The second annual New Zealand International Piano Festival (NZIPF) will be held in April 2012. 

This exciting event brings together concert pianists from all over the globe, to perform solo and duo piano recitals at the Auckland Town Hall Concert Chamber - and also provide a supreme educational experience for New Zealand’s up and coming musicians through masterclasses. 

Festival dates - NZIPF 2012 

Saturday 21st April  Richard Mapp & Emma Sayers 

Sunday 22nd April  Hyoung-Joon Chang 

Tuesday 24th April  Sofya Gulyak

Wednesday 25th April  Jian Liu

Thursday 26th April  Oleg Stepanov & Natasha Vlassenko

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Saturday 21st April - Richard Mapp & Emma Sayers

Programme : 

Schubert - Allegro in A minor (Lebenssturme) 

Ken Young – Variations on a Prayer 

Samuel Barber - three pieces from Souvenirs 

Poulenc - Sonata 

Interval 

Ken Young - Fantasy for two pianos 

Bartok - Six pieces from Mikrokosmos

Lutoslawski - Variations on a theme of Paganini 

When you go to a concert by Richard Mapp and Emma Sayers, you get not just two outstanding single pianists, but also a pair of piano-duettists, and, when pianos permit, a first-class piano duo team. 

Richard and Emma have been working together as pianists and recitalists for close to ten years, and are both currently on the staff at the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington. They are in great demand not only as a duo/duet ensemble but also as soloists, as accompanists, and as performers of high stature in a variety of chamber music ensembles. 

These two pianists are a great choice for ringing up the curtain on this year’s NZIPF programmes, and they’ve chosen a programme that shows them in two allied roles. In the first half, the music will be all piano-duet, and following the interval and the set-up of a second Steinway grand, there will be three varied pieces for piano duo. 

As well as Schubert’s Lebensstürme movement - a rarely heard but powerful sonata-piece for four hands - Richard and Emma are offering Poulenc’s sardonic “Duet Sonata” and three witty items by the American composer Samuel Barber. 

The Piano Duo works in the second half are by Bartók (from Mikrokosmos), and a tightly compressed set of flamboyant variations on a Paganini theme by Polish composer Lutoslawski, written when he was hiding from Nazi occupying forces during WW2. 

Two special items will be excitingly unknown for many. Not only do they offer new experiences, but they help to confirm the NZIPF as a New Zealand event, since they are by Wellington composer/conductor Kenneth Young. The first is Variations on a Prayer for piano-duet (“a wonderfully evocative piece” according to John Button of The Dominion Post) and the second is called Fantasy and is for two pianos. “The Fantasy of the title,” says Young, “reflects the fact that I simply let my imagination run wild... I really enjoyed writing the piece... and I hope the audience will too.” 

The bet is that the audience will love it. 

“Beautifully integrated playing...” The Dominion Post 

Visit www.nzipf.com

Blog post by Sharon Seeto

Lewis Eady Charitable Trust Administrator

Is your child learning on a suitable instrument?

To give your child the best chance of success in learning the piano, it is important that they learn on a suitable instrument. In essence there are three options:

1. Keyboard

2. Digital Piano

3. Piano

Keyboards

These are the least favoured option as they have light weight sprung actions derived from organs and do not resemble piano touch at all. At the very best 6 months is the maximum a child should learn on one of these and never never never buy a keyboard that isn’t touch sensitive – they are a complete waste of time and money!

Also bear in mind that keyboards are like computers and will depreciate in value very quickly.

Digital Pianos

These are a much better option than keyboards as a learning tool. They have a full 88 note keyboard with weighted actions which in some cases - like the Kawai digital pianos - can be very close to a piano touch. 

Bear in mind though that these too have their limitations. The best quality ones like the Kawai are rated by the Associated Board up to grade four level. Most digital pianos won’t take you that far but are still way better than keyboards.

Pianos

The best option but ‘Buyer beware’! Buying a second hand piano is like buying a second hand car of the same age. There are almost 8000 moving parts in a piano action. If the piano you are looking at on Trademe hasn’t been well maintained or has been exposed to high humidity or excessive use, you could be buying very expensive firewood.

All our second hand pianos are selected and serviced by qualified piano technicians and we stand behind each and every one of them with a comprehensive warranty. 

One last point on second hand pianos. Pianos are like humans – they get old and die!

They don’t get better with age.

They don’t appreciate with age.

And in many regards you would be far better off with a digital piano.

Get good advice, do your research and then come and see us at Lewis Eady for the best deal.

Finance available on request.

Poste by John Eady (Lewis Eady Ltd)

The Life of a Lewis Eady Music Tutor

Ah, the opportunities for a Lewis Eady Music Tutor don't cease over the holidays... I was given the chance to tutor at the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's 'Sistema Aotearoa' holiday programme at Sir Edmund Hillary College in Otara. The inspiration for the programme was 'El Sistema', founded in Venezuela by Jose Antonio Abreu. 90 percent of the 250,000 children attending El Sistema's music schools are from poor socio-economic backgrounds. 

Five and Six year olds came to learn Violin, Cello and Double Bass and worked towards a group string and vocal performance at the end of the week for friends and family. 

In week two I ran 2011's second installment of 'Lewis Eady Rock School' where seventeen creative young people learned the ins and outs of performing in bands and writing their own Rock songs. They worked tirelessly for 3 days finally putting on a show where they shook the foundations of M.A.I.N.Z. in stunning unrelenting ROCK style.

One member of the Rock School programme was new to our country and didn't speak english. His constant grin behind the drumkit and the Sistema Aotearoa experience reminded me of the power of the language of music and what can happen when people of varying social and creative backgrounds are brought together to share it.

Post by Brent McGarva 

Brent joined Lewis Eady in 2005, he teaches piano, keyboard, guitar, bass guitar, ukulele and Rock Band at the Lewis Eady Music School and Lewis Eady Rock School in the school holidays.

Brent holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Auckland, Grade 8 Piano and is currently studying to become a classroom teacher. He writes and performs both classical and rock music and is the Principal Coach of the Lewis Eady Rock School.