Good news at the weekend about my book ‘Speaking the Piano‘: it has been chosen as one of the Books of the Year by the Financial Times and by the Sunday Times.

‘An all-embracing exploration of how to make music come alive’ (Financial Times, 24 Nov 2018)

‘Studded with gems of insight … a must-read for anyone who plays or loves the piano.’ (Sunday Times, 25 Nov 2018).

Even more thrillingly for our household, on the same day as my book was featured in the Financial Times, my husband’s book ‘The Classical Music Lover’s Companion to Orchestral Music‘ was  chosen too. In fact, our books were next to one another on the page (see photo).

‘Other guides to orchestral repertoire offer neat thumbnail sketches, but Robert Philip delves deeper as he surveys the history and analysis of 400 concert works from Corelli to Shostakovich.’ (FT, 24 Nov 2018)

When you write about classical music you get used to being told that it is a niche subject with a small readership, so it is delightful to be recognised by the mainstream press.

Looking for Christmas present ideas for the music lover in your life? These books could be the answer.