good professor in the Royal Academy in London?

[brahmssivo]

is anybody studying there now? is there an excellent piano professor?

[healdie]

I am not studying but i would say so at a place like that

[jpowell]

Sulamita Aronovksy.

[franzliszt2]

Hamish Milne is probably the best prof on the faculty. You will be very very lucky to get him though. I personally would only go to the Academy to study with him. He won't take any new students on, but I'm sure if you are amazing he will consider! He wouldn't even listen to some of my friends who are accepted and going there in September, just said he wasn't taking anymore students.

Chris Elton is probably the bluntest proffesor I have ever come across. If something is bad he will tell you it is bad and not be nice about it at all. Some people say he is very good, others say he is terrible and pays no attention to his students. He is a very useful contact though, his name comes up in many major competition jurys.

Nemirovsky is very tough on technique, and gives his students lots of technique work if they have any problems. Including Hanon...Don't know what he's like as a musician.


Have some lessons with the teachers, see which ones you like. I wouldn't go to the Academy though. Royal College and Guildhall are much fairer schools, and have exceptional teachers. Guidhall has Martin Roscoe, Joan Havill and Ronan O'Hora who are really great teachers. At college you have Vanessa Latarche (you won't get her unless you are postgrad) Dmitri Alexeev (You won't get him unless you are postgrad and Russian) Gordon Fergus-Thompson, Andrew Ball, Ashley Wass, Leon Mccawley (he may be postgrad only as well).

[rabbity baxter]

I would also second Hamish M.

Chris Elton -- has anyone ever heard him play anything?

Aronovsky -- I believe she can't play anymore due to arthrytis, but a brilliant teacher.

About the college: Andrew Ball is good, but Latarche??

read this:
https://www.musicweb-international.com/classRev/2008/Mar08/Latarche_DRD0273.htm

she seems rather underqualified. "Active [...] as an accompanist". Hmm. Great.

[franzliszt2]

Elton...I don't believe he plays anymore, BUT he's teaching, and he has got some great pupils. However you could argue they were great before going to him. He always has interesting things to say, as long as he is in the correct mood.

Latarche is a fantastic teacher by all accounts. Have you seen her list of current students? She was an amazing pianist according to many pianists, but she is now head of keyboard at RCM and that will no doubt take up a lot of time. She also trains the examiners for the ABRSM, she has taught for years and produced a lot of great students. I wouldn't say she is underqualified, especially after reading that review. At the Chethams course where the recital was held it is hard to judge the performers properly because they probably spent all day teaching and not practicing.