Ron Moir
Classical piano, fortepiano
In my teaching I have always sought to have my students enjoy the challenges of each composers’ style and to help them become the best musician that they can become both musically and technically. I would like them to feel the same excitement and love of music that I feel myself.
My main studio is in Stratford where I have 8 keyboard instruments, 4 of which are period pieces where the students have the opportunity to discover how the music sounded to the composers in past centuries. My main “modern” piano is a semi concert grand in exceptional condition on which I do most of my teaching. Regular studio “parties” or home concerts are organized for students to play for each other, at which time they prepare for festivals and exams, and learn to communicate musically with others.
My secondary studio is in Uptown Waterloo where I look forward to expanding my presence.
My previous students have always proven to be a most diverse group. Some of the young beginners were later accepted into university programs in music and later entered grad school. These are now professional musicians spread around the world (Whistler, New York, Australia and Hong Kong) Others later entered the sciences and are now physicians with an interest in music. There were adults who returned to music once their careers were well established, or even retired, and were looking for some artistic challenges.
Upon the completion of the B.Mus program at the University of Manitoba, I was awarded Canada Council Study Grants as well as the Major Arts Grant from the Manitoba Arts Council, for a further 3 years of study in the UK with Joan Davies (BBC recording artist and Fellow of the Royal Academy). She had studied with Egon Petri, whose musical lineage leads back to the Russian School as created by the titan Russian pianist Anton Rubinstein.
Upon returning to Canada my wife Ruth and I settled in Toronto, and in addition to teaching in our private studios, we began performing as the Moir Fortepiano Duo, a duet team on an 18th century piano demonstrating a special interest in the literature of Mozart. Eventually feeling dissatisfied with the status quo, we returned to formal studies when Boston University recruited us as scholarship candidates in the M.Mus performance program. Our graduation led to doctoral studies at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
A position at Trinity Western University took us to British Columbia for 15 years where I taught in both the university and in my private studio. We began touring as a 2 fortepiano team following the purchase of a second historical keyboard, performing widely up and down the west coast in both Canada and the United States, This included performances at the Boston Early Music Festival (2x), the Berkeley Early Music Festival, a tour for SOHIP (Society of Historically Informed Performances) throughout the New England area and a lecture recital at the annual conclave of the Southeastern Historical Keyboard Association in Augusta, Georgia. I lectured in Toronto on performance practice of the 18th century at the Royal Conservatory of Music’s summer school “The Art of Teaching”. We decided to return to Ontario in 2011, choosing Stratford as home base due to its proximity to the bigger cities of southern Ontario.
We were both very fortunate with our education during our time in Winnipeg as we worked with Alma Brock Smith, as this provided a musical lineage that led back to the leading piano
pedagogue of the late 19th century, Theodor Leschetizky. He was himself a pupil of Czerny, who had studied with Beethoven. As “ Leschetizky Pianists” we are founding members of the Canadian branch of the Leschetizky Association which is based in New York with a new branch in Kitchener-Waterloo.
Testimonials:
Received December 2018 from S.H, a professional pianist and coach in western Canada.
It’s great to be able to reconnect through facebook. I was thinking about you the other day.
Ron, you were the right teacher at the right time for me. Your passion for the piano and music and art inspired me to keep playing at a time when I might have stopped. You inspired me to keep going and growing. I think of you often when I’m teaching or coaching my own students. Thank you.! Have a wonderful holiday.
Received Feb 2019 from D.K. currently studying composition in Amsterdam.
The lessons I had with Ron Moir were crucial in my development as a pianist and overall musician. The formative years of my childhood were spent with Ron, and without him I don’t think I would have continued to take my talents as seriously as I did and still do. The amount of patience and dedication he has is nothing short of incredible.
e mail: rfm@fortepiano.ca