Available in Reading, Slough, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Newbury, Windsor, and Wokingham
Performing as a Pianist in Berkshire.
My name is Eugene Portman and I have tapped into the huge demand for pianists in Berkshire. There is an enormous number of venues and they host a great number of events throughout the year. These venues range from castles and historic buildings to luxury hotels and golf courses. Like all the other Home Counties the area is quite popular for couples trying to get married away from the hurly-burly of London life.
A good proportion of my work in Berkshire is as a wedding pianist, but this isn’t all I do. I also play the piano for private parties and corporate events.
The Music
There is a good jazz scene in Berkshire and as a pianist, this is a good source of work for me. I play all the great jazz standards that we all know and love. These include songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, The Rat Pack, Ella Fitzgerald, and Michael Bublé. My pianistic style has been developed by listening to the great keyboard giants of the past. These include Erroll Garner, Oscar Peterson, George Shearing, Teddy Wilson, and Fat’s Waller.
My main specialty is jazz, but seeing as most of my performances in the Berkshire are as a wedding pianist, I have to be versatile. I am often called upon to perform many different genres and I can play anything from Bach to The Bangles. The many different styles I play include classical, ragtime, ragtime, pop, rock, blues, Latin, and singalong. This versatility means that I can provide music for every part of your wedding day including classical pieces for the ceremony. My wide and varied repertoire means that my music is also ideal for other kinds of functions. This has resulted in me playing the piano for private parties in the Berkshire area as well as product launches, and large corporate events.
My Work as a Singalong Pianist in Berkshire
There has been a recent trend in Berkshire to hire me as a sing-along pianist and this has become something that I really enjoy. This style of music suits all types of events from wartime celebrations and Cockney nights to formal events.
Please see sing-along page for further details. Alternatively, please visit my other site at www.uksingalongpianist.co.uk.
The Different Line-ups
A lot of the time my work in Berkshire is as a solo pianist, but I am available in a range of larger line-ups. A range that allows you to can choose one that will fit both your budget and available space at the venue. Here is the full list of line-ups available:
a) Duo – piano and vocals or piano and bass
b) Trio – piano, bass and vocals or piano, bass and drums
c) Quartet – piano, bass, drums and vocals or piano, bass, drums and sax
d) Five Piece Jazz Band – piano, bass, drums, sax and vocals
Whether you are looking for a soloist or the full jazz band I try to make the music have a feel-good quality. A quality that makes it sit comfortably in any social situation, adding sparkle to your event without drowning conversation.
The Grand Piano Shell
Many of the venues in Berkshire don’t have a piano and any pianist performing at these places have to take a digital piano. Digital pianos are great, but occasionally an event calls for something a little bit more like a proper piano. I have the answer in the form of a baby grand piano shell. As its name suggests, it is a shell in the shape of a grand piano. This discretely houses a digital piano and transforms it into a focal point for your event.
This costs an extra £80 on top of my normal fee and can be set up anywhere.
Here are some of the venues in Berkshire where I have performed as a pianist:
- Easthampstead Park Conference Centre, Off Peacock Lane, Wokingham, RG40 3DF
- Carnarvon Arms, Winchester Road, Whitway, Burghclere, Newbury RG20 9LE
- Vineyard at Stockcross (The), Stockcross Newbury RG20 8JU
- Fredericks Hotel Restaurant Spa, Shoppenhangers Rd, Maidenhead SL6 2PZ
- White Waltham Airfield, Waltham Road, Maidenhead SL6 3NJ
- Queens Eyot, Eton College, Bray SL4 6DJ
- Royal Windsor Racecourse (The) SL4 5JJ
- Upper Club (Cricket Pavillion) Eton College, Windsor SL4 6DW
You can hire me as a pianist in all the following areas of Berkshire:
Reading
Woodley
Newbury
Wokingham
Maidenhead
Winkfield
Langley
Windsor
Hartshill
Thatcham
Crowthorne
Slough
Burleigh
Sandhurst
Bracknell