José Duarte Pinto Silva

Hallo allemaal, ik speel het klavecimbel, een toetseninstrument dat tot de 19e eeuw zeer populair was. Daarnaast ben ik een specialist in Oude Muziek. Dit wil zeggen dat ik veel weet over muziek van de tijd voor ongeveer 1800, toen componisten zoals Beethoven actief waren.

Toen ik 13 was begon ik met piano spelen omdat ik mijzelf bij het zingen wilde begeleiden. Toen hield ik veel van prog rock en pop, ik luisterde non-stop naar Marillion, Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator, James Blunt, Chris de Burgh, en vele anderen. Twee jaren daarna studeerde ik al op het Conservatorium van Lisboa, waarin ik verliefd werd op de Romantische pianomuziek. Ik hou tegenwoordig nog steeds enorm van Scriabin, Liszt, de fantastische muziek van Debussy, etc.

Negen jaren geleden heb ik het klavecimbel en oude muziek ontdekt, die mijn begrijp van muziek totaal hebben veranderd. Ik heb me sindsdien gewijd aan het studeren van dit instrument en improvisatie. Eerst op het Conservatorium van Lyon, daarna op het Conservatorium van Amsterdam en uiteindelijk op de Kunstuniversität Graz.

Nu ben ik terug in Nederland waar ik als freelancer werk.

I started by teaching 7 year olds the piano and tutoring some of the younger students both in Lisbon as in Lyon, through which I discovered my aptitude for teaching, and how much I loved it.

During my studies I had plenty of theoretical and practical pedagogy subjects with which I earned even more experience, but my best teachers were of course my students, especially the most difficult. Some of my younger students had learning disabilities, some of my older students have had cerebral injuries, and I am happy to say that I managed and still manage to help them improve beyond what they believed was possible.

I see myself as more of a guide than a teacher, and so I am very flexible about what I recommend to students, which depends on the student's actual needs and wishes. I understand that not everyone wants to travel the same road, nor does everyone want to become a professional, but everyone wants to enjoy the ride, progressing while playing the piano or the harpsichord, and learn to more deeply appreciate the music they hear and play.

This is what my lessons ultimately focus on.

I can teach the harpsichord at my studio in Leidschendam, easily accessible from den Haag and Leiden through the tram and bus network, or piano/harpsichord/keyboards at the student's place anywhere in Rotterdam/den Haag/Leiden/Leidschendam/Voorburg, etc.

Lessons can be had in Dutch, English, French, German, Portuguese or Spanish.

Wil jij starten met de piano, of heb je al jarenlang ervaring met het instrument en wilt verder gaan ermee ? Met Klassieke muziek, pop en improvisatie kun ik je hulpen !

I see myself as more of a guide than a teacher, and so I am very flexible about what I recommend to students, which depends on the student's actual needs and wishes. I understand that not everyone wants to travel the same road, nor does everyone want to become a professional, but everyone wants to enjoy the ride, progressing while playing the piano or the harpsichord, and learn to more deeply appreciate the music they hear and play.

This is what my lessons ultimately focus on.

I started by teaching 7 year olds the piano and tutoring some of the younger students both in Lisbon as in Lyon, through which I discovered my aptitude for teaching, and how much I loved it.

During my studies I had plenty of theoretical and practical pedagogy subjects with which I earned even more experience, but my best teachers were of course my students, especially the most difficult. Some of my younger students had learning disabilities, some of my older students have sustained cerebral injuries, and I am happy to say that I managed and still manage to help them improve beyond what they believed was possible.

I can teach the harpsichord at my studio in Leidschendam, easily accessible from den Haag and Leiden through the tram and bus network, or piano/harpsichord/keyboards at the student's place anywhere in Rotterdam/den Haag/Leiden/Leidschendam/Voorburg, etc.

Lessons can be had in Dutch, English, French, German, Portuguese or Spanish.

For any lover of early music, whether you have had any keyboard experience before, or for anyone looking to start learning the harpsichord, I can teach you all the skills you need to better play and understand music from before around 1800 at the harpsichord or spinet.

Practice at the instrument, instrument care and upkeep, Basso Continuo, Repertoire, History, you choose however much you want to learn and what you want to focus on.

Graduate from the Conservatoire R. R. Lyon, Conservatorium van Amsterdam and Kunstuniversität Graz, experienced harpsichord tutor.

Private harpsichord lessons at my studio in Leidschendam or at the student's anywhere around den Haag and Leiden.