Harmony
"Rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul." Plato
The harmony course taught at the RMA is based on the traditions of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Taneyev, and adapted to modern needs. Harmonies, chord progressions, sequences, etc. are bits of material out of which every piece of music is made of. Therefore, the main objective of this course is to give students a better insight into how all the elements merge creating a beautiful structure of the piece and how a clear understanding of this influences their performance.
We are using a keyboard as a kinaesthetic tool thus providing our students with a solid foundation for improvisation skills. Various compositional exercises utilised here will be helpful to those interested in learning composition.
Even though this course is not solely focused on the ABRSM syllabus, it will be especially useful to those students who are planning to take higher level Practical Grade exams (grades 6-8) on their instruments as it also explores many of the tasks from the Aural section of these exams. It will also be very useful for those taking advanced exams like the Diploma in Performance, LRSM, FRSM and other ABRSM Diploma exams as it provides a deeper understanding of the advanced repertoire.
In Russia and Eastern Europe this course is usually taught at the last two years of the specialist music schools and at music colleges and conservatoires. At the Academy, we have adapted this course, so that we could introduce it to our pupils earlier with the view to maximise its benefits.
Amiran Zenaishvili
Amiran frequently appears as a concert soloist and in chamber music ensembles in public recitals and concerts in Russia, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Spain, USA (incl. Carnegie Hall), and the United Kingdom (incl. Wigmore Hall, St.James Piccadilly Church, Steinway Hall, London) and successfully combines extensive teaching career with performing.
He started studying piano at the age of five at the Gnessin Special Music College, Moscow under the guidance of Professors Ada Traub and Tatiana Vorobieva, and in 2009 continued his education at the Central Music School (College) of Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory as a student of Professor Alexander Mndoyants. During his studies in Russia, he became a prizewinner of many international competitions (incl. VIIth Concorso Internazionale Valsesia Musica juniors (Varallo, Italy, 2006) – 1st Prize, VIIIth International Balys Dvarionas Competition for Young Pianists and Violinists (Vilnius, Lithuania, 2008) – Grand Prix etc) and received a special scholarship from the Government of the Russian Federation.
After graduating from the Central Music School with Highest Honours in June 2013 Amiran was admitted to the Royal Academy of Music with full entrance scholarship, where he studied on the Bachelor of Music and then the Master of Arts programme with Professors Christopher Elton and Joanna MacGregor CBE. Amiran completed both degrees with First Class and achieved prestigious DipRAM award for an outstanding final recital as well as LRAM teaching diploma. His most important recent public appearances include the Finals of the Jaques Samuel Pianos Intercollegiate Piano Competition (held at Wigmore Hall, October 2014), the Piano Festival of the Royal Academy of Music (July 2016, 2018, 2019), Encuentro de Musica Festival in Santander, Spain (July 2016&July 2017), and the 9th Chopin Birthday Concerts Festival in Warsaw, Poland (February 2018). In April 2018 he was invited by the Autonomous University of Zacatecas, Mexico, to perform a concerts series and give piano and chamber music masterclasses.
In 2019 Amiran was appointed Hodgson Fellow at the Royal Academy of Music for the 2019-2020 academic year where he was one of the youngest teachers at the Academy teaching Score Reading, Song Accompaniment and Sight-reading for pianists. At present he continues to teach various classes for pianists at the Academy as well as being an RMA teacher since 2019. In the RMA Amiran teaches piano performance, music theory, solfeggio as well as his own designed course of harmony based on the distinguished traditions of P. I. Tchaikovsky, S. Taneev, N. Rimsky-Korsakov. His students are very successful in various competitions, concerts, festivals as well as in ABRSM grade exams.
Amiran is also very fond of conducting and has a strong interest in historical keyboards.