The Pianist’s Book Club. A forum for all at  the London International Piano Symposium March 15th 2026 at the Royal College of Music

We are delighted to welcome four leading authors to come and introduce their books on piano performance. Issues will be addressed such as:’the identity and artistic voice of the performer, ’embodying a ‘yes’ attitude’; ‘evidence-based perspectives on  the touch-tone relationship’; and, exploring a ‘healthy technique to natural artistry’.   The audience may like to prepare for the discussion which follows,  by going to Amazon UK  books, where there are ample samples to be found concerning each book

Prof. John Rink  is Emeritus Professor of Music in the Cambridge Faculty of Music, and Fellow in Music at St John’s College. He specialises in the fields of performance studies, nineteenth-century music (especially Chopin), theory and analysis, digital musicology and genetic criticism. ‘His book explores issues surrounding the identity and artistic voice of the performer by elucidating the sense-making and decision-making process underlying musical performance of all kinds.’ 

Dr Laura Ritchie, is a Professor of Learning and Teaching at the University of Chichester Conservatoire, UK, and a Visiting Professor at Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani (Unjani), Indonesia. Laura will introduce us to her  most recent book: ‘Yes I can: Learn to Use the Power of Self Efficacy (2021), which  explains   ways in  which performers’  can  see and enact positive agency  throughout their lives.  She is not only vibrant in her teaching, research, and music-making, but her approach also  inspires people to realise their goals through positive achievement and reach beyond their dreams. She is a musician, a BPS Chartered Psychologist, and a National Teaching Fellow.

Dr Cameron Roberts  draws upon on his expertise as a medical professional and active pianist,  providing us with an understanding of how piano playing works and,  most importantly from an evidence-based, scientific perspective. Using accessible language, this wealth of information will help readers steer away from uncertainty, suboptimal performance, and injury.

Penelope Roskell is an acclaimed international pianist and Professor of Piano and Pedagogy at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, London.  She is  the author of the award-winning book The Complete Pianist: from healthy technique to natural artistry, and  a world leader in the field of injury prevention and piano adviser to the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine.