Scottish pianist: ‘I decided to learn Russian because of Prokofiev’

Discovering Russian music

Harry was born in Scotland and attended a regular school. At 10, he started playing the piano on his own, then with a teacher and, five years later, began taking classes at the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow. His teacher had studied in Moscow and inspired the young man with her stories.

“At first, I hated Prokofiev's music, I thought it was discordant. But then, my teacher gave me one of his pieces to learn – one of the four pieces for piano (Op. 32, No. 1). And he immediately became my favorite composer,” recalls Harry.

When he played Prokofiev for his teacher, she joked: “You understand his music so well, but you don't speak his language!” The young man thought that if he spoke the composer's language, he would play and understand his complex music even better.

From learning Russian to studying at the Moscow Conservatory

So, Harry started teaching himself Russian a couple of years ago. Whether it's due to his musical ear or simply strong motivation, he now speaks it almost fluently.

“The hardest thing for me are cases, because English doesn't have them. And also, verb conjugations: ‘знаю’, ‘знаем’, ‘знают’… But, I'm trying,” he admits.

After school, Harry entered a conservatory in Scotland, but he didn't really enjoy studying there. At the same time, he knew that his professor was a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, and his ex-wife was teaching there at the time. They both strongly supported the young man and, at 18, he decided to go to Moscow to apply.

He first visited Moscow in July 2025 for entrance exams. And his first impressions were wonderful: “I was surprised that, in Russia, everything is different! Not like in Scotland. A completely different, beautiful culture!”

Now, he studies permanently in Moscow and, based on his initial experience, states: “The education here is excellent. Everything is strict and difficult, as it should be. In Scotland, it was too relaxed; you could basically not study at all!”

Ensemble of foreign students

There are many foreigners studying at the Moscow Conservatory. “Most of them are from China; I've also met people from Germany, Spain, Peru, Bolivia, Japan, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey and even Australia!”

In October 2025, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized the Assembly of the Russian World, inviting Russian language specialists and teachers from many countries. At the opening ceremony, an ensemble of foreign students from the Conservatory performed. Under the direction of conductor Xiangning Chen from China, they played songs from Soviet movies. Harry was among them.

“A friend told me there was a concert for foreign students of the Conservatory, and I wanted to participate. That's how I ended up in the ensemble. It was awesome!”

About Russians & life in Russia

In just six months, Harry has managed to fall in love with Russian cuisine: “I haven't found a dish I didn't like yet! I remember trying ‘herring under a fur coat’ for the first time and I was delighted! It's very tasty! I haven't tried borsch (soup) yet, but I definitely will!”

So far, he has only been to Moscow, but he dreams of visiting St. Petersburg and Siberia.

“In the UK, we know nothing about Russians and their lives; I didn't know what to expect. But, when I arrived, I realized I had never encountered such hospitality and kindness anywhere. The Russian people have a very strong soul! I think that's what surprised me the most!”