Piano Performance Opportunities | Piano Lessons London & Online

"When you play, always play as though a master listened to you." Robert Schumann

Piano Performance Opportunities for Pupils


Pupils with an interest in performance are offered many different types of performance opportunities at all levels.

Some questions and answers:

How often? The frequency varies from individual to individual and depends on pupils' goals and preparedness.

Exams? Yes, of course, when required, necessary or for self-imposed deadlines to improve practice.

What types of exams? ABRSM and Trinity College.

What levels? All graded examinations from the preliminary grade to grade 8 and all diplomas.

Competitions? Yes, for all levels of skill. A complete beginner might already be able to perform in a festival after 6 months of lessons at any age. Intermediate and advanced learners have even more opportunities to try out playing for others, practice performance and win prizes. There is an overabundance of competitive and non-competitive performance opportunities at festivals in the UK and pupils are encouraged to prepare.

Concerts? Yes, different types of concert opportunities can also be offered.

Preparation? The preparation for public performances is planned well in advance. Meticulous planning ensures that pupils are well prepared, do well and remain at the lowest levels of stress possible.

Try out repertoire and performance in a safe, non-competitive, non-public environment? Since the very beginning there has been a tradition to organise non-public events for pupils giving them an opportunity to play new repertoire for each other and make friends. These events are called Piano Hours. There is tea and cake and no extra audience. The atmosphere is friendly and competition between pupils is strongly discouraged.


Competitive & Non-Competitive Piano Performance Opportunities at UK Music Festivals


There are hundreds of competitive and non-competitive music festivals for children and adult learners all over the UK. The British and International Federation of Festivals for Music, Dance & Speech offers several lists and abundant information: http://www.federationoffestivals.org.uk
Here are some of the annual festivals (from January to December):


January:


Cottingham Methodist Festival, East Riding of York Shire (January-February)

Croydon Performing Arts Festival

Oxford Music Festival (January-February)


February:


Chesham Arts Festival, Buckingham Shire

Colsterworth Festival, Lincolnshire

Cottingham Methodist Festival, East Riding of Yorkshire (January-February)

Croydon Performing Arts Festival

Hastings Musical Festival

Milton Keynes Festival

Oxford Music Festival (January-February)

Portsmouth Music Festival

Stratford & East London Music Festival

Sudbury Festival - February - March, close to London

Watford Festival

Worthing Festival - next to Brighton, February - March


March:


Battersea Piano Festival

Bedfordshire Festival of Music, Speech and Drama

Bristol Festival

Bromley (Kent) Festival of Music and Speech

Burnley Festival, Birmingham

Carlisle and District Festival, Cumbria

Chichester Festival, Sussex

Chipping Norton Music Festival, Oxfordshire

Colchester Rotary Festival of Music and Dance

Cornwall Festival

Devon Festival

Dudley Festival

Godalming Festival, Surrey

Eisteddfod Guernsey LBG

Gravesham Performing Arts Festival

Hastings Musical Festival

Hatfield & District Festival, Hertfordshire (March-April) - very close to London

Kettering & District Eisteddfod

Mid-Somerset Festival, Bath

Milton Keynes Festival

Norfolk County Music Festival

Oundle Festival of Music and Drama

Richmond Upon Thames Performing Arts Festival

Rochester and North Kent Music and Drama Festival

Ruislip-Northwood Festival

Southampton Festival of Music and Drama

Springboard - Brighton and Hove Performing Arts Festival

Sudbury Festival - February - March, close to London

Tunbidge Wells Festival

Watford Festival

Woodley Festival - very close to London

Worthing Festival - next to Brighton


April:


Chester Festival, Cheshire  

Croydon Festival, Greater London (April-June)

Gravesham Performing Arts Festival

Ealing Festival of Music, Dance, Speech and Drama

North London Festival (April-May)

Sussex Festival of Performing Arts


May:


Blackburn Festival

Blackheath Music Festival

Buxton Festival

Croydon Festival, Greater London (April-June)

Ealing Festival of Music, Dance, Speech and Drama

Fareham Festival - close to London

North London Festival (April-May)

Northampton Festival of the Performing Arts

Northfield Festival of Music & Speech

Nuneaton Festival of Arts

Reigate & Redhill Music & Drama Festival - very close to London


June:


Bournemouth Music Competitions Festival

Croydon Festival, Greater London (April-June)

Dulwich Piano Festival - SE22

Horsham Performers Platform, Sussex - close to London

Leigh-On-Sea Festival - next to Southend-on-Sea, very close to London

Sevenoaks Three Arts Festival

Wantage Music Festival - not too far from London


July:


Hornsea Festival - London


September:



October:


Abingdon Music Festival

Longwell Green Eisteddfod (October-November)

Maidenhead Festival - very close to London

Suffolk Festival - not too far from London


November:


Beckenham Festival, Kent

Farnham Competitive Music Festival, Hampshire

Gosport Festival, Hampshire

Kent Festival of Music Speech & Drama

Kingston upon Thames Festival of the Performing Arts

Maidstone Festival, Kent

Marlow Music Festival

Mid Sussex Competitive Music Festival

Nailsea Festival of Music

Southend Festival of Performing Arts

Sutton Music Festival

West London Pianoforte Festival

Woking Music Festival


National and International Piano Competitions


Apart from regional festivals, there is also a variety of national and international competitions for young learners in the UK as well as overseas.
Extensive information on international youth competitions can be found on the AAF (Alink Argerich Foundation) website: http://www.alink-argerich.org/

London Young Musician

London Youth Piano Competition - online

VIRTUOSO International Music Awards London - all age groups

Norah Sande Award - A piano competition for Young Adult Pianists of Kent, Sussex, Surrey and London postal districts

European Union of Music Competitions for Youth

BBC Young Musician

Concours International de Piano d'Ile-de-France

Moray Piano Competition

Young Pianist of the North

Evangelia Tjiarri Music Foundation Competition

Aarhus International Piano Competition

Ettlingen International Competition for Young Pianists

Rickmansworth Young Musician of the Year

Concours International de Piano / Conservatoire Russe de Alexandre Scriabine / Paris

Steinway Klavierspiel-Wettbewerb Hamburg

Steinway Klavierspiel-Wettbewerb Berlin

Astana Piano Passion, Kazakhstan

Sberbank Debut, Kiev, Ukraine

Krainev Competition, Kharkiv, Ukraine

International Competition for Young Pianists in Memory of Vladimir Horowitz

César Franck International Piano Competition

Merci, Maestro - International Competition for Young Pianists in Brussels

International Piano Competition „Memorijal Jurica Murai“ (Tribute to Jurica Murai) and „Murai Grand Prix“, Varazrin, Croatia

International Competition Young Virtuoso, Zagreb, Croatia








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