David Cowen
Teacher of Piano and Organ
David enjoys a varied career as an organist, pianist and teacher. A skilled and experienced teacher, former students have gone on to study at the Royal College of Music and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. As an accompanist, he has toured Brazil and Japan and broadcast on local and national radio. Recording projects include two CDs of music by contemporary composer Simon Mold.
Whilst a student at Oxford University, he was awarded the Organ Scholarship of St Peter’s College and the Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists diploma. He continued with private studies in improvisation in Paris with Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin. He obtained the Certificat d’aptitude d’Artiste Musicien in Paris, the Brevet Supérieur d’Improvisation at the Concours National d’Orgue Marcel Dupré and the LRSM diploma (piano performance). He was also a finalist in both Biarritz International Organ Competition and Haarlem International Improvisation Competition.
David is Organist of Leicester Cathedral.
Gayatri Edirisinghe
Teacher of Piano
Gayatri studied piano in her home country of Sri Lanka before moving to the UK where she achieved her diploma in Piano through Trinity College.
She taught piano privately for 17 years before starting at the Loughborough Schools Foundation in 2017 where she has become an integral part of the keyboard faculty. Gayatri predominately focuses on children at the beginning of their piano education whilst also being skilled to teach pupils up to grade 7.
Emily Han
Teacher of Piano
Emily has been teaching since 2013. After working as the accompanist for Brighton College, she now teaches at various Independent schools including Loughborough Schools Foundation.
Emily is also an active performer in both solo piano and chamber music, including music festivals in Belgium and Switzerland. In the summer of 2024, she received full scholarship to attend the Sipiano festival in Blonay, Switzerland where she had masterclasses with several leading pianists.
Outside of her musical interests, Emily enjoys ice-skating, reading and walking as well as collecting Jellycat and Wedgwood.
Jonathan Jarvis
Teacher of Piano
Jonathan is a collaborative pianist, tutor and musical director with a diverse background in classical, jazz and musical theatre.
Jonathan holds a Masters degree in Piano Accompaniment from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he freelances as a staff pianist and occasionally co-directs the American Songbook project, as well as coaching students on the acting course.
After graduating in 2015 with a BMus from the University of Huddersfield and the Rodwell Prize for piano, Jonathan quickly established himself in the Midlands as a performing musician with a busy teaching practice. In 2020 he was honoured to be selected for the prestigious Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme in recognition of his passion and flair as a collaborative pianist.
Jonathan is a co-founder of Leicester MusicFest, a registered charity dedicated to encouraging youth music-making. The charity's annual festival runs competitions, concerts, workshops and masterclasses, with an emphasis on accessibility and high-quality music. He currently works as a Musical Director at Leicester College of Performing Arts, and at Curve Theatre (Leicester)
Petra Milarova
Teacher of Piano
Petra, a classical Czech/British pianist, has performed both as a soloist and a collaborative musician across the UK, Europe, Turkey and the USA. Petra has won prizes in piano competitions in Italy, France and Czech Republic.
She studied at Janáček Conservatoire in Ostrava (Dipl.um.), Musikhochschule in Lucerne (Concert Diploma) and Academy of performing Arts in Prague (BcA., MgA.), followed by a postgraduate at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire where she later taught at the junior department.
Petra has been teaching at Loughborough Schools Foundation since 2016. She also freelances as a Czech coach for opera companies (Welsh National Opera, La Scala, Wiener Staatsoper, Garsington Opera) and as a well-being coach for university staff.
Abi Parker
Teacher of Piano
Abigail obtained her BA Hons from Reading University alongside an LRSM in piano performance. She has been teaching for the foundation for 20 years and has been an ABRSM Graded music examiner for 12.
As an old girl of Loughborough High School, she is really happy to see the Foundation continue to develop and encourage excellent musical facilities, opportunities and talent. She also has a strong commitment to making music accessible to all, not just the most confident or skilled.
Outside of teaching she is the Director of Music for her church and regularly plays for choirs, events and musicals.
Radu Prisada
Teacher of Piano
Romanian born pianist Radu has a vast musical experience both as a soloist and as a collaborative pianist. As a soloist, he took part in prestigious international piano competitions and was awarded with important titles such as First Prize at ’Simone Delbert-Février’ International Nice Côte d'Azur Piano Competition and the First Prize and Distinction at ’Beethoven e i classici’ Competition (Salerno, Italy).
As an active collaborative pianist, he works with instrumentalists in chamber music ensembles, performing in festivals and at recitals in Wigmore Hall (London), Oxford, Manchester and Great Bowden, amongst others.
Radu graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester with a Masters of Music in Performance after obtaining his Bachelors Degree from the same institution. He studied with Richard Ormrod and has benefited from participation in masterclasses given by renowned pianists such as Cathy Stott, Craig Sheppard and Bernard D’Ascoli.
Teaching has always been a passion for Radu since he took the Piano Pedagogy Module in college where he developed his knowledge in this field. His enthusiasm led him to work at the Loughborough Schools Music where he also holds the position of Pianist in Residence as one of the staff accompanists.