Cheltenham Music Festival In July, several of our students performed to over 600 school pupils in Cheltenham Music Festival with Gloucestershire Youth Chamber Orchestra and professional musicians. The Grade 8 and above orchestral players performed two concerts at Cheltenham Town Hall: a relaxed event for pupils from Gloucestershire special schools, and one for primary schools. This year’s concerts showcased the …
Booking now open for The Big String and The Big Blast 2024!
Booking is now open for our annual two-day February half term orchestral projects; The Big Blast and The Big String. The projects are designed for young musicians aged 5 to 18, from pre Grade 1 to post-Grade 8. The eighth annual Big String will take place on 12 and 13 February and the Big Blast, for wind, percussion and brass …
Boost to GAM Bursary Fund
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 …
Exciting Update on Barbican House Purchase
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. …
Should I learn a musical instrument as an adult? Yes!
Are you an adult thinking about picking up an instrument for the first time, or for the first time in many years? If so, you’ll join a growing number of adults who are enjoying music tuition at GAM. Most lessons take place on Saturdays, and in the evening after the end of the school day, although some of our tutors …
Booking now open for our new orchestral and outdoor activity summer residential courses 2025!
Join us in the Forest of Dean in summer 2025 for six action-packed days of music making and exciting outdoor activities such as a zip wire and climbing wall! The Junior Music Course for children aged 8-14, playing at Grades 1-5, will run from Sunday 27 July – Friday 1 August. The Senior Music Course for ages 11-18, playing at …
Arts award first for Xanthi
Talented young cellist Xanthi Brett-Crowther is one of the very first recipients of a new Arts Award for Young Performing Artists sponsored by the Honourable Company of Gloucestershire. The 12-year-old Gloucestershire Academy of Music student was over the moon when she was presented with a cello, paid for by the £1,000 award, at the academy’s end-of-term concert. Presenting the instrument …
Barbican House Appeal -Update
Our Barbican House Appeal ‘Be Part of Our Future’ has been hugely successful in raising funds towards the purchase of our beautiful building. You, our wonderful friends and supporters, have all been central to the success of the project so we wanted to provide a update on how things are progressing! Funds Raised! With your help, our total funds raised …
Canon Craig hits the high notes at GAM
The Reverend Craig Huxley-Jones joined in the fun with our children’s musical groups at on Saturday. Canon Craig, who was installed as Canon Precentor and Director of Congregational Development at Gloucester Cathedral in January, got stuck into singing and movement activities at our Barbican House base near Gloucester Docks. Children in the Junior Singing and Rhythm group were delighted when …
Former GAM student Richie returns as Executive Director
We’re delighted to announce that we have a new Executive Director for Gloucestershire Academy of Music in the form of Richie Ashton-Phillips, who attended holiday courses and later tutored on jazz courses at GAM. Richie takes on the role at a crucial time for GAM, as we hope to have completed the purchase of our premises, city council-owned Barbican House, …
Booking now open for summer holiday courses 2024
We’re now taking bookings for our summer holiday courses; a Grade 5 Theory course, Junior Orchestra course and Senior Chamber Music course, which all have an Early Bird price if booked by 12 May. The Grade 5 Theory course will run from 22-26 July, the Junior Orchestra course from 29-31 July and the Senior Chamber Music course from 1-3 August. …