EPTA Europe History
EPTA was founded in 1978 by Carola Grindea with the intention of uniting Pianists and teachers throughout the world.
It started in the UK and within one year, EPTA Iceland was formed in 1979, thus creating the beginnings of the EPTA Family.
Since then EPTA-Europe has grown and grown and now has 39 European Accociation as well as Associate and Affiliate members from around the world.
Below is a chronology of the formation of the 39 EPTA-Europe Associations which now exist.
1978
March 16: EPTA UK was founded by Carola Grindea at Guildhall School of Music (Sir Allen Percival, Principal).
Louis Kentner, EPTA President, gave the launching Recital.
July: First EPTA Workshop/Conference in Chichester
1979
27th January: 2nd EPTA Workshop at Gipsy Hill, Kingston Polytechnic (Dr Ho)
This was where the first AGM took place and a Committee was elected: Sidney Harrison, Chairman, James Gibb & Dr Malcolm Troup Vice Chair, Alan Paul Treasurer, Carola Grindea Organising Secretary. Nelly Ben-Or, John Bigg, Wallis Hunt, Dr Edward Ho, Peter Norris, Philip Reder, Reymour Rice and Danielle Salamon as committee members.
February: EPTA Iceland was founded by Halldor Haraldsson
4th April: First Anniversary at GSMD (by kind permission of John Hosier) was a double celebration, as the European Council of the Association had been established to coordinate the activities of EPTA UK with parallel activities abroad.
The European President was Vlado Perlemuter, Vice Presidents Clifford Curzon, Nikita Magaloff and Allen Percival. The Chairman was Dr Malcolm Troup with Peter Feuchtwanger, Antony Hopkins and Fanny Waterman on the Council. Alan Paul was the Treasurer and Carola Grindea the Organising Secretary. “The double event was celebrated with a fine Recital given by Malcolm Troup, which was followed by a Musical Entertainment with Sidney Harrison, Marina Horak, Nadia Lasserson and Danielle Salamon playing Eight Hands on one piano.
July: EPTA Second Summer Workshop in Brighton
September: EPTA West Germany with Edith Picht-Axenfeld, Karl-Heinz Kammerling, Ludwig Hoffman, Ulrich Meckies. A Praesidium of 5 members was formed.
1980
February 21st: Launch of the first Piano Journal (Editor Sidney Harrison), Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Malcolm Troup gave welcome address, James Gibb played Schubert &Schumann.
Anthony Hopkins talked: “How to be a Successful Failure”
28th – 30th July: Third EPTA Summer Piano Teachers Workshop at Royal Holloway College, Egham was the FIRST EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS.
1981
EPTA Belgium Flanders/Brussels was formed. Louise Hesbain, President
EPTA Archives housed at Trent Park
February: One Day Workshop at ILEA
June: EPTA Holland – Alwyn Bar
25th – 27th July: 2nd EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS at Egham, UK
1982
EPTA Finland – Finnish Piano Teachers Association.
Kauko Kuosma, President. Eeva Sarmanto Nuovonen, Co-ordinator.
29th July – 1st August: 3rd EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS at Trent Park, UK
September 15th: EPTA Eire, Frank Heneghan
1983
EPTA France – Jacques Chapuis
EPTA Iceland – Gudrun Gudmundsdottirs new President
27th – 30th July: 5th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS at Kingston Polytechnic, UK;
also 2nd ISSTIP Conference
5th October: Gala Evening at Steinways 1
1984
Japan Piano Teachers Association became affiliated with EPTA
EPTA Iceland reverted back to its original President
February: One Day Seminar – Trent Park
25th – 28th July: 6th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS at Kingston, UK
October: EPTA Switzerland – Klaus Wolters
1985
7th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS at Hannover Hochschule, Germany
Herman Uhlhorn new President of Holland
1st Flemish Piano Duet Competition
9th – 12th August: John Bigg acting Chairman of EPTA UK, EPTA UK Conference at Egham
December: EPTA Austria – Sebastian Benda, 1st conference
1986
26th – 29th July: EPTA UK International Conference at Guildhall School of music and Drama, London
7th August: 8th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Helsinki, Finland
1987
EPTA Finland – Pekka Vapaavuori new President
EPTA East Germany – Prof Dr Diethelm Muller-Nilsson
EPTA Yugoslavia – Vladimir Krpan assembled all academics from Belgrade, Ljubljana, Skopje, Novi Sad and Zagreb together.
