I compose my music primarily for my own and other people's enjoyment. However, as a piano teacher I also have submiited my piano compositions to EPTA (European Piano Teachers' Association), of which I am a long standing member.

EPTA organise an annual composers' competition in the UK in which pieces are judged by adjudicators who are themselves well-established composers.

In 2009 I submitted a score and recording of Burlesque. To my delight this was the prize-winning entry in the Teachers category. Prize winners are invited to play their winning pieces live at the EPTA annual conference, and so I played Burlesque at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.

I have had similar successes in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Here are some comments the adjudicators made:

Burlesque (2009): "An extremely attractive piece, beautifully written for the piano and thoroughly idiomatic. The title is well served, and it has form, colour and rhythmic propulsion." (John McLeod, Cambridge)

Valse Mélanchique (2009): "A lovely French style waltz. The piece works due to the cleverly irregular phrasing and the sumptuous harmonic language. This is a very successful example of its kind and will be very enjoyable to play." (Adam Gorb, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff)

Celebration (2012): "This is an extremely well written piece with a terrific sense of harmony, and using a full range of piano textures. The style seems a little of a cross between Bartok and the mid-20th century English style of writing -- tonal but chromatic and rhythmically driven. A very enjoyable piece and written with great assurance." (David Horne, University of York)

Tarantella (2013): "A very well made piece that fully exploits the possibilities of a tarantella dance idiom within an almost symphonic structure. It is certainly very pianistic and the harmonic thinking gives the piece a patina of warmth and welcome Mediterranean colour. A most enjoyable composition." (Gary Carpenter, Canterbury Christ Church University)