EVC Music – Pianodao

Piano Tales for Winnie-the-Pooh

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

With the popularity of her OUP collections, and her many contributions to the ABRSM piano and jazz syllabus, Nikki Iles has become a near ubiquitous voice in contemporary music education, her distinctive writing a permeating presence in piano publications.

Fans of her music (of whom I am certainly one) will give a warm welcome to the truly delightful pieces in her latest collection from EVC Music, Piano Tales for Winnie-the-Pooh. The book follows in the footsteps of her previous Piano Tales for Alice (UK Grades 1-3, reviewed here), and Piano Tales for Peter Pan (Grades 3-5, reviewed here).

Rather than rounding off her trilogy with an advanced collection as might have been predicted, Piano Tales for Winnie-the-Pooh delivers a selection of new compositions suitable for elementary to intermediate pianists. Let’s find out more…

David Önaç • Spirituals

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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When Elena Cobb invited me to be an occasional consultant for her EVC Music publishing venture, the project she foremost had in mind was a collection of Spirituals arranged by David Önaç. Already aware of Önaç‘s brilliant work, and excited by this new concept, it was a pleasure to advise in the early stages of the project’s development.

Spirituals has now arrived, and as my early enthusiasm anticipated, I believe it to be a publication of some significance. I anticipate that piano teachers will warmly appreciate this material, and that it will prove popular with learners across the elementary and intermediate range, from Initial to Grade 5.

Rooted in universally beloved melodies, nourished by the distinctive harmonies of the Gospel tradition, and expertly crafted to suit elementary to intermediate piano players of all ages, David Önaç has delivered a gem of a collection that is sure to be treasured by pianists throughout the early years of their playing.

Here is why I think this book deserves a place on the shelves of elementary to intermediate piano players everywhere…

More Ballads Without Words

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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Heather Hammond is well established as one of the most prolific and respected composers of educational piano music, and her publications for EVC Music (which include Grooves for Piano Dudes reviewed here and Ballads Without Words reviewed here) include much of her best work.

Of the latter, I wrote:

“Here is an album that will surely be a “quick win” with players at upper intermediate level who want to play music in a lighter style, but with emotive melodic content.”

It is neither a surprise that it has proved to be a popular success, not that Hammond’s latest publication is a much-anticipated sequel…

Piano Grades Are Go! 4 & 5

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Of the piano education composers who have arrived on the scene in recent years, Victoria Proudler has made a very particular and special impact, and whether talking to colleagues locally, online, or at conferences, her books are frequently mentioned as must-have collections.

The Piano Grades Are Go! series already includes collections for Initial to Grade One (reviewed here) and for Grades 2-3 (reviewed here). And I think the reason that they have made such an impression is fairly easy to explain.

While more advanced players might invest in a single-composer collection to develop their repertoire (both for performance and leisure), learners at earlier levels tend to be focused on developing their skills and understanding. They value material that is musically broad, with a clear grade/level, explicit educational structure, and helpful pedagogic content.

Unlike some composer collections, the Piano Grades Are Go! series very clearly ticks these boxes, and Proudler’s music is engaging, memorable, and stylistically on point.

Now available, Piano Grade are Go! Grades 4-5 is the third and final book in this popular series, taking the series to upper intermediate level, and inevitably expectations are sky high. So is this collection another winner? Let’s find out…

Celtic Piano Music • Elementary

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

EVC Music is a publisher who continue to enjoy an interesting journey. From early beginnings a few years ago, publishing founder Elena Cobb’s music but soon growing to include music of upcoming composers she wanted to support, the publisher has developed a catalogue of music by composers as highly respected as Nikki Iles, Heather Hammond, Graham Lynch, Sam Wedgwood and Donald Thomson.

The latter has long been working in the sidelines as a music engraver for publishers such as Kevin Mayhew and Faber Music, but as a composer burst onto the scene with his award-nominated and deservedly popular series of Celtic Piano Music books, reviewed here, which I have found appeal to intermediate players of all ages.

Thomson is now back with more, and his latest collection in the Celtic Piano Music series offers 21 new pieces suitable for elementary players, equivalent to UK Initial to Grade 2 level.

