I have been following – online – the Van Cliburn piano competition which takes place every four years in Fort Worth, Texas. As well as being one of the world’s most prestigious it must be the most generous, with an array of prizes and offers of management, concert bookings, recording opportunities, media training, financial training, […]

Very sad news today that the great pianist Radu Lupu has died. He was probably the first ‘favourite pianist’ I chose for myself rather than taking my teachers’ choices on trust. I tweeted something about having once had a couple of lessons with Radu Lupu when he was living in London. In response, American pianist […]

A fortnight ago I performed Mozart’s wonderful Piano Concerto in B flat K595 with the Meadows Chamber Orchestra, a long-standing amateur orchestra which has become an institution in Edinburgh’s musical life. The orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The concert was brilliantly conducted by Gordon Bragg and took place in Stockbridge Church, Edinburgh (see […]

On Saturday, I shall be playing Mozart’s last piano concerto  – the B flat major, K595 – with the Meadows Chamber Orchestra in Edinburgh. Since I don’t have an in-house orchestra, I have been preparing by playing along with a recording. We have three CDs in the house – two played by Clifford Curzon (different […]

A friend of mine has been musing on this question: How many other professionals are subjected to continual public assessment the way musicians are? For a long time, musicians have put up with being publicly reviewed because good reviews can bring them quickly to the attention of ‘movers and shakers’ around the world. At least, […]