Touring is almost an inevitable aspect of many freelance musicians’ lives. Whether it’s a long or short trip away, time spent away from home can quickly take its toll. Lots of short journeys away make home seem like a pit
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When the conductor walks on stage everyone has to be tuned and poised for the downbeat. It can come unpredictably fast. You never know if the Maestro will milk the applause for all it’s worth as they step onto the
The adult ‘returner’ pianist I’m a returner pianist – and maybe, if you’re reading this article, you are too and therefore what follows will resonate with you. Or perhaps you are thinking of taking up the piano again after a
Unlike many of my colleagues who grew up around Beethoven, either by hearing him in the home or studying his piano music, I managed to (unintentionally) avoid him for a long time, only really discovering Beethoven as I embarked on
We are very lucky as pianists/piano teachers to have such a wide repertoire, and one which is constantly being expanded as composers continue to write for the piano – which is why I find it rather disconcerting when new anthologies
A follow-up to my earlier article What Is Practice? Debussy: 12 Etudes – No. 1. Pour les cinq doigts (For the five fingers) No. 11. Pour les arpèges composés (For written arpeggios) “Practice Makes Perfect” is an over-used phrase, familiar
My first concert experience in 2019 began in Hangzhou, the provincial capital of Zhejiang province. There, at the crescent-shaped Hangzhou Grand Theatre by the Qiantang River, I celebrated the New Year’s Eve bells on December 31st, while attending the theatre’s
After many decades of performing, one would think everything that could possibly go wrong has… Wrong! Or am I a magnet for snafus? Last month, my pianist and I drove the two hours to a University in a nearby town.