Ilga PITKEVICA

About Organiser

ILGA PITKEVICA-BALDWIN, MA Mus. had an extensive professional training in Latvia, at the Music College in Daugavpils and at the Jazepa Vitola Latvian Music Academy in Riga, from which she graduated with honours and a Master’s degree in Solo Piano Performance, Piano Teaching, Accompaniment and Chamber Music. The curriculum there was based entirely on the so-called “Russian Piano School”. Furthermore – through her teacher – Professor of Piano Konstantin Blumental, who himself was a pupil of Konstantin Igumnov, Heinrich Neihaus and Pavel Serebrjakov, Ilga inherited the deep traditions and knowledge of the methods and teaching style of the Russian School. As a student, Ilga won prizes at several piano competitions and was also awarded a prestigious Tchaikovsky Scholarship. After graduation, Ilga was offered a position of Deputy of Studies at the Jelgava Music College where she also taught solo piano. From 1997, after leaving this post, Ilga continued teaching solo piano, accompaniment and chamber music at the Jelgava Music College, at the LMA’s Emils Darzins Special Music School for Gifted Children and at the Latvian Music Academy. During this time, Ilga performed at many concerts and as accompanist at international competitions in the Baltic States, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Germany, Israel, France and UK. She was the official accompanist for the International Cello Competition held bi-annually in Liezen, Austria for fourteen years until it closed in 2014. Following her marriage in 2002, Ilga moved to Cambridge in the UK. Ilga continues to perform solo and chamber music, and works as accompanist for the Lucy Cavendish Singers in Cambridge and RCM in London. She also teaches pupils at her private Piano Studio near Cambridge.  Among her pupils are EPTA UK Piano Competition winners and other competition and festival prize holders. Many of Ilga’s existing and former pupils hold music scholarships at Eton College, King’s College School and Perse School in Cambridge. Since 2014 Ilga has taught as a Principal Tutor of the internationally-acclaimed Piano Teachers’ Course UK. She also lectures in the UK and in Latvia on piano teaching, and on the history and teaching methods of the Russian Piano School, most recently at Chetham’s Music School in Manchester. Ilga also collaborates with Trinity Exam Board in publicizing and lecturing on their piano syllabuses. Since 2006 Ilga has been the Cambs’ Regional Organiser for EPTA (European Piano Teachers’ Association) UK. She joined the Management Committee of EPTA UK in 2009. As part of this work, Ilga regularly organises masterclasses and concerts in Cambridge.  This has included annual Cambridge Piano Weekends, organised jointly with Gonville and Caius College for five years, with prominent pianists and teachers such as Noriko Ogawa, Vanessa Latarche, William Fong, Michael Young, Masayuki Tayama, Murray McLachlan, Roshan Magub and Penelope Roskell.