Event overview
Where science meets the keyboard — a day exploring how skill is learned, refined, and taught, ending with a concert by the Ivory Duo.
What does biomechanics have to say about a pianist's technique — and what can decades of musical training teach scientists about how expertise is built? This one-day festival-conference brings researchers from Imperial College London's Musculoskeletal Research Group together with leading concert pianists for a day of live performance, motion-capture recording, and open discussion.
Live scan sessions and performances from pianists including Philip Fowke (Trinity Laban Conservatoire), Duncan Honeybourne (Royal Academy of Music), Dr Ian Pace (City St George's, University of London), Dr Robert Markham (Royal Conservatoire of Birmingham), the Ivory Duo Piano Ensemble (Convivium Records), in a programme curated by Natalie Tsaldarakis in collaboration with Imperial College London’s MSk Lab.
A first look at motion-capture data from the Imperial–Steinway pilot, developed from N. Tsaldarakis’s research into embodied pianistic lineages.
A roundtable drawing on interviews with scientists, engineers, and clinicians on what disciplines can learn from one another about acquiring skill.
A panel on technique, interpretation, and the limits of artistry; elite training in conversation with science.
Ending with a performance by the Ivory Duo Piano Ensemble (N. Tsaldarakis and P. Archontides) in a programme of solo and duet pieces from their recent and upcoming releases, by Hugh Shrapnel and John Lewis, plus a duet by Busoni op.27. )
Hosted by Imperial College London's MSk Lab and curated by pianist-researcher N. Tsaldarakis.
Open to researchers, musicians, teachers, students, and anyone curious about the science of expertise and you are allowed to come to as much or as little as you want!
Entrance free, but please register via eventbrite.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 28 Aug 2026 | 11:30am - 7:30pm |
Accessibility
If you are attending an event and need the College to help with any mobility requirements you may have, please contact the event organiser in advance to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
