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I’m about to go on another three-day course for advanced pianists, run by my teacher, Penelope Roskell. This will be the fourth of Penelope’s courses I have attended, and my regular appearance on her courses is testament to their benefits: supportive, inspiring and thoroughly enjoyable. Three days of total immersion in all things piano and the opportunity to have one’s playing critiqued not just by a highly experienced and sympathetic teacher, but also by fellow pianists, the chance to share repertoire and enjoy lots of ‘piano chat’. I have met some wonderful people on these courses, and discovered some fantastic repertoire, including Messiaen’s Vingt Regards.
The course takes the form of masterclasses, and as the numbers are strictly limited to 8 participants, everyone has the chance to play at least once a day. The course ends with an informal concert on the Sunday afternoon, always a very pleasant affair, with a drinks party afterwards. Each day we begin with ‘piano yoga’ in Penelope’s garden. The course is open to all advanced pianists (post-Grade 8 to post-diploma level) and is particularly useful for people who may be preparing for competitions, auditions, concerts, diplomas, or who suffer from physical tension and performance anxiety.
Penelope runs the course twice-yearly, and hers are just some of the many courses around the UK, and further afield, for pianists of all abilities. Now is a good time to start thinking about doing a summer school. Here is a selection of courses and summer schools recommended by friends and colleagues:
Summer School for Pianists, Hereford (faculty includes Graham Fitch, James Lisney, Karl Lutchmayer, Christine Stevenson, Frank Wibaut). Ability: c.Grade 6 to advanced/post-diploma. Concerto, soloists, duet and improvers classes. Masterclasses, lectures and performances by faculty. Dates: 18 – 14 August. Cost £595.
Chethams International Summer School for Pianists (faculty includes Peter Donohoe, Philip Fowke, Leon McCawley, Jeremy Siepmann, 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. Dates: 17-23 and 23-29 August 2012.
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: 5-7 October 2012. Cost: £195 (EPTA and ISM members £185).
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. Dates: 1-4 August 2012. Cost £385. Places also available for observers. Special focus on the music of Schubert and Poulenc this year. Residential and non-residential. Summer courses for other instrumentalists and children. See website for further information.
Jackdaws Music Education Trust, Frome, Somerset. Various courses for pianists, singers and instrumentalists throughout the year. Piano faculty includes: Julian Jacobson, Mark Tanner, Philip Fowke. Residential. A friend of mine in Bath has attended several Jackdaws courses and is full of praise for them.
Summer School for Pianists, Hereford. This comes highly recommended by my friend Lorraine of SE22 Piano School, who attended last summer, and is going back for more this year. Her assertion that it was “invaluable for ATCL preparation” is a pretty good endorsement of the course. Faculty includes: Christine Stevenson, James Lisney, Karl Lutchmayer, Simon Nicholls, Frank Wibaut, Graham Fitch. Residential. Dates: 18-24 August 2012. Cost £590.
Pianist magazine has a helpful search function for courses and festivals, and EPTA regularly flags up courses and events throughout the year.
This article first appeared on the SE22 Piano School blog, written by Lorraine Liyanage
There are many fantastic Piano Summer Schools for children aged 6 – 18 where you can have one-on-one tuition and Masterclasses with professors from prestigious music colleges such as The Royal College of Music. You also have the opportunity to perform in lots of concerts as well as making new friends who share your passion for the piano. These courses are an amazing learning experience and I highly recommend all serious pianists to attend at least one of the courses listed below. Parents attend all courses for children aged 16 and under.
Here are my picks of the best piano Summer Schools:
London Piano Masters at The Royal College of Music
Dates: Tuesday 10th – Sunday 15th of July, 2012
Price: £320
Deadline: 30th of June, 2012
Website: London Piano Masters
The London Piano Masters offer a “Children’s Corner”, a course especially designed for younger pianists aged 6 – 10 playing up to Grade 6. A specifically chosen set of classes, workshops and concerts takes place in an atmosphere full of joy and excitement. The culmination of the masterclass is a competition at the end of the week. Competition entry is optional.
North London Piano School at The Purcell School (Residential)
Dates: Sunday 12th – Sunday 19th August, 2012
Price: £450 – 4 days or £595.00 – 7 days including meals and accommodation
Deadline: 30th of May, 2012
Website: North London Piano School
The North London Piano School runs an annual International Summer Course and concurrently auditions for the London International Music Competition hosted by the Purcell School in Watford, London.
The final concert is held at Duke’s Hall in the prestigious Royal Academy of Music, in the heart of London.
The Purcell School is a specialist music school for children and is the oldest specialist music school in the UK. The school was awarded the UNESCO Mozart Medal in 2003, which was received on behalf of the school by Prince Charles, who is a patron of the school. Many of the pupils subsequently study at Royal College of Music or Royal Academy of Music. The Purcell School has the highest fees of any independent school (including Eton College and Harrow school) in the UK: as at November 2009, the annual fees amounted to £29,577. However, most of the students receive significant bursaries/scholarships from the Government’s Music and Dance Scheme.
Chetham’s Summer School for Pianists, Manchester (Residential)
Dates: 17 – 23 and 23 – 29 August, 2012
Price: £450 – 4 days or £595.00 – 7 days including meals and accommodation
Deadline: 30th of May, 2012
Website: Chetham’s Summer School for Pianists
The Chetham’s International Piano Summer School is a source of inspiration, fun, insight and focus for everyone who enjoys the piano and piano playing. Now in its eleventh year, it continues to grow and develop as a ‘piano republic of equals’. There is no elitism on the course, though everyone is extremely serious about piano playing.
There is no other summer school that manages to cater for the universal: Adult amateurs, promising children and observers are as welcome on the course as concert pianists, international young artists preparing for top competitions, and professional music teachers.
Chetham’s is a specialist independent co-educational music school that educates students between the ages of 8 and 18. Admission is based solely on an audition to demonstrate musical potential and talent.
Birmingham International Piano Academy at Birmingham Conservatoire
Dates: Sunday 22 July – Sunday 29 July, 2012
Price: Around £250 (non-residential)
Deadline: 22 June, 2012.
Website: BIPA
The seventh Birmingham International Piano Academy (BIPA) will take place at Birmingham Conservatoire. BIPA offers gifted pianists of any age or nationality the opportunity to undertake a week of intensive study with world class pianists. The course is open to junior and adult students.
In 2011, Lara Melda – 2010 BBC Young Musician of the Year – helped to launch BIPA Junior, a week-long day course suitable for pianists under the age of 18 playing at ABRSM Grade 4 standard or above (up to and past Diploma level).
More on courses for children and adults here
The summer is a great time to hone your skills, improve your piano playing, and hear great pianists showing off their capabilities. Here’s a comprehensive list of summer schools at home and abroad from Pianist magazine:
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)
Chopin – 4th Ballade, Berceuse, Fantasie Impromptu
Kapustin - Toccatina Op 36
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.
Aldeburgh Festival/Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme (UK)
International Musicians’ Seminars Prussia Cove
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.
Austrian International Piano Seminar and Festival (Austria)
Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and Masterclasses (Germany)
Orlando Festival (Netherlands)
Music Academy of the West Summer School and Festival (USA)
Rocky Ridge Music Summer Camp and Festival (USA)
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