Malcolm Troup became Guest Editor of Piano Journal
30th July – 3rd Aug: EPTA UK International Conference at Southlands. Kendall Taylor new President of EPTA UK
9th August: 9th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Roque d’Antheron, France
October: EPTA Norway – Einar Steen-Nokleberg, 500 Norwegian Society of Piano Teachers all joined EPTA en masse.
1988
Malcolm Troup took over the Editorship of the Piano Journal.
EPTA Croatia/Yugoslavia – Vladimir Krpan
EPTA Sweden – Marianne Facht-Ribbing. 50th Anniversary of Swedish Piano Teachers Association
February 12th: Concerts Exhibition in Kensington Library
Feb 20th: 10th Anniversary of EPTA. Piano Marathon at Guildhall School of Music and Drama
5th – 9th August: 10th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS at Southlands
1989
EPTA Czechoslovakia – Radoslav Kvapil
EPTA Croatia – same President
EPTA USSR – Lev Vlassenko
Hong Kong Piano Teachers Association affiliated to EPTA – Dr Sigling Bruhn
EPTA Belgium Flanders/Brussels – Roland de Munck new President
14th – 16th July: 11th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Alkmaar, Netherlands
27th – 31st July: EPTA UK International Conference in Hereford
1990
EPTA Italy – Marcella Crudeli; founded during Finals of Roma competition
EPTA Hungary – Elzebet Tusa
EPTA Romania – Dragos Tanasescu
EPTA Denmark – Elsebeth Brodersen
EPTA Estonia – Bruno Lukk
EPTA East Germany held its First conference and many Western Germans attended as the Berlin Wall had come down in 1989. A great historic moment.
30th July – 2nd August: EPTA UK International Conference at Kingston
8th – 10th November: 12th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Graz, Austria
December: EPTA Belgium Wallonie/Bruxelles – Diane Andersen
1991
EPTA Malta – Charles Camilleri
EPTA West and East Germany became briefly known as Germany One and Two but at the November East German Conference they amalgamated into EPTA Germany
EPTA Poland – Teresa Manasterska
EPTA Serbia – Dušan Trbojević
EPTA Czechoslovakia was divided into EPTA Czech Republic and EPTA Slovakia – Eva Fischerova
EPTA The Netherlands – Willem Brons new President
Estonian President died so Vice President Lauri Vainmaa took over
29th July – 2nd August: EPTA UK International Conference at Froebel College, Roehampton
Sept. 6 – 9th: 13th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Moscow, Russia – where
EPTA Latvia – Prof Arnis Zandmaris and
EPTA Lithuania – Kestukis Gribauskas were formed.
November: EPTA Spain – Rosa Maria Kucharski
1992
EPTA Ukraine – Nina Kazimirova
EPTA Malta – Josefina Grima new President
EPTA Latvia – Teofil Bikis new President
January: EPTA UK Pedagogy Course started for 12 fortnightly Sundays
28th – 31st July: EPTA UK International Conference at Froebel
October: 14th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Lucerne, Switzerland
1993
EPTA Bulgaria – Milena Mollova
EPTA Albania – Nadjezhda Porodini (lived in Italy)
EPTA Estonia new President – Peep Lassmann
EPTA Serbia new President – Arbo Valma
EPTA Malta new President – Fransina Abela
15th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Prague, Czech Republic
March: 15th Anniversary Celebrations, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London
27th – 30th July: EPTA UK International Conference at Froebel College, Roehampton
1994
EPTA Russia-Saratov – Irina Skvortsova
EPTA Greece – Gerassimos Kakalis
EPTA Cyprus – Katerina Antoniou
EPTA Macedonia – Todor Svetiev
EPTA Belarus – Vadim Yaconyuk
January 29th: Celebration of Carola Grindea
23rd – 26th June: 16th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Kils
Nadia Lasserson took over as Organising Secretary of EPTA the Parent
28th July – 1st August: EPTA UK International Conference in Manchester, Hartley Hall
1995
EPTA Russia-Piatigorsk
EPTA Russia-Kaliningrad
EPTA Russia-Tambov
Einar Steen-Nokleberg became President of the European Council
Sebastian Benda resigned and became Honorary President of EPTA Austria and Walter Groppenberger was nominated the new President.
