At the age of eighteen, after studying in her native Grimsby with the eminent teacher and performer, Janet Cotterill, Marlene Fleet was awarded a place at the Royal Academy of Music in London where she studied with Canadian pianist, Robin Wood.

Whilst still a student at the Royal Academy, Marlene was awarded most of the major prizes for solo piano. These included the Frederick Westlake Prize, Sterndale Bennett Prize, Professor's Memorial Prize and the Thomas Jennings Exhibition. Marlene was also the first recipient of the Carol Gibbons Memorial Scholarship. This was a non-competitive award given at the discretion of the principal of the Royal Academy of Music in memory of the American composer/pianist, famous for his house band at London's Savoy Hotel. The prize was presented to Marlene by Sir Yehudi Menuhin.

 

Marlene gave her first Wigmore Hall recital whilst still a student and was greeted with great critical acclaim by the national press, particularly for her performances of Beethoven's Sonata in C minor op.111 and Liszt's Sonata in B minor.

More London appearances followed with solo recitals at the Purcell Room, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Fairfield Halls and many more at Wigmore Hall.

 

Marlene was later awarded further scholarships including two Countess of Munster Scholarships and two from the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund. The latter also gifted a grand piano to Marlene.

These awards enabled further study in Vienna with Alfred Brendel and Josef Dichler as well as study in the UK with Peter Katin, Alexander Kelly, Peter Feuchtwanger, Hilda Dederich, Geoffrey Pratley and Antony Hopkins.

 

An important invitation followed from Dame Myra Hess to play to her at her London home in St. John's Wood. One of Marlene's prized possessions is Myra Hess's working score of Brahms' Sonata in F minor op.5. It contains Dame Myra's personal markings and was one of her favourite works. The score was a generous gift to Marlene from her friend and fellow pianist, Geoffrey Pratley.

 

She was also chosen by Daniel Barenboim to take part in a master class on Beethoven Sonatas which was televised on BBC2. This was later shown in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Finland, Denmark and Germany.

Marlene later met Jacqueline du Pré when she was privileged to be part of a small invited audience at their home in Knightsbridge. This was the occasion of cello master classes arranged by Marlene's friend, Erica Goddard Klien. Later, these master classes became public and were televised by BBC2 Television. Marlene was one of the very fortunate musicians to be helped along the way by Erica Goddard Klien. Erica's philanthropic nature was admired by all who knew her.

 

Marlene received further encouragement from Eileen Joyce who attended a recital at Oxted Music Club.

She was later chosen alongside three other pianists, to take part in a master class and recital with American pianist Julius Katchen at Dinefwr Castle in Wales, working with him on Beethoven's Sonata in C minor op.111 at his request.

Marlene appreared again on BBC2 television in a recital featuring the finest UK musical talent at that time. Other television appearances took place at BBC Television Centre in London, Pebble Mill Studios, Birmingham and Tyne Tees Television, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

 

By now, Marlene had begun to play regularly for the BBC on both Radio 3 and Radio 4. These recordings took place at Broadcasting House, London, Pebble Mill Studios in Birmingham, St. George's Brandon Hill, Bristol and BBC Manchester.

Further broadcasts took place at the BBC Maida Vale Studios in London, many of them 'live', in a series of programmes called 'Music at Night'.

Among the many BBC producers Marlene has worked with are Leo Black, Roy Tipping, Stephen Plaistow, Vanessa Whitburn, Jenyth Worsley, Jillian White, Walter Todd, Duncan Druce,  Diana Gordon, Jonathan Stacey, Eleanor Warren, Richard Butt, Natalie Wheen and Peter Marchbank.

 

Marlene's UK concerto performances have included engagements with the Philharmonia, BBC Philharmonic and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras.

Other orchestras have included the English Sinfonia, Northern Sinfonia, Northern Ireland Symphony and East of England Orchestra.

 

Marlene has worked with many distinguished conductors. These include:  

 

Erich Leinsdorf in two performances of Franck's Symphonic Variations given with the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall in London and the Fairfield Halls, Croydon.

 

Hugo Rignold in Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto no.3 in D minor with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

 

Rudolf Schwarz on tour in three performances of Mozart's Piano Concerto no.17 in G major K.453 with the Northern Sinfonia.

 

Vernon Handley in the Grieg Piano Concerto with the Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra.

 

Maurice Miles in Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto no.1 in G minor in the Duke's Hall at the Royal Academy of Music.

 

Steuart Bedford in Mozart's Piano Concerto no.21 in C major K.467 (cadenzas by Patrick Piggott) with the English Sinfonia.

 

Charles Denholm on tour in South Africa in Franck's Symphonic Variations from City Hall, Durban.

 

Volker Schmidtt-Gertenbach during Marlene's second tour of South Africa at City Hall, Durban in Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto no.3 in D minor.

 

Wilfried Boettcher in a recording for BBC Radio 3 of Weber's Piano Concerto no.2 in E Flat with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra with cadenzas specially written for Marlene by the pianist, composer and musicolgist, Patrick Piggott.

 

Neville Dilkes in three performances on tour of Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns with the English Sinfonia. The narrator for these performances was broadcaster Johnny Morris who recited the verses by Ogden Nash.

 

Andrew Burnham in Beethoven's Piano Concerto no.1 in C with the English Sinfonia.

 

Terence Lovett in Manuel de Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Fauré's Ballade with the Hull Philharmonic Society.