Sporting a classy cover that builds on the image of the original collections, and with the high quality smooth cream paper that EVC Music have recently switched to, this is a genuinely impressive publication which can only further enhance EVC Music’s reputation for delivering quality product, and for being a publisher with an enviable track record for spotting and bringing to market some of the best new music around.

As this is an EVC publication, I must remind readers that I sometimes assist the publisher as a consultant on particular projects. However, let me confirm that this is not one of those, and that until the review copy landed on my door mat I had no idea about this book.

So as independent agents together, let’s discover what the collection offers…

22 Nocturnes for Chopin

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

A few months ago I brought exciting news of a project developed by Elena Cobb of EVC Music and RNCM final-year student Rose McLachlan. A “Call to Women Composers” was extended worldwide, with a brief to compose a new piano piece inspired by the beloved Nocturnes of Chopin.

You can read all about it here. And you will learn in that post that I was subsequently invited to Chair the Selection Committee which also included the concert pianist and teacher Kathryn Page, recording artist Anna Heller, and ISM President Vick Bain.

Having played a role in this project, I cannot of course review the resulting publication with the same independence of perspective that I usually offer.

Nevertheless, I am pleased to let you know that the resulting publication is now available worldwide, and makes an exciting addition to the Pianodao Music Library.

And before you read on for more information about the publication itself, here is a short promotional video filmed at the launch, which took place at London’s Steinway Hall:

Paul Birchall’s Daily Expressions

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Fresh from the Elena Cobb Star Prize Festival event in London earlier this week, I am continuing my survey of the superb catalogue of piano music published by EVC Music, much of which I have previously reviewed here.

Among the publications which I have previously featured on this site, and a highlight of the EVC catalogue, I was super-impressed with Paul Birchall’s excellent Blues, Boogie, Jazz and more collection, several pieces from which appeared in the Star Prize Festival programme this year.

Birchall’s two collections of Daily Expressions, published a few years ago, make another worthy (if belated) addition to the Pianodao Music Library.

Sam Wedgwood’s Project

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

I am just back from the Elena Cobb Star Prize Festival, an event organised each year by EVC Music and held in the Elgar Room at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall. Young players from around the world are invited to take part, performing music predominantly handpicked from the EVC catalogue, this year including performances from youngsters from as far afield as Canada, the USA, Colombia, the UK, Ukraine, and even Australia.

From a personal perspective, the Festival offers a golden opportunity to hear music from the many EVC publications that I have reviewed here brought brilliantly to life in superb performances, many accompanied by a professional house band, which further adds to the sense that this is a uniquely brilliant and life-changing event for families taking part.

For 2023, the programme included several pieces composed by Sam Wedgwood, whose Next Level collection I previously reviewed here, but who has previously also published two books under the title Sam Wedgwood’s Project, which I will retrospectively introduce and review now.

Simply put, I really enjoyed the performances of these pieces. So let’s find out more about Sam Wedgwood’s Project…

Piano Grades Are Go! 2-3

Pianodao Music Library

Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

I was genuinely excited by the arrival of the first book in Victoria Producer’s Piano Grade Are GO! series from EVC Music, writing in my review that the collection was:

“that rarest of beasts: a genuinely stunning music book for elementary players.”

My enthusiasm for the book remains undiminished, and I suggest you read that review before progressing to this one: many of the points I wrote about the goals and content of the first book equally apply to the second…

So what about this second collection? Well, it offers 21 new pieces suitable for players at UK Grades 2 and 3 level. Read on to find out more…

Donald Thomson’s Winter Piano Music

The Christmas Shortlist

Selected and reviewed by Andrew Eales
Find out more: About Pianodao Reviews

Scottish composer Donald Thomson is perhaps best known for his series of Celtic Piano Music collections for intermediate pianists, the omnibus edition of which I have reviewed here.

I have also been impressed with his enjoyable Halloween Piano Tunes collection for elementary players, which I reviewed here recently.

Now Thomson is back with Winter Piano Music, a new collection that is once again published by EVC Music. This time he has written for the more advanced player, delivering five compositions and arrangements which are surely destined to become seasonal concert favourites…