Headlines

​​​

• Piano Portals featured on BBC Radio 3's The Essay: Healing Musicians (2024)

• Speaker at UK Music and Drama Education Expo (2020, 2023, 2026)

• Speaker at NCKP 2025 piano conference

• Course Tutor at Jackdaws Music Education Trust (2017 - Present)

• Lecturer/Performer at Scrutopia Summer School (2023-25)

​

Background

​

Stephen began studying piano aged 7 with Peter Sage-Passant in his home town of Frome, Somerset, England.

​

Whilst no prodigy, Stephen was hardworking and musical.​ At 11, he won a full scholarship to music school, on the strength of his all-round musicality and portfolio of compositions from the age of 9 onwards. In his early school years, Stephen won the prize for the highest ABRSM music exam result in the country and reached the final of the Ettlingen International Competition for Young Pianists. He reached the televised stage of BBC Young Musicians but withdrew through injury.

​​​

Following this halcyon start, things took a turn. At 18, Stephen left school a shadow of his former self, having struggled with recurring Repetitive Strain Injury, plummeting confidence, a ceiling on technique and stage fright. He went on to read a largely academic Music Degree at Christ’s College, Cambridge.

 

Cambridge lit the spark of Stephen's journey towards confident performing and inspirational tutoring. Stephen travelled on a bursary to New York for piano tuition with Sophia Rosoff (1921 – 2017), who'd studied with and co-edited the essays of the greatest of all piano pioneers, Abby Whiteside (1881 – 1956).

 

Whiteside woke up one day and acknowledged with singular humility that her most 'talented' students progressed whilst the others plateaued. She dedicated her life to uncovering fresh solutions that would empower all to play.

 

Following in Whiteside's footsteps, Stephen would refine his own work over 25 further years. His honest, adult journey from frustration to facility kickstarted over a decade of confident performing, learning to play by ear from scratch and a passion for empowering others.

 

Gradually reimagining his entire conception of practice, Stephen founded the groundbreaking, joyful online school for holistic technique, Piano Portals: Rethink Technique. 

​

It:​​

• invites criticial thinking on received opinion

• places the utmost importance on Abby Whiteside's 'emotional rhythm' - the body's flowing response to music

• dissolves technical difficulties through deepening self-awareness, not dogma or drills

• spotlights oft-neglected, transformational elements of able players’ techniques - Elephants in the Practice Room

• cultivates whole-body coordination and helpful mindsets at all stages

• draws on varied musical genres and other fields such as sport, dance and martial arts​

​​​​

It took Stephen many years to integrate his discoveries fully into his playing and being. In the 2000s and early 2010s he pursued a varied career as musical director, piano accompanist and teacher. He knew he must refocus on the piano and on overcoming all former obstacles in order to know contentment. He counts fulfilling his dream of playing to his own satisfaction in his 40s amongst his proudest achievements.

​

Stephen now focuses on enjoying playing the piano, creating online courses, tutoring for in-person courses, speaking engagements, writing and online content creation. His primary aim is to empower Elementary to Advanced pianists and their teachers to think critically about piano technique and to find fresh solutions in unexpected places.

​

In his spare time, Stephen enjoys singing, qigong, photography, walking and cycling.​​

 ​​​​