How did this all start?
Here is some background...... A few years ago, Jonathan Wastie gave me Alan Rusbridger's book Play it Again in which he describes a piano summer school in the French countryside.
I knew that the small town near our summer home in Hungary had a purpose-built music school and I started to hatch the idea of a week's piano course for adult pianists, linked with cultural outings and good food.
In the summer of 2013 pianists Yuri Paterson-Olenich, Evgenia Startseva and their daughter Katya came to stay with Vic and me and immediately became enthusiastic about the idea of a piano course and joined in as tutors. And so it happened that in the summer of 2014 we introduced a group of adult pianists to the glorious countryside near Pécs (European City of Culture in 2010) in southern Hungary. We combined visits to villages, galleries, spas and restaurants, as well as the city, with daily individual lessons, concerts, workshops and, uniquely, ensemble playing. I am delighted that as well as the inspiring lessons for solo repertoire, everyone also has the opportunity to team up with others to play in ensemble pieces involving up to eight people on two pianos.
The success of this first venture led us to having to find a larger music school and we were invited to hold our next Zongora Piano Weeks in Gödöllő, just north of Budapest. The Chopin Zeneiskola (music school) is opposite the famous palace and ten minutes' walk from the town's main hotel through a woodland park. Trains to Budapest take about 30 minutes.
Over the last four years we have built up a wonderful relationship with this music school and its director, Enikő Buka and her husband . The Hungarian/English Price family, who live in the town, have supported the venture in many ways and Hungarian friends at home and away have helped us constantly.
The activities of the Zongora pianists have continued in England and a thriving musical community has built up, with members of the group meeting on many occasions. The weekend courses in Sussex have grown out of this popularity and taking part in the November Two-Piano Extravaganza in Brighton (see our gallery for photos) has given us the chance to show to many others what can be done when a group of pianists get together!
We welcome all pianists of moderate to advanced ability to get in touch to find out more about our courses. You will not only improve your confidence and playing skills, but meet plenty of other people with the same interests.
Maggie Grimsdell
I knew that the small town near our summer home in Hungary had a purpose-built music school and I started to hatch the idea of a week's piano course for adult pianists, linked with cultural outings and good food.
In the summer of 2013 pianists Yuri Paterson-Olenich, Evgenia Startseva and their daughter Katya came to stay with Vic and me and immediately became enthusiastic about the idea of a piano course and joined in as tutors. And so it happened that in the summer of 2014 we introduced a group of adult pianists to the glorious countryside near Pécs (European City of Culture in 2010) in southern Hungary. We combined visits to villages, galleries, spas and restaurants, as well as the city, with daily individual lessons, concerts, workshops and, uniquely, ensemble playing. I am delighted that as well as the inspiring lessons for solo repertoire, everyone also has the opportunity to team up with others to play in ensemble pieces involving up to eight people on two pianos.
The success of this first venture led us to having to find a larger music school and we were invited to hold our next Zongora Piano Weeks in Gödöllő, just north of Budapest. The Chopin Zeneiskola (music school) is opposite the famous palace and ten minutes' walk from the town's main hotel through a woodland park. Trains to Budapest take about 30 minutes.
Over the last four years we have built up a wonderful relationship with this music school and its director, Enikő Buka and her husband . The Hungarian/English Price family, who live in the town, have supported the venture in many ways and Hungarian friends at home and away have helped us constantly.
The activities of the Zongora pianists have continued in England and a thriving musical community has built up, with members of the group meeting on many occasions. The weekend courses in Sussex have grown out of this popularity and taking part in the November Two-Piano Extravaganza in Brighton (see our gallery for photos) has given us the chance to show to many others what can be done when a group of pianists get together!
We welcome all pianists of moderate to advanced ability to get in touch to find out more about our courses. You will not only improve your confidence and playing skills, but meet plenty of other people with the same interests.
Maggie Grimsdell