25th – 29th July: EPTA UK International Conference at Froebel College, Roehampton
24th – 26th November: 17th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Namur, Wallonia – Belgium, where it was decided that the President of the Council of EPTA should be of the country hosting the following Conference in order to facilitate gaining sponsorship.
Marcella Crudelli was then announced the new President of EPTA.
1996
ALAPP Chile – instigated by Malcolm Troup
EPTA Eire – Mary Lennon new President
EPTA Hungary –Mariann Abraham new President
EPTA Iceland – Sigrun Gudmunsdottir new President
EPTA Russia – Irina Ossipova new President
30th July – 3rd August: EPTA UK International Conference at Hartley Hall, Manchester
23rd – 25th October: 18th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Rome, Italy
1997
EPTA Russia-St Petersburg
EPTA Russia-Sochi
EPTA Russia- Rostov-on-Don
EPTA Greece – reorganised with Maria Kanatsouli
EPTA Switzerland – Francis Schneider new President
EPTA Serbia – Nikola Rackov new President
23rd – 25th August: 19th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Dubrovnik, Croatia
26th – 30th August: EPTA UK International Conference at Froebel College, Roehampton
1st EPTA UK Piano Competition – three categories: Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced
1998
EPTA Bosnia & Herzegovina was established with Zlatan Mujkić as President
EPTA Slovenia was established with Tatjana Ognjanović as President.
EPTA Sweden – Eva Luthander new President
EPTA Iceland – Unnur Vilhelmsdottir new President
EPTA UK International Conference in York. (Dorothea Law)
EPTA UK 2nd Piano Competition with Advanced 2 category added
EPTA UK Archives moved to LCM
March 29th: 20th Anniversary Celebrations at GSMD
2nd – 6th October: 20th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Nicosia, Cyprus
1999
EPTA Russia-North/West – Vladimir Kurgan
EPTA Greece re-organised
EPTA Roumania – Constantin Ionescu – Vovu new President after tragic death of Aurora Ienei
EPTA France – Hervé N’Kaoua new President after resignation of Jacques Chapuis
EPTA UK Pedagogy Course changed hands.
April: EPTA Portugal – Nancy Lee Harper
May 23rd: EPTA UK One-day Conference in Birmingham
2nd – 5t h July: 21st EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Tromsø, Norway
August: EPTA UK International Conference Guildford
2000
EPTA Greece – Alikki Vatikioti new President
EPTA Finland – Jussi Siirala new President
EPTA Slovenia – Igor Dekleva new President
1st July: EPTA UK One day Conference at RNCM “Past, Present and Future”
2nd July: EPTA UK International Conference at Chethams School, Manchester
23rd – 28th August: 22nd EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Budapest, Hungary
2001
EPTA Belgium Flanders/Brussels – Levento Kende new President
EPTA Latvia Juris Kalnciems new President after tragic death of Bikis
May 13th: EPTA UK one day Pedagogy day in Cambridge
1st – 4th August: EPTA UK International Conference in Oxford
25th – 28th October: 23rd EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Berlin, Germany
2002
Vlado Perlemuter and Anne Steyn died
EPTA Georgia – Nino Khutsishvilli
EPTA Iceland – Annis Bjork Asgirsdottir new President
EPTA Eire – Catherine O’Sullivan Gallagher new President
EPTA Serbia – Dejan Sinadinovic new President
EPTA UK Archives moved to Chethams
26th – 28th July: EPTA UK International Conference at Trinity College of Music, Greenwich
30th August – 1st September: 24th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Namur, Wallonia – Belgium
6th October: EPTA UK Young Artists – at The Lowry, Salford Quays
2003
Sebastian Benda, Rosalyn Tureck and Joan Last died
EPTA Croatia – Stjepan Radić new President
EPTA Ukraine – Olga Kuznetzova new President
1st Piano Professional published, editor Pamela Lidiard
24th – 26th April: 25th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Graz, Austria
June: Launch party for PP at Steinways
May: EPTA UK 25th Year Celebration Day at Warehouse, London
18th – 20th July: EPTA UK 25th Anniversary Celebration Conference – Winchester
2nd November: EPTA UK One day Conference at RNCM – Connections.
