Marat I.
Piano, Composition, Music Theory and Music Technology Lessons All Ages, Levels and Styles — Tailored for You
About
My name is Marat, and I am a London-based pianist, musicologist, critic and educator with over 20 years of experience. I offer in-depth tuition in piano, composition, music theory and music technology, with extensive experience teaching privately, in schools and lecturing at universities. I am passionate about sharing my love for music and helping students reach their full potential.
My musical journey began at the Moscow Jurgenson Music School, where I studied piano and music theory full-time for eight years. In 2015, I graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London, specialising in classical and contemporary performance and music education, and completed a master's degree there in 2020.
Since 2012, I have performed contemporary classical music as a soloist and ensemble musician at venues across the UK and beyond, including the Southbank Centre and Cheltenham Music Festival. I am a founding member of the New Maker Ensemble, dedicated to new music and performance art. Beyond performing, I work as a music journalist and researcher, writing about music, culture and society and presenting at international conferences and events.
Tuition is available in-person and online, with lessons at my flat in Surrey Quays or at the student's location for an additional travel fee. I am fully DBS-checked. Alongside regular tuition and exam preparation, I also offer consultancy for one-off projects in composition, music analysis and related areas.
Teaching experience
I have prepared numerous students for piano and theory exams at all levels, both privately and in schools, with many achieving distinctions and merits. Several have gone on to study music at higher education institutions, some earning scholarships while studying with me. I have taught students of all ages and backgrounds — from young beginners to adult learners and advanced musicians — and was a long-standing teacher at the Dar Russian Education Centre. I am experienced in both ABRSM and Trinity syllabuses.
Approach to music tuition
My approach is rooted in the traditional Russian teaching methodology, which emphasises technical precision and expressive, imaginative performance. I tailor my methods to each student, ensuring a strong foundation in music theory, aural skills, solfège, improvisation, musical analysis and sight-reading. I incorporate a wide range of musical styles to develop a broad and versatile musicianship.
Subjects & pricing
Piano
- Absolute Beginner £55/hr
- Early Beginner / Pre-Grade 1 £55/hr
- Grade 1-2 £55/hr
- Grade 3 £55/hr
- Grade 4-5 £55/hr
- Grade 6-7 £60/hr
- Grade 8 £60/hr
- Diploma & beyond £65/hr
Music Theory
- Absolute Beginner £55/hr
- Early Beginner / Pre-Grade 1 £55/hr
- Grade 1-2 £55/hr
- Grade 3 £55/hr
- Grade 4-5 £55/hr
- Grade 6-7 £60/hr
- Grade 8 £60/hr
- Diploma & beyond £65/hr
Music Production
- Absolute Beginner £55/hr
- Early Beginner / Pre-Grade 1 £55/hr
- Grade 1-2 £55/hr
- Grade 3 £55/hr
- Grade 4-5 £55/hr
- Grade 6-7 £60/hr
- Grade 8 £60/hr
- Diploma & beyond £65/hr
Composition / Songwriting
- Absolute Beginner £55/hr
- Early Beginner / Pre-Grade 1 £55/hr
- Grade 1-2 £55/hr
- Grade 3 £55/hr
- Grade 4-5 £55/hr
- Grade 6-7 £60/hr
- Grade 8 £60/hr
- Diploma & beyond £65/hr
Languages
- English Native
- Russian Native
Qualifications
Higher education
- MA Music · Goldsmiths, University of London · First-class (1st) · 2020 Goldsmiths, University of London · First-class (1st) · 2020
- BMus Music · Goldsmiths, University of London · 2:1 (Upper second) · 2015 Goldsmiths, University of London · 2:1 (Upper second) · 2015
- Foundation Degree Music · Goldsmiths, University of London · 2:1 (Upper second) · 2012 Goldsmiths, University of London · 2:1 (Upper second) · 2012
- Russian Diploma Music · Moscow Jurgenson Music School · Distinction · 2009 Moscow Jurgenson Music School · Distinction · 2009
Reviews
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- imported from First Tutors
Antwan
As a 33 years old piano beginner, I am learning quite fast thanks to Marat excellent teaching method. Each difficulty is overcome with adapted exercises, each lesson is well balanced between a little bit of theory, learning skills and learning songs. He tailored the lessons to my needs which is great as everyone has different goals. He also has a great personality, very open minded and patient, I am looking forward to each lesson and I am very happy of my progression !
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Ru
Marat is a fantastic Piano Teacher! The lessons are well-structured, reliable. We truly appreciate the dedication and passion he bring to each session. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a skilled, supportive and professional piano teacher!
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Eren
Marat is an attentive teacher who has helped several aspects of my playing with his rigorous approach. Lessons are v enjoyable as Marat shares a lot of his global knowledge of music history and experience of a wide array of techniques/exercises.
