Approaching a famous concert pianist for lessons

[chopinrabbitthing]

Hi guys.,
So I was wondering,
Say after a recital by a famous pianist, e.g. Lang Lang, you got to have a couple of words with them, maybe at a signing.
Would it be okay to ask if they could give you a lesson (masterclass)?

Or if you knew one's contact details, could you ask them to teach you?

Just curious...

[theholygideons]

guys like that only teach people with potential.

[johnmar78]

yes, you can Lang Lang actually did  give master classes in Sydney when he was visiting Australia.  Validmir Askennazy does it too. You can easily find it on the Youtube.  Not only that, if I were you, just go to the local conservatories and find out mor einfrom about the master class. Normally its 200$ (in Sydney) for 3 sessions. In somecases, its 4. Piece of cake I hope this helps..

[pbryld]

I would love to have lessons with Stephen Hough.

[richard black]

Don't ask, don't get. And what can you possibly lose by asking? The worst possible answer is only 'no'.

[lostinidlewonder]

A famous concert pianist usually only has time to teach very few students. The best place to ask them for lessons (or be offered) is at a master class as this is within a teaching environment. If you want to have a single lesson this might certainly be possible but as for regular lesson you would generally have to be offered that by the pianist themselves. You could also always approach the pianist at their workplace (in person/emails) if they hold teaching positions.

[awesom_o]

Is there a particular reason why you wish to have lessons with a famous pianist?

[chopinrabbitthing]

yes, you can Lang Lang actually did  give master classes in Sydney when he was visiting Australia.  Validmir Askennazy does it too. You can easily find it on the Youtube.  Not only that, if I were you, just go to the local conservatories and find out mor einfrom about the master class. Normally its 200$ (in Sydney) for 3 sessions. In somecases, its 4. Piece of cake I hope this helps..

So you can just ask at, say, a recital? This is getting me curious!

[chopinrabbitthing]

I would love to have lessons with Stephen Hough.

Actually I was going to use him as an example. I had the opportunity to watch him give masterclasses when he was in Dublin, and they were brilliant!

[chopinrabbitthing]

A famous concert pianist usually only has time to teach very few students. The best place to ask them for lessons (or be offered) is at a master class as this is within a teaching environment. If you want to have a single lesson this might certainly be possible but as for regular lesson you would generally have to be offered that by the pianist themselves. You could also always approach the pianist at their workplace (in person/emails) if they hold teaching positions.

Thanks, your answer was really clear!

[awesom_o]

Is there a particular reason why you wish to have lessons with a famous pianist?

[bronnestam]

I know a famous concert pianist, who in my opinion plays a certain Beethoven sonata better than ANYONE I've ever heard (yes, I've heard many ...) So in my eyes he is the world champion. I asked him if he could give me a lesson on this sonata.
He invited me to a master class "for adult amateurs" he is planning to have this fall. (But oh, I know these plans sometimes change    )

So I guess that was a "yes".    I am a crappy pianist but we are friends, so I was not afraid of asking - after all, these guys are just people like the rest of us, many of them struggle to make ends meet and they are happy for any chance to get an extra income, and your money is just as good as anyone else's. And if they say "no, sorry, I don't think I will have time for this in my schedule", then you should not take it personal. They probably just mean exactly what they said, that they don't have the time.


On the other hand: the typical situation when you talk to an artist right after their performance, or during a signing session with lots of other people around, is the worst time. They are tired and stressed.
And, finally - put yourself in their situation: a total stranger approaches you and says something like "hey, I think you are the best - can you give me a lesson?"  How would you react? Maybe this stranger is a terribly bad piano player and expect you to do the impossible and make him the next Claudio Arrau in one hour, and when you fail he will get nasty ... threaten you or starting to spread a rumour about you as "revenge". He can even be a crazy stalker. Everybody knows the stories about this.

So ... I would take contact via e-mail channels, and I would try to get references from teachers etcetera if we were not introduced to each other before, and I would not take a rejection personal.

And finally ... about that amateur master class ... I happily said "of course! Wow!" and then I went away, sooo happy. And then it just struck me: what did I just do? What did I just say?

          Good Lord ...

[tds]

Just ask! You never know 

[ted]

I do not know about concert pianists as such, but I have never been intimidated by somebody's fame in any field. Fifteen years or so ago, when I first explored the internet, keen to make musical contacts, I found sites of very prominent composers and players in fields aside from classical. I did not know exactly how well known these people were at the time and was somewhat naive. I just sent them emails, and curiously, the only ones who did not respond were those from my own country. Just what this difference implies I am still pondering !

Just talk to them the same as you would talk to the man next door and don't insult their intelligence with mindless hagiolatry. If they don't want to pursue the matter, then that is fine, don't be offended, and it matters no more than if they were Joe Bloggs down the road. Famous people are likely to be very busy, after all.

In short, fame is best ignored. Just be yourself.

Hey Teguh, nice to see you posting again. You're getting famous yourself !