We have recently had some Instagram piano celebrities visit us here at Finchcocks. One of which was the lovely @EmiliaPlaysPiano. We connected with Emilia online and knew that she would absolutely love a visit to Finchcocks – and that we would equally love to have her join us for a course!

Piano teacher and performer, Emilia keeps a public online piano diary and motivational account on Instagram with well over 15,000 followers. She posts regular, honest updates about her life as a performing teacher, always with her unique humour and warmth.

Emilia often posts about her love for Chopin, so what better than to invite her on Chopin expert Warren Mailley-Smith‘s weekend devoted to the great Polish composer’s rich output.

Guests learned about the importance of bel canto (‘beautiful singing’) and cantabile (‘in a singing style’) playing, as well as the art of pedalling to sustain the style. They also performed pieces they had prepared in performance classes, learning from each other’s playing in the open lessons – as well as enjoying a one-to-one lesson with Warren for even more tips.

Emilia kindly made a video of her experience on her YouTube channel. Her enthusiasm for the piano and joy for musical experiences shines through. How lucky her students are to have her as a musical role model! Thank you, Emilia, for shining a light on our piano retreats and courses and from visiting all the way from Ireland!