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Ingredients of Engaging Performances (Recording)
Price range: $135.00 through $198.00
- Loo Bang Hean
- 6x60-min sessions
- Completed
Description
The notation on a music score mainly tells us about the pitches and rhythm, i.e. which notes, and what meter and rhythm to play. Often there are also indications like tempo, articulation and dynamics. Merely observing these elements, however, is not quite sufficient to really bring the music to life. What other aspects contribute to an engaging performance? What makes a student’s playing come across as musical, captivating and characterful?
In this course, Bang Hean will discuss the aspects of piano playing that will elevate a performance and engage the audience, whether at exams, competitions or concerts. Using selections taken from the new 2025-2026 ABRSM graded piano syllabus, each session will focus on a certain aspect of piano playing, with demonstrations and teaching tips on how one can achieve a more refined or vivid performance. In the final session there will be discussions on selected Grade 8 exam repertoire, with demonstrations of how all these elements come together to achieve an engaging performance.
Participants should have the new ABRSM Piano Exam Pieces 2025-2026 on hand. Selected copyright-free Grade 8 pieces with annotations will be provided for the discussion during week 6.
Instructor
Since his return to Malaysia after studying at the Royal College of Music, London under an ABRSM scholarship as well as postgraduate studies in Italy, Bang Hean has made regular appearances in solo recitals, chamber concerts as well as concerto performances. He has appeared in most major concert venues in Malaysia and has been featured as a soloist with various local orchestras, the MalaysianPhilharmonic Orchestra (MPO). An active chamber musician, he collaborates frequently with various instrumentalists and vocalists, and is a frequent guest pianist at the MPO chamber concert series. Bang Hean has performed abroad in countries such as England, Italy, Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Cambodia and Korea. Bang Hean has frequently been invited to adjudicate, examine, and conduct masterclasses and in various countries. A frequent presenter for ABRSM, he has presented seminars around South East Asia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and China, India and the Middle East.
Outline
Week 1: Tempo, rhythm and rubato
Deciding on tempo, rhythmic vitality as well as flexibility
Week 2: Articulation
Choosing from a wide variety of articulations
Week 3: Tone, balance and shape
Finding an effective tone colour, textural balance and melodic shape
Week 4: Pedalling
Using the sustaining pedal and the una corda
Week 5: Style and character
Conveying the style and character of the piece
Week 6: Putting together all the elements
Discussion of selected Gr 8 pieces, including Gr 8 A1, A3, B1, B2, C2, C3.
Related Course
FAQS
Each course has a planned start date, which may shift slightly depending on participant sign-ups. We will confirm the final schedule with all registered participants once enrollment is finalized.
Yes, they will be made available for participants until 6 months after the completion of each course.
E-certificates will be issued on course completion to Active Participants.
Active Participants will be involved in class participation: interacting with course instructors, receiving feedback on class assignments/submissions, and they will have playing opportunities in class etc. Observers will be observing these segments of the class.
Active Participants will receive an E-certificate of participation, and Observers will receive a certificate of attendance.
5 days before the course commences.
Yes, simply get your friends together and send us an email to request for a second round of the course! If we receive sufficient signups we will repeat the course.
We do not conduct make-up classes. Learners who miss a session can catch up on the class content by watching the session recording thereafter. If there are any class assignments, learners are to contact the instructor directly.
We at the Academy do our utmost to make courses proceed as planned. However, there are times when unforeseen circumstances force a class to be cancelled. When this happens, we are committed to refunding the total amount, in an efficient manner, including any costs of using third-party payment gateways.
Should a participant need to cancel, we will make efforts to accommodate refunds, though costs of using third-party payment gateways will be borne by the participant.
Late cancellations may not be able to be refunded, as they will have been factored into the confirmation of running the course. We will provide a full refund for cancellations up to 2 weeks before the start of a course, following this a 50% refund with up to 1 week of notice. Notifications of fewer than 7 days will most likely not be eligible for a refund. We thank you for your understanding.
