John Blakely

For the New Zealand cricketer, see John Blakely (cricketer).

John P R Blakely (born 1947) is an English pianist and piano teacher at the Royal College of Music with "an international reputation as a chamber musician and accompanist".[1]

Born the son of a medical doctor, he was educated at Highgate School until 1964 and proceeded to study at the Royal Academy of Music, winning all the relevant major prizes. He then won a Nettleship music scholarship to Balliol College, Oxford.[1][2]

In 1987, Blakely accompanied tenor Neil Mackie in the world premiere of Kenneth Leighton's song cycle Earth, Sweet Earth.[3] He has recorded seven CDs, including Beethoven's Spring Sonata with Lorraine McAslan, which was declared 'first choice' of all available versions by BBC Radio 3's CD Review.[1] His many pupils have included Alisdair Hogarth who said that "John was brilliant and was a master of helping you completely get your head around an issue in a piece by summing it up in one sentence".[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Royal College of Music
  2. Hughes, Patrick (Ed.). Highgate School Register 1833-1988 (7th ed.). p. 331.
  3. Music and Musicians International - Volume 36, Issue 4 - Page 34 1987 "On July 6th, also at the Pump Room, Neil Mackie (tenor) with John Blakely (piano) gave the World premier of Kenneth Leighton's naive and rather old-fashioned song cycle 'Earth. Sweet Earth"."
  4. Wilson, Frances. "Meet the artist...Alisdair Hogarth". Retrieved 21 September 2015.


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