International Festival & Summer School PIANO WEEK returns to Rugby School, the birthplace of Rugby football, for two consecutive weeks in 2025: between 20th and 27th July (Week I) and between 27th July and 3rd August (Week II). Headed by British concert pianist Samantha Ward (founder and artistic director) and Polish concert pianist Maciej Raginia (creative director), the summer school is based at the state-of-the-art, brilliantly equipped music department, offering residential, non-residential and online participants an opportunity to study with distinguished concert artists, pedagogues and educators in the most stimulating environment. The festival’s high-calibre performances given by faculty members alongside appearances by world-renowned guest artists will be held in the stunning Memorial Chapel and will accompany the course, which is open to pianists of any age and ability. Other UK residencies in July 2025 include London (Dulwich College).

In Rugby, we welcome applications for:

Residential Intensive courseResidential Standard courseResidential Lite course
Non-residential Intensive courseNon-residential Standard courseNon-residential Lite course

as well as

Online Intensive courseOnline Standard courseOnline Lite course

Those attending PIANO WEEK Rugby will be able to choose between our lite, standard or intensive course options, with the latter one boasting an additional four one-to-one piano lessons on top of the 24 hours of tuition, performances and advice offered to participants over the six-day period. All programmes are available in person and online (worldwide). Residential participants will enjoy modern single bedrooms (with separate bathrooms), cosy common rooms with TV and WiFi access and a few kitchenettes which are located on campus.

Please note that children under the age of 18 years must be accompanied by their parent/guardian on both non-residential (free of charge) and residential programmes (at an additional cost).

Rugby is situated on the West Coast line from London Euston railway station (50 – 90 minutes by train, 2 hours by car). The school is a 5-minute taxi ride from Rugby station. Motorway links provide easy access to Birmingham Airport (40 minutes by car), East Midlands Airport (50 minutes by car), Luton Airport (70 minutes by car) and London Heathrow International Airport (1.5 – 2 hours by car).

All participants will benefit from:

• Master classes
• One-to-one & duet lessons
• Jazz improvisation
• Harmony, pedalling, fingering and memorisation classes (adults)
• Composition classes (with a chance to perform their own composition)
• Seminars on how to practise
• Sight reading classes
• Listening and theory classes (children)
• Talks on stage presentation & history of the piano
• Informal concerts and discussion forums
• Multiple performance opportunities
• Free entry to all faculty & guest artist recitals

In addition, those enrolled on one of the summer school’s programmes will be entitled to exclusive offers from the festival’s partners. Thanks to the special relationship between PIANO WEEK and leading household names such as Steinway & Sons, G Henle Verlag and Schott Music, participants will be able to enjoy anything from a 20% discount on Schott Music publications and vouchers and app credits for the Henle Urtext Library, to a unique referral programme with Steinway & Sons.