Summary

I like loose-leaf tea, Morton Feldman, and cheese.

Music

I’m a pianist, first and foremost. My particular interest these days is in playing New Music – especially Morton Feldman, Elliott Carter, and Webern. I’d like to play Finnissy and Sorabji, but I’m too much of a coward.

I play other instruments with varying amounts of success, and have been a choral conductor, orchestral tuba player, musical director of an amateur operatic society, guitar noise terrorist, concertina teacher, brass band member, and folk singer at various times.

If you’ve come here in search of me in my previous guise as a folk singer/concertina-player/performer with The Village Wakes, I’m afraid I’m not doing any of that any more. The Anti Beard League served me a cease-and-desist order, and, like a folky equivalent of Samson losing his hair, I discovered that once I became clean-shaven once again, my sandals mysteriously transformed themselves into sensible shoes, my concertinas scurried off into their cases, and I found I had a distinct lack of interest in reassembling any kind of band.

So, at present I only perform with the rather liberating Birmingham Improvisers Orchestra. Recent gigs have seen me playing prepared piano and celesta, but I frequently also turn up with assorted free reed instruments, which I then abuse within an inch of their lives.

I’m always open to offers of playing chamber music – there’s nothing I enjoy more than playing with good string players. That might be a bit of an overstatement, but you get the general idea.

Non-music

I’m a big fan of Land Rovers and run a 1993 Defender 110 County.

I also have a greenhouse full of rather absurd but wonderful cacti and keep a separate blog about this, called blossfeldiana.com.

Apart from the cheese and the loose-leaf tea, I have a bit of a thing about pickled eggs.

Social networky gubbins

I have a MySpace account which I will overhaul at some point: myspace.com/stuartestell

You can read my largely incomprehensible waffle as @5357311 on Twitter here: twitter.com/5357311