Teachers

Christos – piano teacher

Christos is a prize winner classical pianist trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London (BMus, MMus). He holds the prestigious LRAM for music pedagogy, awarded by the Academy, and he is currently pursuing a PhD degree at the University of Oxford, holding the Hélène La Rue Scholarship. He made his debut with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra when he was still a teenager, and since then, Christos performs regularly as a soloist and a chamber musician throughout Europe. He is currently working on interesting projects with young composers and multimedia artists while preparing for his upcoming solo and two-piano recitals.

Christos is an experienced and enthusiastic piano and music theory teacher, whose students have achieved impressive results for their ABRSM Graded Exams. He is adaptable, tailoring each lesson according to the student’s strengths and needs, and focuses on building strong foundations in technique, development of musicality and aural skills from the early stages of a student’s musical training. Most importantly, Christos aims to deliver enjoyable and fun lessons to students of all ages and levels!

In addition to SCMT, Christos is currently teaching undergraduate students at King’s College London as well. Excerpts from Christos’ performances can be found here: https://youtu.be/piDEpNhVJdw and https://youtu.be/laDjMhqiPeo

Lennie – piano teacher

Entering his 2^nd year at Oxford University, Leonard is studying for a BA in Music, with a focus on composition and performance. Starting playing classical piano at 5, he has entered a variety of musical activities throughout his education. Picking up the French Horn a few years later, he is now a graduate of the Royal College of Music Junior Department as well as playing in multiple orchestras and bands at his local music foundation and youth orchestra. In recent years, this involved guiding the younger students through pieces and supporting sections. In studying for his degree at Oxford, he has found a new passion for piano and teaching, hoping to guide new students through their early musical journey, just as many teachers had done for him in the past.

Carlos – piano teacher

Carlos is a classically trained piano teacher in Oxford.  He has been teaching in music for 20 years in schools and privately including the piano, violin, music theory and conducting Chinese drum ensembles, Percussion and Wind bands. Carlos graduated from Kingston University a Bachelor in Music and Master in Education in Hong Kong University of Education. He is a full-time music tutor. 

Antonia – piano teacher

Antonia, born in Athens, Greece, started taking piano lessons at the age of 8. Soon after, she began taking theory of music lessons receiving her Music Harmony Diploma (1994) and Counterpoint Diploma (1996). In 1997 she received her Piano Teacher Degree and two years later Piano Soloist Degree (1999). In the same year she was accepted at the class of Mr. Ringeissen of the Salzburg International Music Academy for one-to-one sessions. She has worked with several Greek musicians accompanying saxophone, oboe, cello, violin, flute and voice at the conservatories “Music Study” and “Athenaeum” in Athens. She has been teaching piano and theory of music at all levels in Athens since 1995 and in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2008 until 2018 (British International school). In 1995 she became a registered pianist of London’s Royal Academy of Dance accompanying ballet classes, examinations and seminars around Greece. Antonia has been playing different kind of music in concerts all around Greece, in Germany, Russia and in Saudi Arabia. She has been volunteering as a pianist for children’s school performances at the British International school of Riyadh, the Dragon school, Summer Fields school Oxford and the Greek school of Oxford. In 2022 she obtained her Master in Music (historical Musicology) from Oxford Brookes University.

Arthur – piano teacher

I am a self taught full time musician; my credentials are; that I have been playing music for a long time, and loving music for a long time.

Over my years in music, I sought direct advice & wisdom from leading names in the industry such as Jools Holland & Jon Cleary.  I believe strongly in a self propelling, intuitive approach to learning music, that never gets tedious; and only encourages further joy and appreciation for your instrument, or voice.

Rather than demonstrating short-cuts, I endeavour to show students an in depth approach to improvisation and playing by ear (which can be taught!).

How to have fun doing it? By learning all of your favourite tunes from the radio; arranging piano for a song you’ve written; or even transcribing the most virtuoso jazz piano solos from the 1930s. With constructive use of music theory & ear training, I can carry you forward into passionate playing, and/or a fulfilling music career.

