Leo is also a much sought-after accompanist, and has returned to Trinity as a faculty member, primarily accompanying singers and wind players. Five years ago he formed a flute and piano duo with Rosanna Ter-Berg, and their critically acclaimed Purcell Room début (under the auspices of the Park Lane Group) in January 2012 led to performances at the Wigmore Hall and the Bridgewater Hall. More recently Leo started working with saxophonist Anthony Brown, who he met through the Worshipful Company of Musicians, and they have since played together all over the country. The DP-10X features a multi-timbral grand piano sound with supreme realism and depth. It also includes 23 other voices from classical piano sounds to '60s inspired organ tones – you’ll be able to experiment in any genre. Featuring 64-note polyphony, which lets 64 notes ring out all at the same time, playing even the most complex pieces is possible.

The last entry on our list of the best digital pianos for the advanced pianist goes to the Alesis Recital PRO Digital Piano. We chose to test this model out because we wanted to include something that was portable enough for live performances and this was the best piano out of all of those that we tested. The DP-10X also makes it easier to learn your favourite songs. A transposing function lets you can take a song you want to learn and move it into an easier to play key. In Learn Mode, you can play along with any of the demo songs at your own pace, helping you study new pieces and improving your playing. Designed for the homeYou should get an instant answer on whether your application has been successful, though in some rare cases Klarna or V12 may need to look at the application in more detail. Once you’ve done all of this, you’ll know the basics, have a great instrument and be on your way to improving your skill levels. At this point, you’ll probably want to start private piano lessons. If nothing else, learning to play piano should be fun. The tools to develop your playing further are all here, including a metronome. Practise different time signatures and keep your timing sharp - because as any musician can tell you, if it’s not in time, it won’t sound like music! Leo Nicholson studied at the Purcell School, the Junior Royal Northern College of Music, and with Douglas Finch and the late Yonty Solomon at Trinity Laban.

Leo has a fondness for Musical Theatre, and has worked on everything from small fringe shows (Belle Canto’s Opera Hour, and the Crowd (wept) and Hamlet! The Musical) to large commercial productions (Jekyll & Hyde UK Tour). The other sounds are a mixed bunch. None are bad and all give a decent emulation of the source sound, but none leap out as being particularly great. It's possible to load two sounds at once as a layered pair or, by using the 'strings (lower)' preset, you can create a split with strings under your left hand and whatever you like under your right hand. The split point is fixed at F#3. It's a shame this can't be adjusted. One thing that we did really like about this digital piano is that it has 24 different demo songs that vary in complexity. We felt that this was a great feature for learning new pieces; even for those who are more advanced. We also liked the inclusion of the sustain pedal which was essential for advanced playing. With 88 weighted hammer action keys, you really do get an incredibly realistic piano playing experience. We tested out the notes of polyphony. Whilst we were impressed with the previous model, we found that the notes on the DP-10X had the tendency to lag on the odd occasion which was a little frustrating although it didn't cause any problems when playing.He was a consistent prize-winner at Trinity, winning both the John Longmire Beethoven Competition and the Alfred Kitchen Chopin Competition, and graduated with First Class Honours, the TCM Silver Medal (Keyboard) and a Silver Medal awarded by the Worshipful Company of Musicians. He continues to work as a soloist and performs with the Birmingham based contemporary group Thumb. As any advanced pianist will know; having the right equipment makes the world of difference. Of course, if you know how to play well then you will be able to play a tune on any digital piano. However, if you want the piano to do your skills justice then it is important that you invest in a top end model. Two 15 Watt speakers turn your home into a concert hall, with refined stereo sound. Alternatively, simply plug in your headphones to practise in total silence. Because no one else has to hear it, you can get more practise in. The Split, Layer and Twin modes allow you to customise your sound, in addition to built-in reverb and chorus effects. You can even record your own compositions thanks to the two onboard memory banks. Grows with Your Playing