Hot on the heels of its successful annual Guitar Festival comes word that the Bermuda School of Music is launching the first of what will become an annual Piano Festival from June 20-22 this year.

Like the guitar, the piano is a popular instrument, but it is not easily transportable, so BSM faculty member/pianist Li You said many of her fellow teachers were looking for an avenue to highlight it. Inspired by the Guitar Festival founded five years ago by BSM guitar teacher Steve Crawford, they have decided now is the time.

"The piano department is the BSM's largest, and we have eight teachers and approximately 500 students, but we never have functions like the Guitar Festival, so I thought, 'Why can't we have someone from overseas to perform various repertoire? It will be a great inspiration for our students and even the piano faculty," Miss You said.

Concurring, the BSM's principal Lloyd Matthew noted that there was not a lot of opportunity for all of the piano faculty to perform.

"Many times their work is not seen as 'accomplished', so this is an opportunity for the actual instrument to really shine as it should," he said.

Getting the first Festival off to a fine start will be Spanish pianist Nestor Bayona Pifarré, whose concert is at the Anglican Cathedral on June 20. His programme will feature works by Beethoven, Bach and Spanish contemporary composers. He will be followed on June 21 by British pianist Marie Blair's concert at the BSM's AWAC Recital Hall in the F.S. Furbert Building of the old Berkeley Institute. Her programme will include works by Beethoven, Copeland, Liszt and Ginastera. Both performances will begin at 7.30 p.m.

Tickets for the Pifarré concert are $30 for adults and $10 for students, while for the Blair concert the price is $20 for adults and $10 for students. All are available from the BSM, the Music Box, and Pulp & Circumstance on Queen Street.

Two free concerts, one on Saturday, June 21 and the second on Sunday, June 22, both at 4 p.m. will round out the Piano Festival performances. The Saturday concert at the AWAC Recital Hall will be presented by BSM faculty and selected piano students and feature an interesting work, 'Chopsticks Variations', as well as duets and 'fun music'. Admission is free.

The Sunday concert, also free, will feature BSM Students of Distinction, and include strings, piano, wind, voice and guitar. This venue is Wesley Methodist Church on Church Street.

As befits any festival, master classes and workshops will also be offered at the BSM on June 20 and 21 for beginners, intermediate, advanced and adult students. On June 21 BSM teacher Bryan Ellis will conduct a jazz improvisation workshop at 2.45 p.m. (Cost $10). He will discuss chord progression and some jazz scales, and will invite participants who are not too shy to play. This is geared toward young people, and is open to non-BSM students who are interested in improv jazz. Accompanying adults are admitted free.

The BSM is also offering special packages for adult, beginner, intermediate and advanced piano students which include various combinations of master classes, workshops, the jazz workshop and concerts at different prices from $50 to $80.

For full details of the workshops/master classes, packages and other information, please contact the BSM at 296-7203.

Mr. Pifarré studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. There he won many prizes, including first prize in its Piano Recital Competition, and the Silverstone-Blank Duo Piano Prize with Luis Becerra, as well a various scholarships.

He performs regularly with cellist Jeremias Sanz in Duo Quodlibet, and they have won prizes in Barcelona, Spain. Duo Quodlibet have recorded on the Solfa Recordings label. Mr. Pifarré has also broadcast on Spanish radio, and for the BBC Radio 3 programme, Music Matters.

He is currently taking a piano pedagogy course, and is keen to use recording methods in his lessons with students.

Marie Blair is also an alumni of the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where in 2002 she won both the Bach and piano duo prizes, the latter with Jin Ju.

The pianist has given many recitals in England, the US and Europe, both as a soloist and a chamber player. She is currently principal pianist with the West Shore Symphony Orchestra, and was principal pianist for the Lansing Symphony Orchestra in Michigan, USA in the 1990s and again from 2005-7, as well as the American Wind Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to her solo and orchestral engagements, Ms Blair is presently teaching at the Communion Music School at Michigan State University.

"I am very excited about the Festival, and some of my students, as well as other teachers are also enthusiastic," Miss You said. "I hope the public will come and support us as it is our first Piano Festival, and we want to have a good start."