5-day Advanced Summer School “From Score to Sound” with Florian Mitrea – WAITING LIST

Advanced pianists have the amazing opportunity to spend five days learning from and being inspired by the inimitable Florian Mitrea this summer. Below, he describes his plan for the Advanced Summer School 2027, From Score to Sound, for advanced pianists beyond grade 8, preparing for – or at – diploma standard, or higher.

Our 5-day courses are a well established highlight of the Finchcocks calendar. To ensure a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, places are open to those who have attended at least one weekend Finchcocks course previously.

From Score to Sound: A 5-day Advanced Summer School about interpretation and finding our own voice.

“How do we move from the score to a convincing interpretation? We always start from history, technique, style, listening, imagination, and individuality.  Ultimately, it’s about making artistic decisions. This underpins every piano lesson we’ve ever had, and every practice session we embark on. This new 5-day Advanced Summer School offers the opportunity to explore the creative process that transforms notes on the page into compelling musical performances. Through a combination of morning workshops, individual lessons, masterclasses, performance classes, and informal concerts, we will investigate how pianists make artistic decisions, balancing historical awareness with imagination and personal expression. Rather than searching for a single ‘correct’ interpretation, we will explore the many possibilities hidden within a score, learning how technique, listening, analysis and curiosity work together to shape convincing performances. Throughout the week, participants will be encouraged to question, experiment and refine their own musical ideas in a supportive environment. Whether working on a familiar masterpiece or discovering new repertoire, the aim is to leave with greater confidence in their own instrumental technique, a richer understanding of the music, and fresh inspiration for future study.“

Like our weekend courses, formal tuition takes place in workshops, performance classes and one-to-one lessons.

These particular workshops form part of a continuous sequence: the score – the performer’s imagination – the stages of composition – communicating freshly with an audience – apply all of the above to a new piece of music.

Workshop 1: Reading Between the Lines.

What does the score not tell us? Every score is full of information, yet it can never tell us everything. In this workshop, we will explore the difference between notation and interpretation, discovering how composers rely on performers to bring phrasing, character and imagination to life. Through examples from Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin and Debussy, we will examine what is written, what is implied, and what is left for us to decide. Participants will compare different editions, experiment with alternative musical choices, and discuss how seemingly small decisions can transform an interpretation.

Workshop 2: Borrowing Ears

What could we learn from other performers? Great pianists rarely play the same piece in the same way, yet every convincing performance reveals something about the music. Rather than imitating recordings, this workshop explores how listening critically can enrich our own musical thinking. We will compare historic and modern recordings by legendary pianists, identifying differences in sound, tempo, phrasing and character, before experimenting with these ideas ourselves. Participants will be encouraged to debate, ‘borrow’ ideas, and ultimately develop their own artistic responses.

Workshop 3: The Composer’s Workshop

Masterpieces did not emerge perfectly formed. Beethoven filled notebooks with sketches, Chopin endlessly revised his manuscripts and published 4-5 versions of the same piece, and Debussy frequently altered details after publication. This workshop explores the creative process behind some of the piano repertoire’s greatest works, asking what composers changed, abandoned or reconsidered before reaching the final version. Through manuscripts, early editions and practical experiments at the keyboard, participants will gain fresh insight into how understanding a work’s evolution can inform their own interpretations.

Workshop 4: One Piece, Five Interpretations

Can there ever be a ‘correct’ performance? In this workshop, we will explore how the same piece can inspire remarkably different but equally convincing interpretations. Together we will compare contrasting recordings, identify the artistic choices each pianist has made, and then create our own alternative readings of selected excerpts. Through discussion, experimentation and performance, participants will discover that interpretation is not about finding the right answer, but about making informed, imaginative and convincing musical decisions.

Workshop 5: One Page

Great performances begin with great questions. In this workshop, participants will be asked to propose for studying a single page of music, something that they have never played before. We will explore how much can be discovered beyond the notes themselves: structure, harmony, character, gesture, voicing, historical context, and the composer’s intentions. Through guided discussion, demonstrations and group experiments, we will develop new ways of looking at a score before even playing it, discovering how deep understanding can inspire imaginative performance choices. Participants will then take it to their practice rooms, apply these ideas and return to the class to share the discoveries they have made. The aim is to transform the act of practising from simply learning notes into a creative process of exploration and interpretation.

As usual, everyone will have access to their own grand piano for the week including our new Steinway, and have plenty of time to practise in our vaulted piano cellar.

We’ll also have a bit of fun! We’ll explore the private gardens at Finchcocks, experience a local wine tasting, be able to go for beautiful Kentish countryside walks to Scotney castle and enjoy a session or two in the family’s new heated swimming pool, weather permitting.

And of course, it goes without saying that you can expect the usual!

Guests will:

• Have the chance to play in and observe multiple performance masterclasses.
• Will receive one-to-one lessons with Florian.
• Enjoy access to play on our 9 grand pianos anytime between 7am and 8pm. (There are enough pianos to go round that everyone can play a piano at any given time.)
• Experience a salon-style concert performed by Florian exclusively for guests.
• Have the chance to take part in a recital on the Bosendorfer in the main hall of the family home.
• Join and socialise with a group 8 fellow piano enthusiasts during lunch and dinner.
• Dine in style with lunches and three course dinners prepared by our fabulous chef.
• Experience the Finchcocks bubble, hailed as a “paradise for pianists” by BBC Music Magazine and stay in a grade 1 listed country manor.

Plus ones are very welcome on our courses, with a room surcharge dependant on whether they are a playing or non-playing guest. Please ask for further details.

This is a unique, luxury UK-based piano gem and an experience that you won’t forget anytime soon. Many guests continue friendships made on these courses, encouraging each other on in the piano playing on Whatsapp, organising private piano meet ups further down the line… and bumping into each other again on future courses!

For booking enquiries, please fill in the form below.