habits because they’ve been built in for longer. But they can be great fun to work with and usually there is a lot of stimulation both ways.

What do you expect from your students?

I would like, although don’t necessarily expect, openness to new ideas and ways of learning, commitment to learning and lessons, and a love of the piano and of music. I love seeing students with a passion who would do almost anything to build up their skills.

What are your views on exams, festivals and competitions?

I never teach AB exams but am quite happy to help a student towards a diploma, if they really want to do one. Festivals are good sometimes for a student to have an opportunity to learn and get other feedback, although I rarely suggest them, especially the competitive ones. I dislike competitions intensely and never enter students for them unless they are particularly experienced in dealing with the whole competition scene.

What do you consider to be the most important concepts to impart to beginning students, and to advanced students?

If you mean beginners, I don’t teach them! It is not my area of expertise. Concepts for advanced students: there are so many I don’t know where to start. It depends entirely on the individual and what they are ready to hear and take on board.

What are your thoughts on the link between performance and teaching?

Performance and teaching can feed into each other and be really beneficial and I would recommend any teacher to continue performing, and for any performer to teach. If not, you have to keep alive, alert and constantly interested so you are always feeding something into the performing or teaching.

How do you approach the issue of performance anxiety?

It is too massive a topic to try to condense here! I give specialised sessions to musicians who are suffering from performance anxiety. Dealing with performance anxiety is not a quick fix and needs to be addressed over time. I tend to address it by showing a student how to practise with observation and not judgment/criticism. This at least stops their Inner Critic from creating havoc with their nerves. More than this would need a whole article!

Who are your favourite pianists/pianist-teachers and why?

I haven’t seen anyone else in action as a teacher for some time, but I love teachers who see the best in the student and then draw that out of them. In terms of playing, Katya Apekicheva has got the most phenomenal technique – she is a walking textbook for everything that I advocate in terms of technique! She learnt with the same teacher as Evgeny Kissin.

Charlotte Tomlinson has contributed three guest posts on understanding and coping with performance anxiety. Read them here:

Stage Fright #1 – are we too ashamed to talk about it?

Stage Fright #2 – practical tips for managing it

Stage Fright #3 – how to manage your emotional response

Charlotte Tomlinson is a Performance Coach who helps musicians perform at their peak.

Charlotte has a unique and pioneering way of working, which puts the focus on the musician as a human being first, enabling them to find a freedom and overall sense of well-being in both practising and performance. This in turn leads to new, heightened ways of expressing the music and an increased love and enjoyment for the whole process of performing music.

charlottetomlinson.com

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Bradley Burgess, pianist
Bradley Burgess, pianist

Who or what inspired you to take up the piano, and make it your career?

I grew up listening to my sister practicing the piano, so the initial impetus to start lessons came from her; I was fascinated with the instrument and the sounds it made. I remember ‘helping her practice’ by playing certain of the notes for her. In particular I remember the final bass note of the first movement of Debussy’s ‘Children’s Corner’ – I would stand by the side of the keyboard and wait until she got to the end when it was time to play the bottom C. In hindsight I must have been quite a nuisance! It was only half-way through high school that I decided to aim for a professional career in music. While the piano was always my greatest passion, I did toy with the idea of being a film composer at one point. I think this was mainly thanks to John Williams.

Who or what were the most important influences on your playing/composing?

To date the biggest influences on my playing have been without doubt my two main teachers: Nina Svetlanova and Graham Fitch. I couldn’t even begin to say how much I have learned from them both.

What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?

Staying motivated when things aren’t going well. When you’re young it’s difficult to not get despondent after failure – a bad performance or defeat in a competition. But it’s important to turn these occasions into learning experiences. You only learn that with age though.

Which performances are you most proud of? 

I would have to say my Masters graduation recital this past May. I programmed the Beethoven ‘Pastoral’ Sonata Op. 28, a selection from the Schumann Fantasiestücke Op. 12 and the Liszt Sonata. It was my first performance of the Liszt Sonata – quite daunting! It went well though.

Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in?

I enjoy playing in both larger and smaller spaces. I have many happy – and not so happy! – memories of playing at the Baxter Concert Hall in my home city of Cape Town. Every performing space is unique, so I try to make the most of wherever I am.

