Dr Cameron Roberts (piano 1999) has an extraordinary career in Europe as both a professional pianist and a medical anaesthetist. He has undertaken two decades of world-leading research into the science of music-making, with particular focus on piano playing.
Originally from Melbourne, Cameron was one of ANAM’s earliest pianists, participating in two ANAM Master Course programs in 1998 held in Brisbane and Melbourne, during which he was studying both medicine and music at the University of Melbourne. These intensive, two-week programs introduced Australia’s most talented young musicians to leading Australian pedagogues and international artists. “For me, they were standout, memorable events in my life’s musical journey,” Cameron reminisces, “for their sheer intensity and the palpable energy of the high-octane talent that appeared at them.”
He was accepted into the first year of ANAM’s Advanced Performance Program (APP) in 1999, which was the first year-long training program offered by the fairly new, national training academy. The APP was similar in structure to what our current musicians experience today, with performances, masterclasses and instrumental tuition at the South Melbourne Town Hall. The year was divided into four terms, and the pianists were led by a different Piano Faculty each term – Ronald Farren-Price, Michael Kieran Harvey, Stephen Savage and Stephen McIntyre. “Each brought their different styles to the teaching room, and also in the variety of guest artists they brought in for masterclasses and seminars,” Cameron explains. “Michael empowered us to re-think and challenge the status quo. Ronald had us dig deep into Beethoven. Stephen Savage broadened our repertoire and Stephen McIntyre immersed us in chamber music. These are of course tip-of-the-iceberg generalisations, but we really did get a full dose of everything. It was a very rich learning environment.”
The Academy musicians were thrust into an intensive performance schedule more demanding than they had ever experienced. Cameron recalls highlights from the time included appearances at the Castlemaine Festival, performing as soloist with Orchestra Victoria, a Scriabin recital with strobe lights and candles, and many inspirational piano and chamber music classes with internationally renowned artists, as well as rejuvenating coffee-breaks with colleagues in South Melbourne.
“It was a pivotal year for me. My time at ANAM consolidated my love of music, gave me confidence in my ability to participate at a high level, and also verified that I could probably continue to do so whilst maintaining other interests, as I had always done.”
After his year of ANAM training, Cameron continued his studies at the University of Melbourne, completing a combined Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. He later returned to complete his Master of Music whilst working part-time as a doctor in Melbourne.
“I’ve never ‘wanted’ to become a medical professional any more than it being an interesting vocation that engages me in other parts of life and thought.” Cameron reflects on the benefits of his dual career. “Being a doctor has helped me to objectify the function and skills required of musicians in the world, as well as recognise their powerful ability to provide aesthetic pleasure and deep meaning-of-life experiences to humans. I have no doubt that dividing my time across both music and medicine has made me a better musician. It gives be a better sense of musical purpose: I value sound more. I value sound in time more. I waste far fewer notes. I listen better. I express better. I value the interaction more.”
In 2006, Cameron felt restless to explore other cultures and musical experiences. He departed for what he had intended to be a “short trip abroad”, but like many others, that ‘trip’ continues today! He settled in Madrid where he initially worked as an accompanist at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, but the work quickly snowballed into performing and teaching a vast range of chamber music repertoire, with strings, wind and voice, which in turn lead to concerts and recordings throughout Europe. It was through this network that he also became a member of the Plural Ensemble, Spain’s leading contemporary music ensemble. Also during this time, he formed a piano trio, recorded cello-piano works with Beate Altenburg in Berlin, and formed a long-standing performing partnership with Dutch flautist Jacques Zoon, including a recording of their own take on Brahms’ Violin Sonatas for flute and piano. This partnership with Zoon led to further collaborations with flute royalty, such as Emmanuel Pahud, Felix Renggli, András Adorján, and others.
After six years in Spain, Cameron moved to the UK where he changed directions again, completing a PhD on the physical and perceptual aspects of ‘How the Pianist’s Touch Affects Tone Quality’, whilst returning to medical study to specialise in anaesthetics. Upon completing both, he began writing his book, Optimising Pianism: Evidence-Based Perspectives.
This book, published in early 2025, is the culmination of almost two decades of enquiry towards understanding – and correcting – the pedagogical misinformation about how the body learns, moves and perceives sound. “Optimising Pianism is my attempt to help pianists make sense of the metaphors, myths and misinformation that infiltrate the world of music pedagogy,” says Cameron. Initially fuelled by an interest in wanting to help musicians with physical injuries, this developed into a deliberate attempt to provide understanding and tools to pianists to optimise the central aspects of pianism whilst bringing applied science to the teaching rooms of piano conservatories around the world. Cameron’s research expands into the fields of physics, biomechanics, neuroscience and psychology.
“Wearing my doctor’s hat, I can tell quite quickly, by the way that a pianist practises, what problems they will have and how they most likely will get injured. Repeatedly violating the functions and limits of the body’s anatomy and physiology are sure ways to cause injuries. But if pianists don’t know what those body limits are, how are they going to know when they are doing harm? Pianists are students of music, not medicine. And they typically learn from a mixture of teachers and traditions, who, in turn, are unlikely to be medics. And so, to whom does one turn when injured, or when one has a specific technical problem that requires a very specific mechanical or physiological solution?”
Through his research, Cameron developed evidence-based, efficient techniques that address the many unique and complex challenges of piano playing. “Why should we be guessing when we already know the facts? I’m advocating for musicians when saying this; the best available information should be applied to our daily practice routines. A sportsperson or an Olympian would expect no less in their training, so why not a musician? And the science of performance is not just limited to improving mechanical agility. It expands to learning, memorising, process improvement, mental training, through to creativity and to the aesthetics of manipulating audiences. Contrary to what sceptics might believe, the science screams at us to be far more creative in our music making – ironic, given the note-perfection focus of much teaching. Exceptional musical thinking drives the learning that leads to exceptional virtuosity.”
“My experience at ANAM probably planted an early seed in my mind for wanting to write my book, ‘Optimising Pianism’. I have always been interested in how to deliver maximum output using minimum time.”
It is remarkable that throughout his professional career, Cameron is unwavering in his enquiry of the science behind music making, and challenging the ‘status quo’ of traditional ways of thinking and teaching music. “My advice to musicians, is to constantly ask questions in order to become self-empowered: Why should something be done this way; why not that way? Ask, what are my strengths and weaknesses and find ways to make them all 5% better, now, here, today… and then tomorrow, and so on. Crucially, ask: for whom do I play, so that your efforts are not misguided, or meet predictable dead-ends years later. There is no end to how much bigger we can think, and how much better we can work.”
Cameron currently works part-time as an anaesthetist in London, and balances this with his musical work as a performer, teacher, speaker and performance coach, as well as being a father of two children.
On reflection, he admits his career path has not been an easy one, and at various times in his life he had to sacrifice one vocation for the other. “I see my hospital work as a privileged hobby that keeps me in touch with a wider world. It fuels my music-making tremendously, but juggling both has come at the expense of me never feeling like I’ve ever been my best – or the best – in either profession. That’s a weight, despite knowing that such thinking is distorted. I currently have a healthy, fulfilling balance of both musical and medical work. The variety lets me wake up fresh each day. That’s all I need.”
Cameron Roberts’ book Optimising Pianism: Evidence-Based Perspectives (2025) published by Bloomsbury is available in stores and online.
For more information, and for Cameron’s upcoming performances visit cameronroberts.com.au
Words by Laura Panther, ANAM Alumni Manager (September 2025)
Image credit: Raymond Conus