Listen to my new video 1.57 of Student Recital highlights 2015!

Click here for YouTube link: Student Recital 2015

Or paste this in your browser         https://youtu.be/mb_1Ha0ELwk

Highlights of Student Recital 2015

Congratulations to my pupil!

Sincere congratulations to my pupil Abhinav Tivari on gaining Distinction (92 out of 100 marks) in his LTCL Diploma recital! Abhinav played Beethoven Pathetique Sonata, Chopin Fantaisie Impromptu, Faure Barcarolle in A minor, Rachmaninov Polichinelle and Scarlatti sonata in B minor. Great job, forwards and upwards! Next stop, Rachmaninoff 2nd concerto with orchestra next year.

Congratulations to my (former) students!

Congratulations to my former students Emmy and Mike Huang on their recent successes in Southampton (UK)!

Emmy Huang came 1st place in the Chappell Challenge and also won a medal in the Baroque or Classical Junior Piano, 14 years and under class, Mike Huang won the Southampton Piano Teachers’ Challenge Cup, and the Whitwam Trophy, awarded to him for being the most promising junior pianist.

www.kes.hants.sch.uk/news-stories/creative-arts/southampton-music-festival

Piano lessons for Pianists Recovering from injury

Pianists with Injuries Retraining Lessons

I am now offering Consultation lessons via the internet (in English, French, Italian or Mandarin) for pianists anywehre in the world recovering from injuries, including RSI (repetitive strain injury), tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Having suffered from Repetitive Strain Injury around 1990, I have patiently retrained over the past 25 years, with much help from Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, my piano teachers in Paris and London, and have done extensive reading on the subject.

I am now in a position to assist others looking for a more healthy and comfortable way to recover and play music at the piano. I can guide you as you retrain at your own pace, and as you learn underlying principles behind playing musically, with suppleness, while avoiding injuries in the future.

Background Reading For You
1. “What every pianist needs to know about the body” by Thomas Mark.
2.  “Artistic Piano Playing as Taught by Ludwig Deppe”, by Elisabeth Caland, translated by Evelyn Sutherland Stevenson
3. “Chopin: Pianist and Teacher, as seen by his pupils”, by Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger.
4. The Potent Self by Moshe Feldenkrais

Your Technical requirements
Unless you can visit me in my Taipei studio, we will need to set up simple and reliable channels for exchange. Don't panic, the following list may seem long, but you may have most of it in place already. If not, most teenagers could help you set up the following in less than an hour (probably less time than it would take you to travel to a piano lesson in most major cities)!

• A Skype account (for our conversations)
• A YouTube channel (to upload short videos, these can easily be set to 'private' so that only you and I can see them )
• A PayPal account (to pay me securely, knowing that you will be fully refunded if you do not get what was promised)
• Smart phone, or Camera, to record very short videos of you playing the piano.
• Tripod to support your camera (optional)
• Technical know-how to upload your videos to YouTube, so I can view them.

How to proceed
Please email me at matthewkoumis@gmail.com  and we will make an appointment to have a Skype telephone conversation, at which time you can explain to me your situation.

Once we have agreed a plan of action together that meets your needs, we will exchange videos. My teaching video will be uploaded to YouTube (private channel, only you can watch it) within 4 working days of my receiving your video. You will receive a 5 minute personalised coaching video containing demonstrations, simple exercises and instructions on how you should practice them, together with a short email giving you instructions plus page reference(s) to the above book(s).

Meanwhile you can check out my own videos on YouTube recorded in the past 12 months.YT link, Rachmaninoff played by Matthew Koumis

I look forward to the opportunity of being able to help you play comfortably and safely again!

Latest news August 2012

Recent news August 2012. I am glad to report that I have now passed my LGSMD diploma in piano performance, and so am now a Licentiate of Guildhall School of Music and Drama. I performed Bach Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, Ravel Sonatine, Debussy Prelude 'La Terrasse des Audiences au Clair de Lune', and Chopin 4th Ballade in F minor.

I am now preparing my next piano performance Diploma, FRSM  which I shall take in the winter of 2012, and I shall perform two late Beethoven Sonatas Op 109 and Op 110.

July 2012

Congratulations to Maya Garside for performing Liszt concert etude 'Un Sospiro' in Prague! Congratulations to Tanya Evans for gaining Grade 7 with Merit! Congratulations to Alla Garside for gaining Grade 6 Distinction! Congratulations to Louisa Van Aeken for gaining Grade 4 with Merit! Well done everybody, keep practising!

Congratulations!

To my pupil Alla Garside, congratulations on winning a music scholarship at King Edward VI school! Keep up the good work!