Aoife Mac Alister
MMus | BMus | BA | ARIAM
I am an award-winning classical pianist with over twenty years playing and a decade of teaching experience. I studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music for over ten years where I was awarded the Gold Medal for Piano Performance with Distinction, the Certificate in Performance, and an Associate Teaching Diploma.
I am also a graduate of University College Dublin where I completed my Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees. My Masters in Music was completed at Kings College London and was awarded with Distinction.
I have been the recipient of a number of special awards, including the Aer Rianta Young Musician of the Year, and have been a prize winner at numerous national music competitions across Ireland in solo piano performance and chamber music.
I also experienced debilitating playing-related musculoskeletal injuries which stopped me playing for many years. As a result, over the past number of years I have been engaged in an ongoing action research project and continuing professional development studying the Taubman Approach with faculty of the Golandsky Institute, New York. I completely retrained and continue my studies with the foremost experts in the world including Edna Golandsky, Therese Milanovic, John Bloomfield, and Robert Durso. These studies have been generously supported by The Arts Council of Ireland.
I work with pianists seeking to optimise and retrain their technique with the Taubman Approach (see www.aoifemacalister.com for more). Most recently, I founded The Premier Piano Studio in order to teach the tools of healthy and fluent artistry from the get go to beginners of all ages. I have a particular specialism in working with adults.
In my teaching and coaching I incorporate the learnings and principles of my extensive and ongoing studies and action research. I believe that beginners need the very best in piano tuition to establish secure foundations and develop a free and fluent piano playing facility for a lifetime of music making. At Premier Piano, co-ordinate technique is taught as part of a comprehensive classical piano education delivered through innovative, bespoke lessons in the comfort of your home.
Check out more about my teaching philosophy here. For more information regarding a Premier Piano course of study, go here. if you have any questions, and for registration for September 2025, simply reach out today: aoife@premierpiano.ie
I look forward to hearing from you!