The late bloomer the late bloomer

Is there a special sorcery in Seoul? Cunning creativity in Canada? Preternatural pizzazz in Paris? Oh, why do so many great pianists come from this or that country? We even have some in Britain; is th

Among the many remarkable aspects of Clara Schumann’s life was the fact that she gave birth to eight children – seven of whom lived to adulthood. Given she lived in the 19th century, it is astonishing

When it comes to how pianists acquire their technique, the 19th century tradition of practising specially written exercises and studies (etudes) perseveres to this day. Yet many top players claim they

By 16, I had started to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. This was the best time for me, because I had a very regular high school kid schedule every day. So I was trying to get i

Patterns, says Clare Hammond. Learning a new piece, especially if you’re committing it to memory, and the clock is against you, is all about finding patterns. ‘If you can find patterns in a piece of m

‘Would you like to go and play the new public piano at St Pancras and write about it?’ asked Erica, the editor of Pianist. ‘Did Liberace like diamonds?’ I replied. ‘I love the idea of public pianos. S