Kenneth Van Barthold Teaching CV

Introduction

I believe that the development of a personal expressive skill, such as playing a musical instrument, is one of the richest educational fields for self-illumination, imaginative and co-ordinative growth and ultimately social integration.

My four years’ experience in a piano class at the Paris Conservatoire (there are no individual lessons) convinced me of the place for group instrumental teaching alongside the more traditional individual method. My subsequent experience has confirmed this.

My first opportunity to teach piano in classes arose with my appointment as a tutor at the City Lit. After three months as a part-time tutor both here and at the Trinity College, I was invited to become head of the Music Department the City Lit was forming. My brief was to create the widest possible range of classes developing students’ individual musical skills. At its peak the department contained some 150 classes, its students performed frequently on the South Bank and its staff included musicians of the eminence of Sir Peter Pears, Malcolm Williamson and Peter Katin.

Alongside this I was pursuing a thriving concert and television career but after some twenty years I felt the need for change. I wanted to broaden my own teaching base and work with a younger age group. My job as Senior Piano Tutor with the ILEA gave me contact with children of varying abilities and pre-college students as well as the under-graduates, post-graduates and amateurs. I still teach at the City Lit and elsewhere.

I have prepared students for entry into: The Liszt Academy, Budapest; Paris National Conservatoire; Juilliard School, New York; UBC, Vancouver; Royal Northern College of Music and all four principal music Colleges in London and many Universities.

I have taught performance graduates from:
France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, Italy, Hungary, Russia, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Africa as well as all the major music Colleges in this country.

Present Posts (both part-time)

Senior Piano Tutor, City Lit Centre for Adult Studies.
Piano Tutor, Edinburgh University Summer School.

Previous Posts

Head of Music, City Lit Centre for Adult Studies. (1983 - 1960)
Professor of Piano, Trinity College of Music. (1965 - 1959)

Freelance Teaching Experience

Master Classes and Workshops Abroad:

Israel, Ruben Academy, Tel Aviv.
Canada, University of Saskatchewan, University of British Columbia.
Eire, University College, Galway.
United Kingdom Universities: York, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Warwick and London.
United Kingdom Music Colleges: Guildhall School of Music, Royal Northern College of Music, Birmingham Conservatoire and Purcell School.

Judging and Adjudication

France: Membre du Jury International de l’Ecole Normale de Musique.
Canada: Concours de Musique du Canada, Montreal (twice). First Canadian National Piano Adjudicator. Four coast-to-coast adjudicating tours.
United Kingdom: Recital Division, Royal Academy of Music. Various Music Festivals.

Formal Lecturing

Formal lecturing on a wide variety of subjects at many Universities, Colleges, Schools and for the British Council both in the UK and abroad.

Teaching Skills

Modern Piano: Wide repertoire with emphasis on systematic, rational technique (Gat, Cortot, Joseffy, Matthay) and style.

Fortepiano: Special emphasis on period ornamentation, articulation and style.

Figured Bass & Keyboard Harmony: Morris, Pilling, Keller, Mattei, Martini, Mattheson, Pasquali.

Aural Training: Based on Paris Conservatoire Solfege method in which I hold a Premiere Mention.

Class Piano Teaching: From Master Class level to elementary with the use of electronic keyboards when appropriate, and in a variety of styles including popular and jazz.