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Dr Roberts (MBBS, FRCA, PhD, MMus) is an international concert pianist and specialist in the science of pianism. He is also a practising medical doctor, with doctoral research on the physical and perceptual foundations of pianistic touch. Based in London, he consults privately and online, helping professional pianists trouble-shoot advanced problems of technique and performance. His combinded understanding of pianism traditions and science places him in a unique position within the world of elite pianism coaching. He is regularly invited to speak on Optimizing Pianism at leading institutions, conservatoires, and conferences.
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Services
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"We cannot solve the problems with the same thinking we used to create them" – A. Einstein
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QUICK ADVICE
CONSULTATION 
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20-Minute online call (£20) – Quick advice consultation
For immediate advice on any physical, technical or injury problem, please contact me. Don't let your problems get worse by waiting. I may be able to give you a quick diagnosis and solution, or point you in the right direction to prevent further problems. *Please provide details of your problem via email prior to booking. |
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PERSONAL
CONSULTATION SERVICE 
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In-Person or Online (£250) – Consultation
This service is ONLY for advanced and professional pianists with high-stakes technical, performance or injury concerns. It is not a lesson. It is not a timed session. It is a serious, comprehensive consultation directed at understanding and correcting performance-limiting pianistic problems. It is for accurate diagnosis of root cause problems, and I provide evidence-based solutions with detailed plans to achieving (or returning to) full-time optimised playing. Pianists practising 20-40hrs+/week are also invited for a 'crash course technical reset' to ensure that your future years of practice are not wasted doing the wrong things. If you are already paying many thousands of $$$ per year on lessons, you may wish to consider the life-long value of this single intervention. *Please provide details of your problem via email prior to booking to ensure that my service is suitable for you. |
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OPTIMIZING PIANISM SKILLS
RESET PACKAGE 
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6 x 1hr Coaching (£1000) – Optimizing Pianism Skills Sessions
This is a structured 1-on-1 skills training package for advanced (academy/conservatory-level) pianists seeking high-level pianism development. The sessions focus on the essential elements of your pianism – the elements that MUST work optimally in order for your overall pianistic system to work optimally and sustainably. Advice is grounded in principles from sports-science, music-science and performance-science. It is NOT an opinion-based 'do-as-I-do' service. It is a targeted, evidence-based, problem-solving approach to overcoming pianistic bottle-necks to unlock high-performance (and physiologically sustainable) outcomes. Think Olympic athlete training. Think Rafa Nadal. Think Tiger Woods. Think Michael Phelps. Each sessions teaches how to identify and correct the constraints that limit your pianism. These including: extreme velocity, sound-motor control, accuracy, cognitive speed, memory security, learning speed, physical ease, physical endurance, expressive capture, aesthetic engagement, flow state concentration. Consider it like taking your family car for a service and being shown how to turn it into a high-performance racing car. *Please provide details of your pianism with a list of your goals and problems via email prior to booking. (I highly suggest to complete the 'to-do' list PDF.) |
Presentations & Masterclasses (archives)
• Guest speaker. London International Piano Symposium: 'Re-thinking Piano Performance'. Royal College of Music, London, Mar 2026
• Talk – Optimising Thinking and Process. City Ready Series. City of London School (CLS), Dec 2025
• Guest speaker – Savage Club, Melbourne, Oct 2025
• Masterclass - Xavier and Genazzano College, Melbourne, Oct 2025
• Guest Speaker – Rotary Club, Hawthorn, Oct 2025
• Presentation to Teaching Staff – Optimising Musical Learning. Scotch College, Melbourne. Oct 2025
• Masterclass - Piano Class. Monash University, Melbourne, Oct 2025
• Masterclass – Piano class. Australian National Academy of Music. Oct 2025
• Masterclass – Piano class. Melbourne Conservatory of Music. Oct 2025
• Masterclass – Optimising Performance - Channing Girls School, London. Sep 2025
• Masterclass – Optimising Practising. City of London School (CLS), London. Sep 2025
• Talk – Career advice. Channing Girls School, London. Jun 2025
• Workshop – 'Optimising Performance' (for college musicians). William Goodenough House, London. May 2025
• Book presentation – 'Optimizing Pianism (and anything else!) – Why guess when you can know? – Goodenough College, London, Apr 2025
• Presentation – Reframing Performance Pedagogy Class. Conservatory of Music, Melbourne, Uni. Mar 2023
• Masterclass – 'Optimising pianism – help from science'. Conservatory of Music, Melbourne, Uni. Aug 2022
• Presentation – 'Touch and Tone' – Elder Hall, University of Adelaide, Australia. Jul 2014
• Keynote speaker – "The Application of Science and Medicine to Piano Technique", 6th WA Piano Pedagogy Conference, University of West Australia. Apr 2012
• Masterclass – 6th WA Piano Pedagogy Conference, University of West Australia. Apr 2012
