I am absolutely delighted to congratulate my pupil Emma on another wonderful achievement: she has passed her ABRSM Piano Performance Grade 3 exam with Distinction!

Emma achieved an outstanding 140 out of 150, improving on her Grade 2 result while progressing to the greater technical and musical demands of Grade 3. It is a fantastic result and a lovely reflection of the work she has put into developing her playing.

For her Grade 3 performance, Emma prepared a varied programme of four contrasting pieces:

  • L. Köhler – Allegro moderato (1st movement from Sonatina in G, Op. 300 No. 93)
  • Mozart – Allegro in F (from London Sketchbook, K. 15a)
  • Youmi Kimura – Always with Me (from Spirited Away)
  • Henson & Pottle – The Muppet Show Theme, arranged by Blackwell

The examiner praised the delicacy and musical shaping of Emma’s Köhler performance, noting her control of the changing textures and describing the overall result as poised and musical. Her Mozart was particularly strong, with its lively tempo, accurate coordination, varied articulation and carefully shaped melodic lines earning particular praise.

In Always with Me, Emma created a warm and flowing performance, maintaining a smooth melodic line and an effective sense of tempo. The Muppet Show Theme provided a completely different musical character, with confident syncopation, effective balance between the hands and a lively, characterful conclusion.

The examiner’s comments on the performance as a whole were especially pleasing. Emma was praised for her poise, secure control of the instrument, varied articulation, well-chosen tempi and her ability to balance and coordinate different musical textures. Most importantly, she succeeded in giving each of her four pieces its own distinctive musical character.

I am incredibly proud of Emma’s progress. Achieving a Distinction at Grade 2 was already a wonderful accomplishment, but to move on to Grade 3, achieve another Distinction and improve her overall result to 140 out of 150 is a fantastic achievement.

Congratulations, Emma – very well deserved! 🎹👏