Andrew Eales has a well-established reputation as one of the leading piano educators in the United Kingdom.
“Andrew Eales is one of the most versatile, energised, and talented figures in music education today.”
Murray McLachlan
Head of Keyboard, Chetham’s School of Music
International Concert Pianist and Recording Artist
Andrew has run his teaching practice in Milton Keynes for more than 30 years, working with adults and children, ranging from beginners to diploma level, with outstanding results.
He now also supports players worldwide via his innovative, affordable and popular online Video Feedback Service.
Meanwhile, Andrew’s own personal piano recordings and compositions have been streamed online well over a million times.
Andrew is well known as a published composer and author.
His compositions have appeared in the ABRSM piano syllabus and several other publications, including ABRSM’s Piano Star series and Edition Musica Ferrum’s Mosaic series.
His book How to Practise Music was published internationally in 2021 by Hal Leonard, receiving considerable critical acclaim.
Andrew has also compiled and edited several music collections:
• The Graded Gillock (three volumes, 2022)
• Naoko Ikeda: The Graded Collection (2023)
• The Joy of Graded Piano (Grades 1-5, 2024).
Andrew is President of The Art of Piano Education Awards, a new annual event spearheaded by Elena Cobb.
Andrew is known as an advocate for holistic, non-competitive, mindful approaches to music-making, and an inquisitive, playful approach to teaching, learning and musical discovery. His mission is to help others find joy and fulfilment through playing the piano.
Professional Training
Born in Surrey, UK in 1966, Andrew started piano lessons aged 9. Within a few months he was awarded a music scholarship to Oakham School. He later completed his schooling at Bedford Modern School, simultaneously taking up a place as a Junior Exhibitioner at the Guildhall School of Music in London.
Andrew went on to read Music at the University of Birmingham where he gained his honours B.Mus degree and won the University’s esteemed Roland Gregory Music Prize. While in Birmingham, Andrew studied harpsichord with David Ponsford, developing an interest in authentic historical performance practice.
Andrew went on to complete his postgraduate professional training at the Royal College of Music in London, where he took lessons with the internationally acclaimed harpsichord and fortepianist Robert Woolley, gaining his ARCM Diploma as well as a Certificate in Advanced Study in Early Music. He was also the winner of the Raymond Russell Harpsichord Prize.
Andrew also studied piano for two years with the Hungarian concert pianist Joseph Weingarten, a former student of Dohnányi. Joseph’s profound and inspiring teaching had a huge impact on Andrew as a musician.
Professional Career
Andrew worked for EMI Classics in London for four years before launching his teaching career in the early 1990s.
He was soon appointed Head of Piano and Keyboard for the Milton Keynes Music Service, a post he held for several years. Alongside a busy teaching schedule and curriculum development work, Andrew provided training and leadership to a team of more than a dozen piano and keyboard teachers.
to the Mansek Music School in Takoradi, Ghana, 2003
During this time, Andrew’s work began to gain national attention. His series of four Keyquest tuition books for electronic keyboard were originally written to support his group teaching programme in schools, but were soon adopted by teachers more widely, and went on to sell more than 10,000 copies.
Andrew contributed to A Common Approach, the instrumental curriculum widely adopted by schools across the UK, and the ABRSM Music Medals for keyboard, composing several original pieces and arrangements published in their Keyboards Together books.
Since leaving the Music Service, Andrew has focused on his private teaching practice. Building on his three decades of experience, and a wealth of professional expertise, he has emerged as a leading voice in the piano education and publishing world.
His recent work has included filming piano tutorials in Poland for PWM Edition. He has been a syllabus consultant for the LCM and RSL Classical Piano grade exams, and contributed to ABRSM’s Teaching Notes on Piano Exam Pieces 2019-20 publication.
His original compositions have appeared in the ABRSM and LCM syllabus, as well as in ABRSM’s Piano Star and Editions Musica Ferrum’s Mosaic Series.
Andrew has spoken at national conferences and local events throughout the UK, including for ABRSM, Trinity College London, EPTA, The Piano Teachers’ Course UK, as well as in Africa and the USA.
in Lusławice, Poland, 2020
Andrew launched the Pianodao website in Summer 2015, since when it has developed into a significant and widely appreciated online resource for piano players and teachers. The site now has a global following, amassing nearly two million visits to date, from over 100 countries.
In 2023, Andrew accepted the role of Publishing Consultant with EVC Music, an independent boutique music publisher distributed by Hal Leonard, in which he offers independent advice on upcoming publications and projects
At the heart of all his work, Andrew’s thriving private teaching practice and care for his students’ musical development remains ever his primary focus as he continues his exciting journey as writer, composer, pianist and educator.
Andrew has been happily married to Louise for 32 years.
She is an advanced clinical nurse specialist in mental health, neurodiversity, and a qualified acupuncturist. Her professional expertise informs Pianodao.
They have a son and a daughter, who are both adults.
PIANODAO • 8 THE CRAVEN • HEELANDS
MILTON KEYNES • MK13 7NJ