 

Malcolm Nabarro in a live broadcast of Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini with the East of England Orchestra.

 

Eric Pinkett in Beethoven's Piano Concert no.5 'Emperor' and Franck's Symphonic Variations with the Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra.

 

Keith Smith in Liszt's Piano Concerto no.1 in E Flat with the Leicester Symphony Orchestra.

 

Morgan Hoskins in several tours for South West Arts Association which included Brahms's Piano Concerto no.2 in B Flat and Grieg's Piano Concerto.

Marlene also had the honour of being invited by the conductor to deputise for Harriet Cohen in a performance of Manuel de Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain, a work particularly associated with her.

 

Eugene Danks in Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto no.2 in C minor.

 

Christopher Dowdeswell on tour in South Africa in Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto no.2 in the Feather Market Hall in Port Elizabeth with the East Cape Philharmonic.

 

Iris Lemare in Mozart's Piano Concerto no.14 in E Flat K.449 with the Lemare Orchestra.

 

Kenneth Page in Grieg's Piano Concerto with the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra.

 

Leo Solomon in Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto no.1 in B flat minor op.23 with the Grimsby Symphony Orchestra.

 

Marlene has also given numerous performances of Chopin's Piano Concerto no.2 in F minor, Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto no.1 in B Flat minor, Beethoven's Piano Concerto no.3 in C minor and Mozart's Piano Concerto no.12 in A major K.414.

 

One of the more unusual works Marlene was asked to record by the BBC was Thalberg's 24 Pensées Musicales. This was the first UK performance of this and was such a success that it was repeated twice.

After hearing Marlene in a BBC broadcast of Beethoven's Sonata in E major op.109, the eminent pianist, composer and musicolgist Patrick Piggott contacted the BBC in order to ask Marlene if she would record his first set of Eight Preludes. A special friendship was formed and Marlene regarded Patrick as her mentor.

She was the inspiration behind his 'Invocations' and gave the world premiere performance in a broadcast on BBC Radio 3. This recital also included works by Cyril Scott and John Ireland.

 

Marlene made many trips to South Africa between the early 1970s and 1990. A leading neurosurgeon, Dr. Ian Copley was resposible for Marlene's first tour. During this time, she undertook many engagements in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, East London, Port Elizabeth, Pietermaritzburg and Pretoria. She made many recordings for the South African Broadcasting Corporation. Her final performance in South Africa took place at the State Theatre, Pretoria.

Marlene, a close friend of Dr. Copley will always be grateful for his invaluable help.

 

Other overseas tours took Marlene to Austria (Musikverein Brahms- Saal in Vienna), Holland, Germany and to Hawaii for the Honolulu Academy of Arts.

 

Marlene has given numerous recitals at music clubs throughout the UK and has on occasion shared the programme with other artists. These include a song recital with British tenor, Philip Langridge.

She has also appeared with singers Helen Watts, Alexander Young, Sheila Armstrong and Peter Bamber as well as jazz musician Michael Garrick and Ondes Martenot player, John Morton.

 

Other UK performances have included many recitals at National Trust Houses including Alnwick Castle, Stourhead Park, Dyrham Park, Lamb Close, Blairquhan Castle, Kemnay House, Glen Tanar House, Georgian Theatre in Richmond as well as the Holburne Museum in Bath where she has given several recitals on Rachmaninoff's Steinway piano.

 

Marlene has also given many recitals at numerous public schools throughout Great Britain. These have included Framlingham College, where Marlene gave her first professional concert, standing in for the pianist, Kathleen Long, who had recently died. Marlene returned to the school several times. Other school recitals took place at Brandeston School, Pocklington School, Sedbergh School, Caterham School, Falmouth School of Art, St. Felix School, Southwold, Gresham's School, St. Mary's, Ascot and Godolphin School, Salisbury. Marlene has also given many recitals at various schools, colleges and universities across South Africa.

 

Today, Marlene maintains a long association with the University  of Leicester where she has been on the teaching staff for many years. This post has included many recitals and concerto performances with the university orchestras. These include the Leicester University Orchestral Society, Proteus Chamber Orchestra and the Leicester University Baroque Ensemble.

 

Marlene was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis in 1996 resulting in her cutting down her concert schedule.

 

She now devotes her time to teaching and many of her students have gone on to study at the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Trinity College of Music and Julliard School of Music in New York. Marlene's teaching career began whilst she was still a student at the Royal Academy of Music, having been made a sub-professor during her final two years.

Several students have gone on to read music at Oxford University and one of these was awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.

Marlene's teachers have been some of the best in the world and she feels immensely privileged to have worked with such dedicated musicians. She hopes that her present pupils will benefit from such an impressive musical ancestry, and they too might pass on a much-valued musical legacy to the next generation.

 

Marlene's musical lineage can be traced back to Beethoven via Robin Wood and Edwin Fischer:

 

BEETHOVEN, teacher of 

CZERNY, teacher of

LISZT, teacher of 

MARTIN KRAUSE, teacher of

EDWIN FISCHER, teacher of

ROBIN WOOD, teacher of

MARLENE FLEET.

 

'With grateful thanks to my dear friend and fellow musician, Philip Mountford, who gave freely of his time in order to plan and produce this website. Philip has painstakingly spent many months on this project and I have been greatly touched by his kindness.

The information contained on this website has made me assess some of the highlights of my musical life. Without Philip's constant encouragement and persistance, much of the information would have been lost forever.

It has been a very interesting journey."