I am delighted to congratulate my pupil, Emma, on achieving a wonderful Distinction in her ABRSM Piano Performance Grade 2 exam, with an excellent score of 132 out of 150!

Emma prepared a varied programme of four contrasting pieces, each giving her the opportunity to demonstrate a different aspect of her playing and musicianship:

  • Beethoven – Moderato (1st movement from Sonatina in G, WoO Anh. 5)
  • Alexis Ffrench – The Singing Swan
  • Pete Letanka – Way Out West
  • Barbara Arens – Sparkling Splashes & Smooth Water from The Mermaid Challenge

The examiner particularly praised Emma’s elegant articulation and musical balance in the Beethoven, noting that she gave the piece a definite sense of style and produced a shapely and melodically assured performance.

In The Singing Swan, Emma’s pedalling was praised for creating a lovely sense of legato and adding colour to the music, while her well-judged tempo helped bring out the musical idea.

Way Out West showed another side of Emma’s playing. The examiner commented that she managed the swung rhythms with ease and chose an excellent tempo, successfully communicating the distinctive musical style of the piece.

In Sparkling Splashes & Smooth Water, Emma conveyed much of the musical detail and maintained a confident, rhythmically driven approach through the contrasting sections.

The examiner described Emma’s programme as an engaging performance, praising her involvement in the music, varied tone colours and the clear sense of identity she gave to each of the four pieces.

I am very proud of Emma and of all the work she put into preparing such a varied programme. Achieving a Distinction at Grade 2 is a fantastic result and a lovely reward for her hard work and developing musicianship.

Congratulations, Emma – very well deserved! 🎹🎶👏