piano teacher north london
My name is Ian Flint and I am a pianist and piano teacher with over 25 years
professional experience in music. After reaching the semi-finals of the “BBC
Young Musician of the Year” competition, I went on to study for six years at the
Royal Northern College of Music with the renowned Russian pedagogue Sulamita
Aronovsky (founder of the London International Piano Competition). Therefore
there is something of the so-called ‘Russian School’ in my musical DNA, with its
focus on richness of sound coupled with economy and effectiveness of physical
movement. During this period I appeared frequently as solo recitalist, chamber
musician and concerto soloist in concert series and festivals, with a wide
repertoire including major works by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin,
Liszt, Debussy, Ravel, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich, Stravinsky, Barber etc. I also
took part in masterclasses with Paul Badura-Skoda and Denis Matthews. For my
post-graduate studies I was awarded a scholarship from the Countess of Munster
Trust. These two years continued the focus on piano performance, combined with a
thesis (a re-evaluation of Rachmaninov’s 1st and 4th Piano Concertos). It was
also at the RNCM where I gained my first experience of teaching the piano, which
I have carried on since, in combination with a career in the music publishing
industry. My former company (Edition Peters) collaborated on various projects
with the two main examination organisations, Associated Board (gb.abrsm.org) and
Trinity (www.trinitycollege.co.uk), which gave me a valuable insight into the
philosophy of the examination systems. In recent years I have given piano
performances and lecture-recitals for “The Rachmaninoff Society” in several
countries, in venues such as London’s South Bank Centre and New York’s Juilliard
School.