Centre for Young Musicians

Piano
Head of Department - Cathy Riley
Cathy graduated from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, with a Master of Music degree. A grant from the NZ Arts Council enabled her to continue her studies in London at the Royal College of Music with Kendall Taylor and Peter Wallfisch. Awards, including the Stella Murray Prize in the Royal Overseas League Music Festival and the Lambeth Award led to concerts at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room and the Fairfield Hall. As a soloist and chamber musician Catherine has worked across the UK and Europe. While a member of the Florestan Piano Trio she undertook two successful tours of Germany. Currently she has a duo with the American violinist, Christopher Collins Lee, and has recently released a CD of the complete works for violin and piano by Edvard Greig. In addition to her position as Head of Piano at CYM she holds teaching posts at Pimlico Special Music Course and Godolphin & Latymer School for Girls. She is also a lecturer and committee member of the EPTA Pedagogy Course.

The CYM Piano Department currently consists of approximately 100 first and second study pianists. Apart from individual lessons there are frequent opportunities to perform in lunchtime Piano Department meetings as well as in the lunchtime concerts each week. We also offer opportunities for students to participate in chamber music and each year there is a piano duet workshop and performance, held on the Performance and Activities day. We offer harpsichord as a separate study option to pianists. Jazz piano is also available with one of our specialist piano tutors and there are opportunities for pianists to join jazz classes. Organ tuition can be arranged for some advanced pianists.

There are currently four chamber ensembles involving piano. Last year there were performances of Mozart’s Piano Quartet in G minor; movements from Messaien’s “Quartet for the End of Time” and Beethoven’s “Ghost Trio”.

Apart from regular appearances in CYM’s concerts series our chamber ensembles have also played in the National Festival of Music for Youth, on London’s South Bank.

Tutors
Click here for a list of tutors within the department.