OUR TUTORS
Graham Fitch, piano
Based in London, Graham Fitch maintains an international career not only as a pianist, but also as a teacher, adjudicator and writer. His workshops and classes, which he gives all over the world, have received high praise for their creative and illuminating approach to the subject. First Prizewinner in the Mieczyslaw Munz Piano Competition, he graduated with honours from the Royal College of Music in London as a Hopkinson Gold Medallist. His teachers at the RCM included Stephen Savage, Peter Wallfisch and Roger Vignoles. A Fullbright Scholarship then took him to the United States, where he completed his studies with Ann Schein and Nina Svetlanova, as well as participating in weekly classes with Leon Fleisher.
During much of the 1990s, Graham Fitch's career straddled the Atlantic with solo and chamber performances in England (where he taught piano at the Purcell School, St. Paul's Girls' School, and the Centre for Young Musicians), in Europe and North America. The New York Times spoke of his playing as "unalloyed pleasure". In the UK, he was a recitalist at the Bournemouth Festival, and appeared in repeated engagements with the London Chamber Soloists on London's South Bank. US activities included concerts with his trio, the Trio dell'Arte, various solo appearances, (including a performance of Bach's Goldberg Variations in Merkin Hall during the 250th anniversary of the composer's death) and a performance of Bartok's Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion with Jonathan Haas.
From 1997 to 2008, Graham Fitch was Head of Keyboard at the South African College of Music, University of Cape Town, from where he travelled to Australia, New Zealand and the USA to perform and teach. Graham gave recitals, masterclasses and keynote addresses at four successive Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conferences across Australia from 1999 to 2005. He was in residence at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 2006, giving a masterclass, directing a performance class and teaching the Head of Piano's studio.
Graham is a principal tutor for the Piano Teachers' Course UK, Britain's flagship training programme for piano teachers. He is also a tutor at the Summer School for Pianists in Stowe, and gives regular workshops for pianists and teachers in London and Finchcocks. Graham is a regular contributor to Pianist Magazine, with articles on technique, style, practising and performance as well as producing an ongoing series of video demonstrations on YouTube. Graham was commissioned by Trinity College London to write the teaching notes for a series of graded piano pieces, Raise the Bar, as well as for advanced grades for the new syllabus. He is also doing some consulting work for the ABRSM on new syllabus for advanced grades.
Graham teaches privately in South West London, and counts among his students professional pianists, piano teachers, adult amateurs as well as youngsters. Schedule permitting, Graham's philosophy is to be available to anyone who wishes to study with him who is serious about developing their piano playing.
Fanny Gsteiger, Alexander technique
Fanny Gsteiger discovered The Alexander Technique during her singing studies at the “Conservatoire de Musique de Neuchâtel, Switzerland”, she graduated in 1990 as a Teacher of the F. M. Alexander Technique (School of Geneva).
The Alexander Technique is an educational process, we learn to discover our habits of movement which affects our coordination and freedom with the instrument. Many musicians, actors, dancers use it to improve their body posture and artistic development.
Fanny has a private practice in Lausanne, and worked under the auspices of the Hemu and Conservatory of Lausanne from 1990 until 2020. She participates in numerous international congresses and professional courses mainly in London.
Fanny will give private sessions of the technique (working with the piano) in Blonay, (pre-reservations required).
More information: www.techniquealexander.ch
Music Centre, Paul Hindemith Foundation,
Blonay, Switzerland
The course takes place at the Music Center of the Hindemith Foundation, in the village of Blonay, ideally situated above the cities of Vevey and Montreux.
The German violinist and composer Paul Hindemith lived in Blonay from 1953 to his death in 1963. His wife created the Foundation in 1968, including the Chalet de Lacroix and the Pavilion. The location of the Music Center offers a great view on the Lake Léman and the Swiss Alps.
The main classes will take place in the Salon Hindemith on a Steinway grand piano. Seven other pianos are available for individual practice.
Twin comfortable bedrooms are available in the Pavilion (and the Chalet). Tasty meals will be served in the large dining room or on the terrace, weather permitting. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be served during the morning and afternoon breaks.
MORE INFORMATION
Booking
- Booking includes teaching fees, food and accommodation (single room en-suite) in the Music Center.
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Each course is subject to a specific registration form, which you will receive by email.
- Confirmation of registration is subject to a non-refundable bank deposit of 100 CHF to be paid two months before the course.
- As places are limited (11 active participants), bookings will be allocated on a first come-first serve basis.
- Participants organise their own travel arrangements, including accommodation before or after the course.
- The courses start and end at 12:00.
- The piano one-to-one lessons are very limited and not included (pre-reservations required): 30 min / 90 CHF.
- The Alexander technique lessons are not included (pre-reservations required): 50 min/ 90 CHF.
- Courses are given in English.
- Switzerland plugs (Type J) differ from European ones.