International concert pianist, composer and graduate of the Royal College of Music London with years of experience teaching in-person and online!

Learn more about Rob

• 1) When did you first develop a passion for music and your favourite instrument?

  Although I started reasonably young, I started to have more of an interest in music as a teenager, but the wheels really started moving when I took a specific interest in the piano in my mid-teens or so. I've been playing for decades, but I still love the piano more than ever.

• 2) Is there a particular type of music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy? Many things. A great piece of music always has an element which is open to interpretation. 3) Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music. Preparing extended recitals with students is always a challenge in what they demand of a musician. You don't only need to play the notes, but to also have various psychological 'tricks' to get yourself through all the nerves and pitfalls of a long-form recital. 4) What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why? I haven't played most instruments so it's hard to say. But I also wonder if one can ever 'master' an instrument. There are always things to think about and develop.

  Many things. A great piece of music always has an element which is open to interpretation.

• 3) Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music. Preparing extended recitals with students is always a challenge in what they demand of a musician. You don't only need to play the notes, but to also have various psychological 'tricks' to get yourself through all the nerves and pitfalls of a long-form recital. 4) What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why? I haven't played most instruments so it's hard to say. But I also wonder if one can ever 'master' an instrument. There are always things to think about and develop.

  Preparing extended recitals with students is always a challenge in what they demand of a musician. You don't only need to play the notes, but to also have various psychological 'tricks' to get yourself through all the nerves and pitfalls of a long-form recital.

• 4) What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  I haven't played most instruments so it's hard to say. But I also wonder if one can ever 'master' an instrument. There are always things to think about and develop.

• 5) What are your keys to success?

  Practise and write every day, even if you don't feel like it, and routine. And to also think about the music, not just play it.

• 6) Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  Franz Schubert, Claude Vivier and Anton Webern. Three genius composers who were rather neglected while they were alive - they bring a sense of humility to their music. Although I'd like to think they'd be having a good night's sleep in preparation for composing the next day and not at a bar until the wee hours of the morning.

• 7) Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  'I can play slower than you!'

• 8) What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I work with a student as a team. It's a two-way relation, and a method that works for one person might not for another. And I think learning only happens when everyone is relaxed, physically and mentally. This way, I can help a student learn to learn and develop on their own too.