Pianorama – Upper Intermediate – Advanced with Philip Fowke
Pianorama – To See or not to See, that is the Question!
Pianorama is an opportunity for Upper Intermediate to Advanced players to explore the piano as if for the first time. Finchcocks is delighted to welcome the inimitable Philip Fowke to our teaching team, examining our relationship with the piano and how we practise, play and perform.
Preparation comes first. Performance comes second – and it grows in direct proportion to the quality of preparation. Too often, we rush to perform before the groundwork is truly in place.
At the heart of Philip’s teaching are the three D’s: Dedication, Discipline, and Detail. Just as important is learning how to learn – learning to listen, and learning to see what’s really on the page.
Students of all ages and abilities often focus too heavily on performance itself, rather than on the skills needed to prepare effectively for it. When preparation is rushed or incomplete, it can lead to Panic, Insecurity, Anxiety, Nerves, and Other avoidable difficulties.
Philip’s guiding mantra is:
See it. Sort it. Play it!
(Inspired by British Rail’s “See it. Say it. Sorted.”)
With the right approach to preparation, performance becomes not something to fear – but something to enjoy.
In between group sessions, there will be time for private practice on one of our beautiful grand pianos including our new Steinway. There are plenty for everyone, and no need to book in a practice slot!
- 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.)
- 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.
Philip Fowke has been described as “The Pianist’s Pianist”. From his debut at the Wigmore Hall in 1974 to his final televised Promenade Concert appearance at The Royal Albert Hall in 2003, he has consistently received accolades in the press, star ratings in his recordings and been acclaimed for his musicality and technical brilliance. His first BBC broadcast was as a boy at Downside School when he was thirteen. His career has covered a wide range of composers, often exploring less familiar British repertoire. In addition, he has given solo recitals at the Wigmore Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, three Royal Gala concerto appearances at the Royal Festival Hall and has worked with some of the greatest conductors of the age including, Yuri Temirkanov, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky, Klaus Tennstedt, Carl Davis, Norman del Mar, Rudolph Barshai, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Martyn Brabbins,Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Alexander Gibson, Sir Charles Groves, Sir Edward Downes, Sir Richard Hickox and Sir Simon Rattle.
In the nineteen nineties, Philip devoted more time to teaching and was appointed Head of Keyboard at Trinity College of Music in 1994 where he remained until his retirement in 2019. With his extensive performing experience, his reputation as an imaginative, provocative and inspiring teacher has become legendary.
Philip Fowke spends time at his marital home in New Zealand, a retreat in the Chilterns Buckinghamshire and Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight where he is an Oblate and accompanies the monks in the Gregorian Chant liturgy.
This is a fantastic opportunity to come and be inspired by a leading thinker, teacher, speaker and performer of the piano world. We can’t wait to experience his teaching in person and anticipate spaces to be snapped up very quickly. Book early to avoid disappointment!
For booking enquiries, please fill in the form below.
Weekend courses
from £700 (inclusive of accommodation, tuition and all food and wine)
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