Keyboard Programme

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The CAT offers tuition in keyboard instruments from a team of extremely experienced teachers, in a range of musical styles.

In addition to individual instrumental lessons and music language classes, all keyboard students rehearse weekly in either a small ensemble (formed through close links with all other programmes) or as part of a weekly piano class. In the piano class they can perform in front of and learn from their peers, form duets and trios, and covers wide range of piano related topics.

Pianists at the CAT benefit from truly outstanding masterclasses from some of the leading UK pianists; over recent years there have been frequent and returning visits from Vanessa Latarche (Professor and head of department at the Royal College of Music); Martin Roscoe (International pianist and Professor at Guildhall School of Music and Drama); Ronan O’Hora (International concert pianist and head of the piano department at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama); Janos Balasz, Cathy Krier and Christopher Park (ECHO Rising Stars); Katya Apikesheva; Mariam Batsashvilli; Alexandra Dariescu (Young Concert Artist Trust); and renowned Jazz Pianist Elliot Galvin.

Keyboard skills are a very valuable asset for any musician and many students whose first study is not piano take piano as a second study. Many of our second study pianists achieve success in the higher grades and enjoy the opportunity to play in our lunchtime concerts.

For those with an interest in jazz piano, we have a close link with our Popular and Contemporary Programme which provides further opportunity.

Key Information

Study Leader: James Craig
Venera Bojkova
Nick Butters
Yoshie Kawamura
Julia Kennard
Antonina Lax
Oona Prendiville
Sam Rapley

‘It was great to work with the students, they were all very enthusiastic and committed to the work we did. It’s fantastic that an organisation like this actively seeks to educate students in new challenging ways of creating music’

Elliot Galvin, Jazz Pianist and Composer

Information for Students

Timetables, auditions, and other useful information for current and prospective CAT students to help make the most of your learning experience.

More info

Meet the team

Study Leader: James Craig
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James joined the cello section of Royal Northern Sinfonia on completing post-graduate studies at the Royal College of Music. In 1995 a Northern Arts scholarship enabled him to study in Israel, Finland, France, Italy and England. Since returning, James has also taught extensively. For many years, he wrote and presented workshops in schools, including string quartet and composition coaching to A level standard. James has additionally given cello masterclasses in the Baccarelli Institute, Sao Paolo Brasil and as part of ‘Awards for Young Musicians’.

Venera Bojkova (Piano & Harp)
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Venera was born in Sofia, Bulgaria and studied at the State Conservatoire of Music. As a pianist, Venera has performed throughout Europe, in Russia, South Africa and the USA. She teaches piano at Sage Gateshead and Durham Universities, and is Music Director of Bishop Auckland Choral Society. As a harpist she studied with Suzanna Klintcharova in Sofia, and has performed as a soloist and orchestral harpist throughout the North East.

Yoshie Kawamura
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Yoshie was born in Japan Nagoya and has been a resident in the UK since she was 11.

She has given many performances worldwide where her main appearances were; in Germany 200th year of celebration for Chopin at Freiburg Musikhochschule, Switzerland Chamber Music Concert at Luzern Marianischer Saal, Berlin Chamber Music Festival Lunchtime Concert Series at Berliner Philharmoniker, and Netherlands International Stichting Apeldoon Festival. She was also invited to join the Berlin Philharmonic Quartet in performing Schumann’s Piano Quintet on their tour of Japan; subsequently she received an invitation from the Poznan Philharmonia to perform as a soloist in Chopin’s Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise in a series of concerts in Poland.

Her most recent appearances include Lunchtime Concert at King’s Hall Newcastle University, Brahms and Shostakovich piano trio at Sage Gateshead Hall 1 and Rachmaninov Suite no. 2 for two pianos at Durham Cathedral.

She studied at Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Joan Havill and later went to Germany to further her studies with Prof. Mishory at Musikhochschule Freiburg. In 2013 she came back to the UK to receive her second master in Cultural Management at the Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Julia Kennard (Piano)
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Julia is originally from Stockton-on-Tees where she began piano lessons at the age of nine with Marian Creaser. After leaving school she won an Associated Board Scholarship to study at The Royal College of Music in London. Her career since graduation has combined teaching, accompanying and performing; now her children have flown the nest she is once more resident in the North East of England.

Antonina Lax (Piano)
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Antonina studied piano at the Tyumen Art College in Russia, graduating with a bachelors degree in Piano Performing and Teaching and later with a masters degree. She also has a PhD in the History of the Russian Language and Culture. Antonina has taken part in many concerts as a soloist, accompanist and chamber musician in Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine and England. After moving to England, Antonina participated in some of Changeling Productions and InterOpera Projects in the North East. She currently teaches piano at Barnard Castle School and prepares students for any grade or level up to MA.

Oona Prendiville (Piano)
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Oona is originally from London where she began her music formation at the Purcell School of Music. She studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music with Frank Wibault and continued her Post Graduate studies at the Royal Northern College of Music with Sulamita Aronovsky. Her early career revolved around teaching (Junior Guildhall) and accompanying. She spent 14 years living in France and eight in the Netherlands. During this time she studied with Francoise Parrot-Hanlet at the ‘Ecole Normale, Alfred Cortot, taught piano from beginner through to diploma level, performed regularly works for 2/3 pianos, (Salle Cortot, Chateau Vaux le Vicompte) accompanied local church and school choirs, and was involved in producing educational music projects within local schools. She has recently moved back to the UK and is enjoying participating in the vibrant music world of the North East of England.