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Reet
I am thoroughly enjoying my lessons with Marat. He is very professional and patient. He is also very perceptive. Not only can he quickly highlight areas of weakness but he makes concrete suggestions to improve. I feel my level has increased greatly since I started my lessons with him.
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Jacqueline
Great communication, clear structure, energetic engaging teacher, my 6 year old daughter loves the piano lessons. It is clear she will make great progress with Marat. Exactly what we need and highly recommend!
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Sune
Very personable, adaptable and dynamic teacher
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Scarlet
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Giorgos
I would highly recommend to start lessons with Marat! He's both a great teacher and a very kind, approachable and nice person. I appreciate his meticulous and methodical approach, focusing a lot on the fundamentals but also on all the aspects of music, such as aural skills that beginners typically lack. Having started to play the piano as an adult, I have many gaps in my technical skills and a lack of theoretical knowledge. Marat was quick to identify my weak spots and helped me focus on filling these out. I'm very happy to already start seeing an improvement and feeling more motivated than before to continue practicing and learning.
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Jeanie
Marat is a passionate teacher who strikes a good balance between improving your piano techniques and also developing your musicality. I would definitely recommend him. Marat is a quick and observant teacher. He was able to accurately access my piano skills and overall musical abilities within several lessons and recommends appropriate pieces to start with. He has a knack for pinpointing my weaknesses and suggests effectively practices accordingly. He is also very open-minded to what I hope to achieve with these lessons and then adjusts his teaching plan to help me progress towards my goals steadily. That said, Marat is not the kind of teachers who let you play whatever you want willy-nilly, he surely adheres to his teaching philosophy which emphasises fostering all aspects, including techniques, aural skills, music theory and imagination that make a proper musician. I had plenty of piano lessons as a kid but unfortunately with some awful, soulless teachers. They never left me feeling more than just a mindless piano exam taking robot who would evaporate without a piano score. After studying with Marat for 6 months, the way I ‘feel’ when I play the piano have become more interesting and joyous: I hear more things when I play, I am not utterly useless without a score, I can more readily see connections between different musical ideas and the things that I am playing. I credit this to Marat’s teaching. Finally, Marat is truly passionate about music and teaching. He is always happy to listen to your questions and give thoughtful answers. His famous saying is “I can spend hours talking about [a topic]”. Having lessons with him feels like going through a musical journey.
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Robert
I am an adult learner who started piano lessons in my early 40s and got to roughly Grade 6 with my previous teachers. I have recently decided to try lessons with Marat as it it is important for me that my piano teacher has all-rounded musical approach. From my first lesson I felt that he was delivering on his promise. He is a patient and thorough teacher who does not let me move on until he is satisfied my technique is appropriate. It was hard for me at the beginning as he quickly recognised that I needed to correct some weaknesses in my fundamental technique. Marat firmly, but extremely politely, got me to take a step back and at the same time provided expert support which I found caring and focused. My previous teachers would have said: “you are skipping notes with your 4th finger”. Marat does not state the obvious, he actually shows you how to effectively improve. Almost immediately I started to feel a difference in the way I was playing thanks to his attention, interest and ability to recognise quickly which aspects of my playing needed work. I love Marat’s insistence on musical delivery and phrase shaping; something that makes my piano practice even more enjoyable. In terms of practicalities during the lesson, I really value the fact that he sits by my side and actually plays or sings parts of the music that are more challenging. Finally, Marat is a genuine lover of music and this comes across in every lesson making the learning an absolute delight! If you want your piano to respond with beautiful sound when you play (not a tasteless sequence of notes played back to you) you should definitely try Marat.
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Claire
Reliable, punctual and engages well with for online lessons. Would highly recommended!
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Brigita
I’m an adult who returned to playing after 10+ years break. Marat quickly identified my level and areas for improvement. I’ve had four classes and I already notice improvements in my technique and confidence.
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Erika
Marat is a fantastic tutor, extremely knowledgeable, patient, attentive and tailors each class for what you want to learn. Marat is friendly and always willing to give you help and advice you need. Thank you!
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Xiaoying
Marat is a very good teacher. As a beginner, I make good progress after one month courses with him. Highly recommend!
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Leibe
Marat is an amazing teacher of music theory! He has been helping me prepare for the ABRSM Grade 8 theory exam. He explains principles of theory in a clear and succinct way that makes them easy to understand and, just as importantly, to remember. He makes the explanations relevant to the exam (such as the realisation of figured bass) by explaining the principles within the bigger picture of musical theory. In just a few lessons with Marat I have learnt more than I did in several courses at colleges in London. Not only do I feel more confident about doing the exam, but, because Marat is so interesting and engaging and so good at bringing theory to life, I am thoroughly enjoying my lessons, and will most certainly continue studying theory with Marat even after I've done the exam.
