A wide shot of a group rehearsal

Piano Summer Course

Join GAM piano tutors Marcel Zidani & Joe Silmon-Clyde for our 2025 piano holiday course.

Two men playing brass instruments
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Course Tutors: 

Marcel Zidani

Accomplished pianist and composer Marcel Zidani pursued his piano studies under the guidance of Royal Academy Vice-Principal Mark Racz and, more recently, the mentorship of Professor Philip Martin.

Marcel’s work in composition has gained him 2nd prize in the European Piano Teachers Composer Competition, a nomination in the British Composer Awards in 2015 and regular radio airtime. Marcel has composed educational music for exam boards and method books, contributing to the ABRSM Piano Star series and authoring 'Hey Presto,' a comprehensive piano method highly recommended by Epta and Pianist Professional Magazine.

His CD, "Piano in the Small Hours," featured on BBC Radio 3, showcases his improvisational talent, earning acclaim as a 'Musical Gem' with a compositional style reminiscent of Chopin, Liszt, and Satie.

He has a rich performance history at music festivals across the UK.

Currently serving on the Oxford University Piano Teaching Panel, he is a dedicated piano teacher whose students have earned acclaim in Young Musician competitions and beyond.

Joe Silmon-Clyde

Joseph Silmon-Clyde grew up in Gloucestershire and graduated from Royal Holloway, University of London where he was awarded his Bachelor of Music in 2023.

Whilst at Royal Holloway, he studied piano under Matthew Stanley and pursued his studies in composition under various professors. In his third and final year, he was selected as one of Royal Holloway’s Composers in Residence and was commissioned to write a piece for chamber choir, influenced by one of the paintings in the university’s vast gallery.

During his degree, he took particular interest in studying music education in a key final year module. He was given guidance on 1:1 teaching by Mary Dullea, who gave lectures on the various methods and techniques of peripatetic teaching.

Since graduating, Joseph has moved back to Gloucestershire where he teaches piano at Barbican House and GAM’s Grade 5 theory group in Cheltenham.

Summer Piano Course

26th-28th August 2025

£195

Led by experienced GAM piano tutors Marcel Zidani and Joe Silmon-Clyde, this course is for pianists aged 8-18 who are able to fluently play pieces of music equivalent to those found in the Initial Grade to Grade 6+ exam syllabus. 

The course will take place at Barbican House, Gloucester from 9.00-4.00pm each day, with a concert for family and friends at 4.00pm on the final day.

Course aims: 

Piano playing, by its very nature, is often a solitary activity. This innovative course aims to introduce young pianists to piano ensemble playing and the social element of music making.

For pianists who do not play another instrument, or sing with a choir, this is a fantastic opportunity to develop ensemble-playing skills such as: listening to another part whilst playing your own, keeping in time, counting and improving your sense of rhythm, and following a conductor.

In addition, more experienced young musicians will get the chance to work on matching and blending the sound they make with the sound their fellow players are making, for example in terms of volume and style. 

Course content: 

Each day will start with aural, singing and musical warm-up activities, before moving on to individual lessons and student duos taught by Marcel or Joe. During lessons, participants will work on their individual ensemble parts, technique, sight-reading, and for more advanced pianists, pedalling.

As well as ensemble rehearsals, each day will include performance platforms for students to experience playing in front of a small audience of fellow pianists. The course will culminate in a performance of solos, duets and ensemble players for an audience of family and friends. 

The course repertoire will be based on students' current level of playing and experience.   

BOOKING NOW OPEN!

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