About us

Piano at Le Maillard, or PALM, is a consortium of highly experienced classical music keyboard performers and teachers. Our aim is to bring high quality events and tuition to adult piano returners and piano teachers. Since Covid, our community has grown exponetially. The experience of lockdown for many resulted in a rekindling of childhood musical experiences and this is reflected in our provision for this growing community. For those lucky enough to have had the opportunity to learn the instrument in childhood, the piano is a joyful exploration of self that adults choose to return to in later life.

PALM is here for every returning pianist with workshops, friendship and a shared love of music. Alisa – PALM participant

Our artistic directors

Ann Martin-Davis

Ann Martin-Davis’ love of 20th century and contemporary art crosses all genres and this has led to a career in pursuit of new ways of presenting solo piano and chamber music.  Her reputation in the world of chamber music is wide and various; she has curated concerts at numerous arts festivals and has performed twentieth century and contemporary repertoire throughout the world.  

Her most recent recording for Guild Music of the solo piano works of Maurice Ravel received international acclaim. In addition to her piano performing and producing work, Ann coaches undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students at the University of Oxford, gifted young students in China and adult piano returners in France at Piano at Le Maillard. 

She is also much in demand as an adjudicator and public speaker (as well as UK conservatoires, she frequently gives seminar tours of SE Asia for private studios and for ABRSM) having worked with over four thousand students and piano teachers in seminars in the last three years. She was described by the Sunday Times as ‘a compelling ambassador for classical music.’

Ann is a keen gardener; she has high hopes for her tomato varietal ‘big boy’ and she is a trainer, playmate, cleaner and chef to Gus and Sofie, her two mischievous wire-haired sausage dogs. 

‘A distinguished scholar and pianist’

Gramophone Magazine

Photo credit Tamara Gillon Photography

Helen Leek

Helen was a scholar and prize winner at the Royal Academy of Music and was awarded the JBR trophy at the Royal Over-Seas League competition. She subsequently studied with Alexander Satz in Vienna with the help of an Austrian Government Scholarship. 

Helen was one of the major prize winners at the International Young Concert Artists Competition and was the silver medalist in the Brant International Piano Competition.

She has performed across Europe both as soloist and chamber musician, with her innovative multi-media programmes drawing much critical acclaim.

´With the multifaceted creativity of the pianist Helen Leek, Clara Schumann herself would have been proud.´

  The Frankfurter Allgemeine

‘The real hero of the performance was undoubtedly Helen Leek…here was ensemble playing of the highest order, spiced up by dazzling virtuoso performances from all six musicians’.

The Straits Times, Singapore

Helen teaches piano at Royal Holloway, University of London, has given masterclasses in the UK, Singapore and Thailand, adjudicates festivals in the UK, has acted as adjudicator for competitions within the Royal College of Music, and is an examiner and trainer for the ABRSM.

This summer, after 4 years of almost exclusively playing Bach, she was reminded of the joys of the sustaining pedal whilst performing Grieg on the Queen Mary 2 heading up to the Norwegian Fjords.

Photo credit Tamara Gillon Photography