Favourite pieces to perform? Listen to?

To perform: Liszt Sonata, Funérailles, Beethoven Sonatas (especially the ‘Waldstein’), Mozart Concerto K466, Shostakovich E minor Trio

To listen: Wagner’s ‘Ring’, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy & Fifth Symphony (a good performance of this is better than almost anything), Brahms Concerti, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, the ‘Goldberg’ Variations, there is so much…

Who are your favourite musicians?

I generally listen to, and try and learn from, musicians from the early/mid-twentieth century, most notably Rachmaninov, Rubinstein, Arrau, Richter, Gilels, Sofronitsky, Heifetz & Oistrakh. They all had such wonderful tones – it’s almost unbelievable. That said, there are definitely some modern-day musicians who I admire too, such as Marc-André Hamelin, Boris Berezovsky, Grigory Sokolov, András Schiff, Stephen Kovacevich & Cecilia Bartoli. There are some ‘non-classical’ artists that I also respect immensely, like Oscar Peterson and Keith Jarrett.

What is your most memorable concert experience?

There are several that come to mind. I saw the Leipzig Gewandhaus in an all-Beethoven programme conducted by Chailly. They did the Beethoven Seventh Symphony and Louis Lortie was the soloist in the Fifth Concerto. Both orchestra and soloist had to give an encore! There was also an all-Shostakovich concert given by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra in the Shostakovich centenary year. I can’t remember who the conductor was – I know he was visiting from Russia – but they did an earth-shattering performance of the Seventh Symphony. Last year was also my first live Wagner experience – Die Walküre at the Met – and I think that will stick with me too.

What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?

I still see myself as an aspiring musician! But if I were to go back in time ten years and give myself advice, it would be the following: Establish a good work ethic. Develop good practice habits (practice the left hand alone always!). Learn to manage your time wisely. Don’t ever be afraid to be yourself – a first-rate you is always better than a second-rate someone else. Be proactive – don’t expect opportunities to fall into your lap (but be grateful if/when they do). Take chances. Develop your interests – don’t just lock yourself up in a practice room all day. After all, how can you have anything to say if you don’t actually live a little? Above all, make every note count and don’t take it for granted.

What are you working on at the moment?

Beethoven – Sonatas Opp. 28, 53 & 90 (I plan to do the whole cycle of thirty-two one day – and I really mean one day! – so I’m always working on at least one)

Alkan – several pieces including the Sonata ‘Les Quatres Ages’ Op. 33 (this is a long-term project)

Chopin – Polonaise Op. 53 (something I’ve loved since childhood and am finally learning)

Liszt – Sonata in b minor (I’ve given several performances to date, but this is a life-long endeavor – especially those octaves at the beginning)

Balakirev – Islamey (this is also a long-term project and something I will be blogging about, so be sure to check out my blog)

What do you enjoy doing most?

To be honest, I love practicing. I love taking a work apart, analyzing it, understanding the nuts and bolts. Many people hate practicing even though they enjoy being on stage, but I love the process. Learning to enjoy the journey is key to being successful I think. Music aside, I love cooking (have a look at my blog, fermatas & frittatas), watching a good movie and spending time with my wife, Jo-Mari.

An emerging artist from South Africa, pianist Bradley Burgess has shown himself to be a versatile and accomplished musician. Recent awards have included the Pick ‘n Pay/Fine Music Radio Music Awards and a generous overseas bursary from the National Arts Council of South Africa and Oppenheimer Memorial Trust. His solo and chamber engagements have seen him playing in the states of New York, New Jersey, Idaho & Utah in the US, as well as the UK, Finland and in several major venues in his home country of South Africa. Bradley received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Cape Town cum laude and recently completed a Master of Music at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. He is currently the Director of Music & Organist at St. Mark’s Church in Islip, NY, and is on the piano faculties of the Music Academy of Long Island and the Brooklyn Musical Arts Center. Bradley’s main interests are in music of the late-eighteenth and nineteenth century, especially Beethoven, Liszt and Alkan, and when he’s not at the keyboard you can often find him in the kitchen. You can read more about this at his blog, ‘fermatas & frittatas’ at bradleyburgess.net.

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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).