2004
EPTA Serbia Vojvodina was established by Dorian Leljak, President
EPTA Turkey – Yapincak Gurek (never materialised)
EPTA India Associates – Prabhudas Ivanson
ALAPP Brazil – Henriquetta Duarte
EPTA Croatia – Ida Gamulin new President
EPTA Greece – Dora Bacopoulou new President after death of Alikki Vatikiotti
EPTA The Netherlands – Dirk Van Schilt new President
EPTA Slovenia – Vladimir Mlinarić new President
EPTA UK Mark Ray – new Chairman
23rd May: EPTA UK Piano Live Day at Purcell School, Bushey
19th – 21st July: EPTA UK Annual Conference – Bath
15th – 18th October: 26th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Rome, Italy
2005
EPTA Eire – Elizabeth Fuller new President
EPTA Spain – Diego Fernandez Magdaleno new President
EPTA Switzerland – Birgitte Bernhard new President
1st – 4th September: 27th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS at RNCM, Manchester, UK
2006
Mark Ray and Frank Martin died
EPTA Montenegro – Ratimir Martinović
ALAPP Argentina – Valentin Surif
EPTA Austria – Anton Voigt new President
EPTA Sweden – Marianne Jacobs new President
EPTA Poland – Pawel Skrzypek new President
EPTA UK – Murray McLachlan new Chairman
21st May: EPTA UK Spring Conference at the Amadeus Centre, London
26th – 30th July: 28th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Madeira, Portugal
13th October: EPTA UK One day Pedagogy Conference at Trinity College of Music
2007
27th – 29th July: EPTA UK 28th International Conference at Warwick Arts Centre
2nd – 5th November: 29th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Novi Sad, Serbia, where Gary Ingle of the MTNA awarded Carola Grindea the MTNA “Citation for Leadersip” as a token of gratitude and admiration for her life’s accomplishment and “singular work as a unifier of music teachers throughout the world”.
25th November: EPTA UK One day Conference in Croydon (Whitgift School)
1st December: EPTA UK Gala Concert at Steinways, Memorial to Mark Ray
2008
Yonty Solomon died
As a tribute to EPTA’s 30th Anniversary, the Journal published brief Histories of the various EPTA Associations and also a long interview with Carola Grindea, the Founder.
EPTA Slovenia celebrated its tenth Anniversary.
EPTA UK’s Piano Pedagogy Course joined forces with the Purcell School
28th – 31st July: EPTA UK 29th International Conference at Hope University, Liverpool
8th – 11th August: 30th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Tallinn, Estonia
2009
CAROLA GRINDEA, Charles Camilleri and Christine Brown died
EPTA Czech Republic – Milan Franek new President
EPTA Ireland – Grainne Deery new President
EPTA Sweden – Stefan Bojsten new President
11th – 13th August: EPTA UK 30th International Conference at Chethams, Manchester
29th June – 1st July: 31st EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Prague, Czech Republic
2010
Alicia de Larrocha, Earl Wild , Michael Davidson and Ilana Davis died
Two Memorial Celebratory Concerts were held for Carola Grindea. One was at the Guildhall School of Music and one was in the Romanian Cultural Institute, London. Several distinguished Romanian artists came to play in her rmemory including Lory Wallfisch, who had been Carola’s first student in Bucharest.
