Oldest and youngest win through An extraordinary performance by this year’s oldest finalist18-year-old violinist Sebastian Taylor won him the coveted title of Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year but the youngest entry, 10-year-old pianist Ella Backhouse, was not to be outdone and won the Audience Prize! The talented pair were among five outstanding finalists who competed on instruments ranging from …
Five incredible young musicians have made it through to the finals of a record-breaking Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year 2025 contest. Not only did the competition see the biggest-ever entry of 21, but it also saw the youngest-ever entry in Cheltenham College pianist Ella Backhouse, aged 10, who made it through the finals. She will be competing fellow finalists …
GAM’s bursary fund got a £365 boost (and rising …) from Gloucestershire Young Musician of the Year James Li’s winner’s concert at the weekend. The capacity audience at Cheltenham College was spellbound by his performance of Sibelius’s Violin Concerto, accompanied by GSO under Glyn Oxley’s baton. They responded with generous donations to GAM’s bursary fund at the retiring collection having …
City Council leader Jeremy Hilton dropped in on Gloucestershire Academy of Music (GAM) this week to celebrate councillors giving the green light for a permanent arts education hub in the heart of Gloucester. In a pivotal move this month, they have agreed to sell Barbican House to GAM after leasing the Docks area building to us for the past decade. …
We have a great team at GAM and are looking for someone to be part of our Senior Management Team. You should be an efficient and entrepreneurial senior professional with strategic acumen, a track record of successful fundraising, financial control confidence, and understanding of brand and marketing. This is an exciting time to join us as negotiations are underway to …
A new bursary for brass players has been created in memory of Simon Kingsley. As an accomplished Trombonist, music nourished and delighted Simon throughout his life. He would be thrilled to know that together with his friends and family, we are helping others at the start of their musical journeys. If you wish to donate to this Bursary, please click …
In celebration of our 40th Anniversary, and to create a permanent home for Gloucestershire Academy of Music (GAM), we formally launched our campaign to raise £500,000 in February 2022. The appeal was to raise the funds to purchase Barbican House and an additional amount to enable us to develop as an organisation and to cover the costs of fundraising. Organisational …
GAM Founder Caroline Lumsden has raised £500 from a coronation weekend concert at her local church in Frampton-on-Severn. The concert involved GAM students, Caroline’s grandchildren, as well as some of our Ukrainian students, with their host Cliodna McNulty, who plays in GAM’s adult orchestra Sinfonia. The money raised will go towards GAM’s Bursary fund.
