Pianist, opera répétiteur, and coach
19 February 2026
RIP, cher Maître.
Thank you for years of your classes, our talks, your wisdom and humour, and for being a true godfather in my professional life.
The musical world feels orphaned now.
(Photo from 2014, most likely by Michel Cooreman)
19 June 2025
On the importance of words.
My whole life changed because of one small talk with this cutie @cellohuber. If we hadn’t started chitchatting 13 years ago in Manchester while waiting for his teacher, I’d never have dared to send in a late application to @musicchapel. Which means that not only would I have missed three incredible years at that institution, I also wouldn’t have worked with the legendary Dmitry Bashkirov who was a guest professor there at the time, and he wouldn’t have transferred me to @kgerstein, who has meant the world to me ever since.
I also wouldn’t have played soooo much chamber music late evenings there with colleagues from all departments, therefore wouldn’t have accidentally ended up accompanying José van Dam lesson where he told me (t-o-l-d) that it seems to him like I was built to be an opera répétiteur (while back then I didn’t even know the difference between, for instance, Orfeo ed Euridice and Orphée aux enfers).
Even one phrase can change a lifetime.
Please talk to each other.
#love
26 January 2016
Back to work with a legendary José van Dam this week! #blackandblue #much #joyofworking #polipiano