The Mid-Twentieth-Century Concert Pianist

Julian Hellaby examines how British pianists active in the middle years of the last century started, built and sustained their careers. Hellaby examines the role of debut recitals, competitions, auditions, interviews, agents, broadcasts, recordings, music clubs, orchestral work, style, image, management and artist promotion within the UK.

Julian Hellaby, PhD, MMus, BMus, LRAM, ARAM, studied piano with the distinguished pianist Denis Matthews and later at London's Royal Academy of Music. He has performed as a solo pianist, concerto soloist, accompanist and chamber musician in continental Europe, the Middle East, South Africa and throughout the UK, including recitals in the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room. More recent two-piano work with pianist Peter Noke has featured performances in the UK, Hong Kong and China. Julian is an examiner, moderator and public presenter for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) as well as a former mentor for the ABRSM's Certificate of Teaching course. He has taught academic music at Coventry University and London College of Music, and has extensive experience of piano teaching and adjudicating, including work for the European Piano Teachers' Association (EPTA). He has released several CDs, written journal articles and contributed to ABRSM's Piano Teaching Notes. His first book, Reading Musical Interpretation, was published by Ashgate in 2009.

Part One - Introduction And Background 1. Introduction 2. Musical Life In Mid-Twentieth-Century England Part Two - Career Development And Sustenance 3. Getting Started In The Profession 4. Sustaining A Career (1) - Management And Promotion 5. Sustaining A Career (2) - The Working Pianist Part Three - Performance Practice 6. Pedagogical Influences 7. In Search Of An English School Of Pianism 8. Closing Thoughts