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Tradition: peer pressure from dead people or following in the footsteps of greatness? – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
Classical music is swathed in tradition and culturally conditioned thinking. The traditions of concert-going, for example, are well-known and show little sign of relaxing, despite the best efforts of more forward-thinking musicians, ensembles, concert managers and venues. Likewise, the score is regarded as the ‘sacred text’ of classical music wherein lies the composer’s ‘intentions’, and…
Notes from the Keyboard: Learning my first Beethoven Sonata – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
Guest post by Dakota Gale, the latest article in his series aimed at adult amateur pianists Soon after I started piano lessons in 2021, my teacher showed me a clip from a Beethoven Sonata to demonstrate a technique. “Is this piece hard?” I asked? “It’s a Beethoven sonata!” he replied. The meaning was clear: they’re…
The Pianist’s ‘Non-Negotiables’ – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
This post is inspired by Episode 2 of Season 3 of The Bear, a drama series about a young chef, Carmy Berzatto, trained in the fine dining world, who comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop after a heartbreaking death in his family. By the third series, the noisy sandwich shop has…
Oxford Piano Weekends three years on – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
Guest post by Charlotte Tomlinson January 2025 will mark the 3rd anniversary of the Oxford Piano Weekends, and the thirteenth weekend. I can hardly believe that what started on the back of an envelope in late 2021, has developed into such a fixture in the piano course market that pianists return again and again. We…
Alone yet together: the pleasure of attending live music on your own – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
I’ve been going to live classical music concerts since I was a little girl – and not just professional concerts, but also amateur performances when my dad (a clarinettist) played in a local amateur orchestra. As keen music-lovers, my parents took me to all sorts of concerts – big orchestral performances at Birmingham Old Town…
A life of ‘wonderful happiness’ – Ursula Oppens at 80 – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
Guest interview by Michael Johnson A legend in contemporary piano music, Ursula Oppens has just turned 80 and shows no sign of trimming back her busy life of recording, performing, teaching and commissioning new works from American composers. She fights the aging process with tremendous vitality and mostly wins. But as she told The New…
Repertoire in focus: Haydn Variations in f minor, Hob. XVII:6 – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
I first discovered this wonderful set of variations through a concert pianist friend, who performed them in a salon concert some years ago. As a lifetime lover of Schubert’s music, I was struck by how “Schubertian” this music is, especially in the minor key variations, where Haydn finds great emotional depth and expression. The piece…
Naresh Sohal: Complete Piano Music – A Fusion of Eastern Mysticism and Western Techniques – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
British-based composer Naresh Sohal was born on 18 September 1939 in Punjab in pre-Partition India, and was the first person of Indian origin to make his mark as a composer of western classical music. His family had no musical pedigree, nor any connection with western classical music; his musical tastes were formed by listening to…
Taking piano lessons online – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
Guest post by Dakota Gale The latest article in a series aimed at adult pianists I recently attended a piano performance, during which I spoke with a 92 year old woman sitting next to me. She’d played and taught piano for decades. When I mentioned that I take lessons online, her eyes widened. “ONLINE lessons?…
Blade Runner Live elevates the film experience – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
Guest post by TC The score is the backbone of a film’s emotional landscape, serving as an integral element that enhances storytelling, deepens characters, and elevates or emphasises cinematic moments. Composed to underscore the narrative and visuals, a good score can transform the viewing experience from ordinary to extraordinary, subtly guiding audience reactions and infusing…
A trio of concerts at London’s most stylish small venue – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
7 Star Arts present a trio of concerts at the 1901 Arts Club this autumn featuring leading musicians in a range of imaginative programmes of music from Nadia Boulanger to George Gershwin and Benjamin Britten - and much more besides. These concerts are in support of English National Opera's Benevolent Fund
Watch the Central Band of the RAF perform ‘Wings of Freedom’ – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
'Wings of Freedom' is a large-scale work for symphonic wind band, written by Thomas Hewitt Jones and commissioned by the Central Band of the Royal Air Force. Inspired by the RAF's four core values - Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence (RISE) - the piece received its London premiere at Holy Trinity church, Sloane Square, last…
Introducing the Cembal d’amour – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
Guest post by Clare Stevens Have you ever heard a cembal d’amour? Have you even heard of it? I certainly hadn’t before attending this year’s Early Music Festival in Haapsalu, Estonia. One of the weekend’s concerts was a duo recital by keyboard players Taavi Kerikmäe and Anna-Liisa Eller. While Eller switched from the psaltery to…
“I’ve always had a natural instinct for music” – an interview with composer & musician Michael Howell – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
Described by superstar pianist Lang Lang as ‘A genius…The new Bach’ during his performance on Channel 4’s popular and inspiring programme The Piano, Michael Howell is a young self-taught composer, singer and pianist from a working class Caribbean-Jamaican background in west London. Praised for his other-worldly counter-tenor voice and his ability to touch audiences with…
All you need is love – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
A few months ago, I met the parent of one of my former piano students at an event. I was pleased to hear that the student (we’ll call her Jane) was now studying English Literature at one of the UK’s top universities, but the most gratifying piece of news was that she was still playing…
“this set of Preludes and Fugues has almost every style imaginable….” – Freddy Kempf, pianist – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
British composer and multi-faceted musician Matt Dibble died tragically in 2021 at the age of 40 from complications following the AstraZeneca covid vaccination. His untimely death left a void in the classical, jazz and pop worlds: he was a musician of great breadth, versatility, talent and innovation, and his 24 Preludes & Fugues, released posthumously,…
‘Regards from Rochester’ – A Musical Celebration of Medway Towns’ History – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
Regards from Rochester by award-winning British composer Thomas Hewitt Jones was commissioned by Rochester Choral Society to celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2023. The work received its premiere on 18th March 2023 in Rochester Cathedral and was subsequently performed in Wells and Glastonbury respectively in April 2023. The town of Rochester in Kent is drenched…
Pianists and their Composers: Olivier Messiaen – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
Olivier Messiaen is widely regarded as one of the most important composers of the 20th century, known for his unique approach to harmony, rhythm, and melody. His music is challenging for any performer, requiring not only technical skill, but also a deep understanding of his unique musical language. The pianists presented here demonstrate a remarkable…
Chamber Music Weymouth – the new name for Weymouth Lunchtime Chamber Concerts – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
Weymouth Lunchtime Chamber Concerts (WLCC), which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022, is undergoing a ‘rebrand’ to reflect exciting expanding plans to bring more high-quality classical music and musicians to the popular Dorset seaside resort. The series, founded by Weymouth-born pianist Duncan Honeybourne on his return to his hometown at the age of 25, has…
Masterclass with Dr. Michael Low: A Day of Musical Insight at Coach House Pianos – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
Last Saturday I hosted a one-day masterclass in the sumptuous surroundings of Coach House Piano's London showroom. The tutor was Dr Michael Low, a pianist and teacher based in South Africa, with whom I have been friends for over 10 years, and who is a regular contributor to this site. The event was open to…
Thomas Hewitt Jones’ rendition of ‘Abide with Me’ for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day – The Cross-Eyed Pianist
Award-winning British composer Thomas Hewitt Jones releases a new version of the much-loved hymn Abide With Me on the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the invasion of Normandy by Allied forces which marked a crucial turning point in the Second World War. American troops arriving in Normandy on D-Day (National Geographic) Originally written in 1847 by…