Aged six, my first inspiration, (and first teacher) was my mum, who played the piano at home.  I thought that I would never be able to play those Clementi Sonatinas... Another great influence was my grandfather, Jan Brzezinka.  He was a jazz musician, and  he really taught me to enjoy showing off at the piano!  I took formal lessons from the age of seven, and never looked back.  I couldn't stop performing, and soon I also took up the violin.  Aged thirteen, I used to do my morning paper-round and then dash to church where I was the organist.   The paper-round soon went!  At the age of fifteen, I won the ABRSM Sheila Mossman prize for achieving the highest mark in the country for Grade Eight piano.

I studied music at the University of Leeds, where I was taught piano by Ian Buckle.  Whilst studying at university I became fascinated by the performance of contemporary music and subsequently studied piano with Marius van Passen at the Enschede Conservatorium in the Netherlands.  After winning an Allcart Award for piano accompaniment, I was selected to be a  Named Scholar at the Royal Northern College of Music where I studied piano accompaniment with David Jones, and piano pedagogy with Helen Krizos.  Whilst studying at RNCM I won numerous awards and prizes for accompaniment and chamber music. 

I now work as an accompanist at Leeds College of Music and for Oldham Choral Society, in addition to a variety of freelance accompaniment.  I also give recitals nationwide with my duo partner, cellist David Lale.  I love teaching, and consider that it has informed so much of my approach to my own playing.  Equally, I feel that having a busy performing schedule enhances my students' learning experience and inspires them to practise!

Alongside my busy private teaching practice, I teach piano at Manchester High School for Girls, where I also teach some of the Year Seven music lessons and co-ordinate the Music Medal scheme.  

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