Passionate about teaching, Eleanor is widely recognised for her work.
She co-leads the piano department at Leeds Conservatoire, where she has been a Principal Lecturer in Piano since 2018. For over 20 years, she has taught piano and chamber music at the Junior Royal Academy of Music, becoming Keyboard Coordinator in 2020 and has been appointed Specialist Tutor in Keyboard for the LRAM teaching course at the Royal Academy of Music.
Eleanor sits on panels as an external examiner at the Royal College of Music and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. She is an examiner and trainer for the ABRSM in the UK and abroad and is regularly invited to adjudicate festivals and competitions at some of the country’s leading public schools including Eton, James Alleyns Girls School and Kings College Wimbledon. From 2006 to 2021 she was a Tutor in Piano at Royal Holloway, University of London and has previously held piano teaching posts at Uppingham School, Warwick School and Christs’ Hospital.
Her work has included leading multi-piano projects and specialising with advanced students. A particular interest is developing piano duet and piano ensemble playing. For 15 years she coached the Primary Academy piano duos at RAM and she regularly leads collaborative projects to broaden the scope of the students. Her duo with pianist Jakob Fichert (Leeds Piano Duo) gives piano duet workshops and classes in schools and higher education institutions. Eleanor’s interest in the psychology of performing led to her graduating with an MA in Psychology for Musicians from the University of Sheffield in 2013. Her dissertation, ‘Can Improvisation Alleviate Performance Anxiety?’, was awarded a distinction and formed the basis of a chapter in New Thoughts on Piano Performance published by the London International Piano Symposium. As a reviewer she regularly contributes to the Artis Fontes Musicae publication.
A testament to her dedication and skill as a teacher, Eleanor's students have won prizes in many national festivals and competitions including the winner of the Keyboard Section of the 2020 BBC Young Musician of the Year. Many have been awarded scholarships to the major conservatoires in the UK and gone on to careers in music.