

Robert's profile and contact details have been verified by our team
Robert
- Rate R250
- Response 18h
-
Students44
Number of students Robert has accompanied since joining Superprof
Number of students Robert has accompanied since joining Superprof

R250/h
Unfortunately, this tutor is not available
- Musical keyboard
Specialist in piano technique with international experience offers individual coaching for classical and jazz pianists
- Musical keyboard
Lesson location
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At Robert's home: Cape Town
- online
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at your home or in a public place : will travel up to 40 km from Cape Town
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Super Tutor
Robert is one of our best Musical keyboard tutors. High-quality profile, qualifications verified, organised and responsive to lesson requests, and appreciated by their students.
About Robert
I was raised in Johannesburg, began playing the piano at the age of seven, and have played the piano for 35 years. In my youth my interests were equally divided between science and music. One of my early mentors who inspired me to pursue music professionally was Prof. Joseph Stanford at the University of Pretoria.
In 1998 I studied a year of mathematics and computer science through the University of South Africa (UNISA). In 1999 I moved to the University of the Witwatersrand where I began my music studies with Marian Friedman. In 2000 I was invited to work and study with Andrei Gavrilov at his home in Germany. Since then, I have received tuition from a number of distinguished pianists and teachers, including Lovro Pogorelich, Marija Bajalica, the late Nicolai Lomov, the late John Bell Young, Giselle Brodsky, and Roucher du Toit. My personal studies have taken me to Russia, Germany, Croatia, the United States, and back to Cape Town. I worked in Canada and Sri Lanka as a software developer and visual artist before returning to South Africa.
I have taught adult beginners, teenagers and young adults. One of my pupils won second prize in his first piano competition after a few months of coaching with me. I will accommodate those who have limited or no means. Have a chat with me and we can make a plan.
About the lesson
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Professional
- +7
levels :
Intermediate
Advanced
Professional
1st Year
2nd Year
3rd Year
4th Year
Graduate
Doctorate
Beginner
- English
Languages in which the lesson is available :
English
I am a sympathetic teacher and can build on every student's strengths and weaknesses. While technique is important, it is meaningless without musical understanding. I strive to impart an idiomatic understanding of composers such as Scriabin, Chopin, Clementi and J.S. Bach (among others).
I don't watch the clock when teaching as I want to give you the best possible chances of success. So lessons will be at least an hour, but are likely to last 90 minutes (if you are up for it).
Some of my methods include mirror image (symmetrically inverted) practicing, pioneered by Rudolf Ganz and used by the Canadian virtuoso pianist Marc-André Hamelin and the late jazz pianist Chick Corea. I find this to be very effective in improving technical growth, as it exercises both hemispheres of the brain. Most classical pianists only practise their exercises in similar motion. I teach a fingering for chromatic scales that was used by Moriz Rosenthal, a Liszt pupil and pianist from the golden age of the piano. I have many other technical solutions to share with you that dramatically improve flexibility, lateral movement and navigation.
While my primary field of expertise is classical piano, I also teach jazz chords, scales and improvisation.
I can help adults who have always wanted to play the piano better as well as young, ambitious people. Wherever you are in the world, you are invited to an online or in-person lesson.
Recommendations
Recommendations are written by the tutor's friends, family, and acquaintances.
Robert has an excellent command of the piano. He impresses with his virtuosic technique as well as with his insightful musicianship. He is comfortable playing even the most difficult pieces in the piano repertoire. Additionally, Maestro Robert is keenly observant, and expresses himself thoughtfully and precisely, as any great piano teacher should.
I have known Robert for a long time, and he has always been passionate about the piano and sharing his love for playing. He is a sensitive and musical person with many insights to offer.
I have known Robert for a long time. He has great depth as a musician, never approaching the piano superficially. He has made the effort to advance his knowledge and musical associations. A kindly gentleman he is, nevertheless, very serious and intense. He is open-minded, but appreciates the value of concentrated hard work and sees to it that there is reason and focus behind it. He can address things that need attention in the delivery of advanced compositions, and even trained individuals may be surprised by Robert's natural and intuitive insights into the music. Time at the piano with Robert is never wasted.
I had weekly lessons with Robert for about two months in 2018 and the results were excellent. Robert is an outstanding coach in piano technique and contributed greatly to my finger strength and general control at the keyboard. He is gentle but thorough, and as well as teaching, equips you with the tools to improve your technique on your own initiative. The technical foundation he has provided me with has and continues to prove itself invaluable; the more control you have, the more freedom of expression.
I strongly recommend Robert as a piano teacher to students of all ages and abilities. Robert's extensive musical knowledge and experience, his superlative technical skills and his caring and patient attitude will help students to transform their playing in terms of sound and musicality, which can only be achieved through high-quality lessons. Robert is willing to adapt lessons to suit students' tastes and needs. His versatile approach towards teaching is very effective in steering students towards musical excellence. His previous successes with students demonstrate his outstanding abilities as a piano teacher.
I'm so thrilled to have found Robert and the opportunity and connection for instruction on the keyboard. His patience and gentle nature are a blessing to me. He has been able to quickly isolate and help me overcome my areas of difficulty and comprehension both in understanding and performing the pieces that I was struggling with. An absolute Godsend, thank you, Robert!
See more recommendations
Rates
Rate
- R250
Package rates
- 5h: R1250
- 10h: R2500
online
- R250/h
Robert's video
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