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Laurel
Marat has been marvellous at getting me started at playing the piano again after a long break. He is so adept at teaching on Skype that it is almost as if he is sitting next to me at the piano in real time. He explains carefully how to set up your IT so as to get the best out of your lesson. Marat brings so much knowledge to the lessons and his enthusiasm for teaching and his dedication are very motivating for me as a student. He is very engaging and methodical in the way he teaches and explains everything in a way that is easy to understand. One of the things I really love about my lessons with Marat is that he is an educator as well as a teacher. Not only are my keyboard skills improving quicker than I’d expected, but Marat incorporates all sorts of other enriching aspects of music study into the lessons: sight-reading, aural skills, and music theory, for example. He also tells me about the composers of the pieces I am learning and something about the history of the piece. I am learning so much more than I had expected to. Marat even makes scales, which I dreaded before, fun and easy to learn. My lessons with Marat are the highlight of my week. They are not simply piano lessons. Rather, they are ‘music’ lessons and I feel so lucky to have discovered such an inspiring teacher. Already, after only a few lessons, I feel confident that, with Marat as my teacher, I will soon be able to think about taking exams.
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James
Marat has been the perfect tutor for me. I decided to get piano lessons during lockdown, and as a result the lessons needed to be remote (via Skype). As an adult beginner with limited experience of other instruments but no real confidence in the piano, I needed someone who was supportive and methodical. I have made great progress with Marat over the past few months, and I have built a solid foundation that wouldn't have been possible without this level of expert tuition. I would recommend him without reservation for remote lessons over the internet.
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Irina
Marat is an absolutely excellent teacher and a great human! I have started piano (my first instrument) from scratch with Marat and he has been excellent at not only teaching me the technical elements, but also made an effort on making me understand the logic behind music. I find his approach extremely beneficial especially for beginners because Marat takes an extra step to ensure that the experience is not about remembering, but about understanding. This leads to accelerated and much more enjoyable learning process. Marat is also very accommodative and helpful when you have any questions at all. And of course, Marat is an incredibly talented and ambitious pianist and can tell you a lot about music! All in all, I feel extremely lucky Marat popped up on **E-mail Address Removed**search for a piano teacher a few months ago! Would recommend to a friend :)
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Samuel
Marat is very good. He allows me to customise how I want to play and doesn't mind when I turn up grumpy and tired from being at work. (I am an adult learner) I enjoy the lessons enormously
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Alex
Marat is an excellent teacher who provides an individualized approach to learning piano, taking you step by step through the fundamentals of theory and practice. Would definitely recommend to anyone seriously considering learning this instrument.
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Asha
Work ethic- Excellent (Always comes for the classes on time, never missed a class) Able to adjust to family situations like half term- Excellent Adding a positive spirit to the kids-Excellent
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Ruby
Very good teacher, able to keep the student focused, structured approach to lessons, especially in the case of my daughter, who has just achieved a distinction on her Grade 2 piano. Would definitely recommend
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James
Marat is a great find. He forensically breaks down your playing and builds it back up in the right way. He always remembers what you did in the previous lesson, focuses on every part of your playing, builds up confidence and always leaves you with relevant practice exercises until the next session. He is passionate, inspiring, honest, and always gives me a fair and accurate reflection of where I'm at, and suggestions about how to take things forward when I feel I've reached a road block. I'm currently studying grade 3, and if you're looking for a great teacher, then I highly recommend you contact Marat.
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Sherry
Professional! I really enjoyed it!
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Janet
Very good. Really knows his stuff. An enthusiastic teacher who inspires.
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Abi
As someone with 12 years experience as a teacher myself, I have been highly impressed with Marat's professional and friendly teaching and would definitely recommend him to others. He strikes a balance of having high expectations to stretch the pupil's abilities, while maintaining a relaxed, non-pressured environment. He has a keen eye and ear for picking up on how the pupil could improve in both technique and musicality and pushes the student further than just getting them to play the correct notes. Through teaching the piano, he also teaches all round musicical understanding, helping the student to put theory into the context of what they are playing. Overall, I'm very impressed with his all round approach to teaching practical musicianship through his piano lessons. This is the sort of teacher who will help you to really improve as a musician. Highly recommend.
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Ben
Marat is very friendly and moves at a quick, suitable pace. I've enjoyed his teaching so far.
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Kaan
After many years, I decided to learn piano as I love to listen and go to concerts whenever I find time. I did my research and even contacted several places and finally came across Marat. After the first lesson, I felt very comfortable and decided to book other lessons. He is very attentive and paying attention to all keys you press even, which is great as many teachers don't necessarily correct you. I highly recommend him.