• Presentation – "The Application of Science and Medicine to Piano Technique", Faculty of Music, University of Melbourne. Apr 2012
• Workshop – Australian National Academy of Music, Melbourne. Mar 2010
• Presentation – "The Application of Science and Medicine to Piano Technique", Faculty of Music, University of Melbourne. Mar 2010
• Doctor for Australian Youth Orchestra. European Tour, 2004
• Talk – Optimising Thinking and Process. City Ready Series. City of London School (CLS), Dec 2025
• Guest speaker – Savage Club, Melbourne, Oct 2025
• Masterclass - Xavier and Genazzano College, Melbourne, Oct 2025
• Guest Speaker – Rotary Club, Hawthorn, Oct 2025
• Presentation to Teaching Staff – Optimising Musical Learning. Scotch College, Melbourne. Oct 2025
• Masterclass - Piano Class. Monash University, Melbourne, Oct 2025
• Masterclass – Piano class. Australian National Academy of Music. Oct 2025
• Masterclass – Piano class. Melbourne Conservatory of Music. Oct 2025
• Masterclass – Optimising Performance - Channing Girls School, London. Sep 2025
• Masterclass – Optimising Practising. City of London School (CLS), London. Sep 2025
• Talk – Career advice. Channing Girls School, London. Jun 2025
• Workshop – 'Optimising Performance' (for college musicians). William Goodenough House, London. May 2025
• Book presentation – 'Optimizing Pianism (and anything else!) – Why guess when you can know? – Goodenough College, London, Apr 2025
• Presentation – Reframing Performance Pedagogy Class. Conservatory of Music, Melbourne, Uni. Mar 2023
• Masterclass – 'Optimising pianism – help from science'. Conservatory of Music, Melbourne, Uni. Aug 2022
• Presentation – 'Touch and Tone' – Elder Hall, University of Adelaide, Australia. Jul 2014
• Keynote speaker – "The Application of Science and Medicine to Piano Technique", 6th WA Piano Pedagogy Conference, University of West Australia. Apr 2012
• Masterclass – 6th WA Piano Pedagogy Conference, University of West Australia. Apr 2012
• Presentation – "The Application of Science and Medicine to Piano Technique", Faculty of Music, University of Melbourne. Apr 2012
• Workshop – Australian National Academy of Music, Melbourne. Mar 2010
• Presentation – "The Application of Science and Medicine to Piano Technique", Faculty of Music, University of Melbourne. Mar 2010
• Doctor for Australian Youth Orchestra. European Tour, 2004
Articles and Interviews
Interview (Sep, 2025) with Laura Panther (Australian National Academy of Music) - "ANAM, pianism and the seeds of Optimizing Pianism."
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Link here... |
Article (Sep 2025) – Channing Girls School
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Interview - "Hitting the right notes" (Sep, 2025). Alumni interview for The University of New England.
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Link here... |
Interview (Mar, 2025) with Olivia Ho (William Goodenough College, London) - The origins, purpose and inner journey of Optimizing Pianism
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Academic
• Reviewer of articles for Journal of Music Research Online, 2025-
• Fellow, Royal College of Anaesthetists (FRCA), UK. 2018
• PhD - ‘How the pianist’s touch affects tone quality – a review of performance-based and scientific literature with applications to piano practice and performance’, University of New England, Australia. 2015
• Masters (Music) – Dissertation: 'Symbolism in the late works of J.S.Bach', University of Melbourne, Australia. 2006
• Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), University of Melbourne, Australia. 2002
• Associate of Music Diploma, Australia (violin), Australian Music Examinations Board. 1993
• Licentiate of Music Diploma (with distinction, piano), Australian Music Examinations Board. 1992
• Fellow, Royal College of Anaesthetists (FRCA), UK. 2018
• PhD - ‘How the pianist’s touch affects tone quality – a review of performance-based and scientific literature with applications to piano practice and performance’, University of New England, Australia. 2015
• Masters (Music) – Dissertation: 'Symbolism in the late works of J.S.Bach', University of Melbourne, Australia. 2006
• Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), University of Melbourne, Australia. 2002
• Associate of Music Diploma, Australia (violin), Australian Music Examinations Board. 1993
• Licentiate of Music Diploma (with distinction, piano), Australian Music Examinations Board. 1992
Scholarships & Awards
• Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) for PhD research, Australia. 2010-13
• Ian Potter Cultural Trust: grant for investigation on the application of science to musical injury prevention. 2011
• Ian Potter Cultural Trust: grant for investigation on the application of science to musical injury prevention. 2008
• Michael Kieran Harvey Scholarship, Australia. 2006
• Ian Potter Cultural Trust: grant for investigation on the application of science to musical injury prevention. 2006
• Australian National Academy of Music, full-residential scholarship. 1998-99
• Pearis Rodger scholarship, University of Melbourne. 1996-98
• Northcote Trust scholarship. 1994
• State Premier's Award for Music, Victoria, Australia. 1994
• Ian Potter Cultural Trust: grant for investigation on the application of science to musical injury prevention. 2011
• Ian Potter Cultural Trust: grant for investigation on the application of science to musical injury prevention. 2008
• Michael Kieran Harvey Scholarship, Australia. 2006
• Ian Potter Cultural Trust: grant for investigation on the application of science to musical injury prevention. 2006
• Australian National Academy of Music, full-residential scholarship. 1998-99
• Pearis Rodger scholarship, University of Melbourne. 1996-98
• Northcote Trust scholarship. 1994
• State Premier's Award for Music, Victoria, Australia. 1994