taking your playing to the next level – in France or online
This year Piano at Le Maillard welcomed three wonderful young prize winning pianists to give recitals for course attendees and our local audience. The playing was remarkable and we invite you to join us in 2025!
Residential Courses
Pianists Helen Leek and Ann Martin-Davis welcome you to their home in the beautiful French village of Édon in South West France. From 2020 they have run a series of online and live workshops here and in the UK, with topics ranging from how to go about learning a new piece, to a full day focusing on the work of J.S.Bach, with guest Sophie Yates demonstrating at her harpsichord.
Piano courses should be inspiring, hard-working yet fun, and preferably set in beautiful surroundings.
International Piano Magazine
Piano at Le Maillard ticks every box.
Piano at Le Maillard residential weeks in France have received fantastic feedback from attendees and for 2025 there will continue to three weeks of live courses through May and June.
You can watch a video about our 2022 course here;
https://youtu.be/uxGQ6u4zHYQ
Numbers are limited to 7 active participants in each week, ensuring that each student has personal attention from the tutors and affording them the opportunity to play each day.
Spring is a lovely time to be in the Charente, with perfect temperatures and gardens looking glorious; there are also many marked routes for walks locally. You will be staying at Le Presbytère and at La Fermette, both of which are two minutes walk from Le Maillard. There is a swimming pool at Le Presbytère (unheated, so temperature dependent).
Each residential course lasts for 6 nights at a fee of £16oo which includes:
- Morning group master classes and 2 individual 45 minute lessons each.
- Yoga, designed for pianists, with our specialist instructor Denise.
- Double Rooms – we welcome partners at £400 and have many suggestions for local activities, including French lessons, cycling, golf and of course, wine tasting.
- Pianos – Yamaha pianos at Le Maillard, where there are 2 grand pianos and 2 Avant Grands. There is a further grand piano at our other venue, Le Presbytère and a touch sensitive keyboard in the alfresco pavillion.
- Meals, refreshments and wine (all locally sourced produce).
- A professional recital from an award winning young artist.
- Transfers from Angoulême.
- Afternoon trips and picnics to beautiful sites, off the tourist track
- A public performance opportunity.