EPTA Finland – Seppo Salovius new President
EPTA Iceland – Anna Run Atladottir new President
EPTA Slovenia – Ana Avbersek new President
EPTA Austria celebrated its 25th Anniversary
22nd – 24th July: EPTA UK 31st International Conference at Trinity College of Music
27th – 30th October: 32nd EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Ljubljana, Slovenia
November 20th: EPTA UK One day Conference at Warwick University
2011
Seppo Salovius died
EPTA Israel Associates – Eitan Globerson
EPTA Netherlands – Rian de Waal new President
EPTA The Netherlands – David Kuyken new President after death of Rian de Waal
EPTA Russia started a new Festival “Opus 11” with Denmark
EPTA Sweden launched its first “Svenska Pianobulletinen” journal
1st – 3rd September: EPTA UK 32nd International Conference at Royal Welsh College of Music
11th – 13th November: 33rd EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Lucerne, Switzerland
2012
Lori Walfisch, Benjamin Kaplan, Marguerite Wolff and Noel do Carmo Flores died
EPTA Spain – Ana Guijarro new President
EPTA Switzerland – Jean-Jacques Dunki new President
EPTA Finland – Katarina Nummi-Kuisma new President
19th – 21st July: EPTA UK 35th International European Conference in York
27th – 30th September: 34th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Stockholm, Sweden
2013
Bernard Roberts and Katarina Wolpe died
EPTA Armenia – Anna Hambaryan
EPTA Germany – Peter Haseley and Heribert Koch new Presidents for the year
EPTA Portugal – Luis Pipa new President
EPTA Greece – Natalia Michailidou new President
EPTA Ireland – Owen Lorigan new President
29th – 31st August: EPTA UK 36th International European Conference in Canterbury
9th – 12th May: 35th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Düsseldorf, Germany
2014
EPTA Albania celebrated its 20th Anniversary
EPTA Malta re-started. Evelina Batey new President
EPTA Slovenia – Primož Mavrič new President
EPTA‘s archives housed in the Royal College of Music Library
April 5th, August 29th – 30th, October 4th: EPTA UK held three One-day Conferences in Oxford, Belfast and Bolton in lieu of a residential 37th Conference
26th – 29th June: 36th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Oslo, Norway
EPTA Norway – Elin Persson new President
EPTA Denmark- Ulla Erml new President
EPTA Poland – Karol Radziwonowicz new President
EPTA Israel Associates – Michal Tal new President
30th July-1st August EPTA UK 38th International European Conference in Warwick
22nd-25th October: 37th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Amsterdam, Netherlands
2016
May 15th, August 11th, September 18th EPTA UK held three one-day Conferences in Edinburgh, Manchester and Cambridge in lieu of a residential 39th Conference
22nd -25th September: 38th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Reykjavik, Iceland
EPTA Austria – Till Alexander Koerber new President
EPTA Estonia – Lembit Orgse new President
EPTA Albania – Klodi Zjeli new President
EPTA Serbia/Voyvodina - Tatjana Vukmanović new President
EPTA Netherlands – Bart van de Roer new President
2017
EPTA Iceland - Dr. Nína Margrét Grímsdóttir new President
10th-13th August: 39th EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Helsinki, Finland
31st August-1st September EPTA UK 40th International European Conference in Nottingham
2018
Epta Spain – Alberto Urroz new President
40th EURPOEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Valletta, 27th-30th September
EPTA UK Held two one-day conferences in Edinburgh and Manchester
EPTA Iceland – Olof Jonsdottir new President
2019
EPTA Denmark - Dr Balder Neergaard new President
EPTA Norway Otto Graf new President
EPTA Switzerland Tomas Dratva new President
EPTA UK first ever Summer School in collaboration with ESTA in Chichester.
41st EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Vienna 24th -27th October
2020
42nd EUROPEAN CONFERENCE of EPTA ASSOCIATIONS in Bonn May 22nd-24th
"Beethoven 2020: a Theme with Variations” celebrating the 250th annicversary of his birth.
All scheduled EPTA events were cancelled or deferred as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic
EPTA Germany with its rich and comperehensive Beethoven programme rescheduled to October 30th-1st November and ended up with an unprecedented and hugely successful online event.
EPTA Sweden Eva Lutander new President
EPTA Slovenia Suzana Zorko
2021
EPTA UK Mark Tanner acting Chairman .
EPTA UK Peter Lipman acting Chairman
Malcolm Troup died
EPTA UK Aaron Shorr voted Chairman
43rd European Conference of EPTA Associations in Madrid, Spain September 9th -13th
A Live and streamed Conference with self-distancing while Covid continued.
2022
44th European Conference of EPTA Associations Guimaraes, Portugal September 1st -4th
EPTA Slovenia Miha Haas new President
EPTA Lithuania Aidas Puodziukas new President
2023
EPTA Norway Marie Strandli Pedersen new President
EPTA Sweden Martin Tell new President