Joseph – piano teacher

Joseph is a pianist, educator and composer currently based in Oxford.  He received a scholarship to study piano under Philip Fowke and Penelope Roskell as well as composition under Deirdre Gribbin at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in 2015, graduating in 2019 with a first- class bachelor’s degree with honours.  Joseph teaches in a manner that is personal to each individual. His aim is to work with his students at their own pace to cultivate the needed skills at the instrument and beyond. At the heart of the teaching is the importance of musical communication with the belief that that is fundamentally the core of technique. In addition to aspects taught in graded syllabuses such as scales, sight reading etc., Joseph encourages personal musical exploration and expression to allow his students to find their musical selves. Often, a broadening of awareness to the nuts and bolts of music and therefore an opportunity to further grasp the deeper meanings of it comprises his work.

Joseph has have played in several venues including Cadogan Hall, New College, Oxford, the Denis Arnold Hall, Oxford, 49 Queen’s Gate Terrace (South Kensington) for the Vernon Ellis Foundation, St. Alfege Church and the Old Royal Naval College. One of his passions in repertoire lies with contemporary music. Joseph commissioned a work by composer Caitlin Harrison for a recital in May 2019, recorded music for Robert Saxton and has frequently played new works by young composers for auditions to the national colleges of music and composition competitions. Despite this however, Joseph also feels at home when performing staple repertoire such as Bach, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff. Some of his more recent performances include participating in the Oxford Chamber Music Festival with violinist Marie Schreer and accompanying for New College music students. Joseph is principle organist at the Glyme Valley churches, where he also regularly sings as a countertenor. Joseph has previously sung as a choral scholar at Exeter College Chapel Choir, Oxford.

Susie – Piano teacher, accompanist and performance coach

We’re so excited to welcome Susie onto our team!  She is a highly experienced collaborative pianist whose regular partnership with Roderick Williams OBE has brought her national recognition. Having always combined the mentoring of the younger generation alongside her performing career, Susie now has more space to consider new projects with intermediate and advanced musicians, looking to enhance and hone their performing and collaborative skills, be they  pianists, singers or instrumentalists. 

‘Pianist Susie Allan is appreciated as one of today’s most perceptive accompanists.  Her poetry at the keyboard has established her in collaborations with significant voices including Emma Bell, Sophie Daneman, Susan Gritton, Nathan Berg, Rowan Pierce, Jonathan McGovern, Mark Padmore, and Roderick Williams.  

Susie is recognised throughout the UK as a guest artist of the major concert societies and prestigious venues including the Wigmore Hall and Purcell Room, and at festivals including the Buxton, Endellion, Oxford Lieder and Three Choirs Festivals. She has made numerous appearances for BBC Radio 3 and for television including Proms Extra, and she played for the ‘Schubert Shorts’ Channel 4 series with Christopher Maltman and Claron McFadden.  

Susie’s long-standing musical partnership with Roderick Williams stretches over twenty years.    In an exploration of the three Schubert song cycles, a tour of Scwhanengesang, illustrated with poetry readings by Jenny Agutter, took them both sides of the Atlantic from New York City’s Park Avenue Armory to the Sam Wanamaker Theatre, London. Of her 2019 appearance at the Chipping Campden Festival John Quinn, of Seen and Heard International, highlighted that “..there is an added something when his recital partner is Susie Allan.  There seems to be a special musical chemistry between these two perceptive artists….” In 2022 for the 150th anniversary of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ birth the duo performed at The Wigmore Hall, LSO St Luke’s, Bath Mozart Fest and Malvern Concert Club. The duo further collaborated in 2023 including for the Shropshire Music Trust.

An impressive discography of song repertoire on the SOMM Recordings label for which Susie has received high praise includes a debut disc, Severn & Somme, with Roderick Williams, noted by BBC Music Magazine as “revelatory”. “This present performance features not only beautiful singing but also what I can only describe as rapt piano playing by Susie Allan, with every chord and note perfectly weighted and placed”, describes Susie’s contribution in Celebrating English Song (2017) which followed. Their third disc released in 2020 explores the songs of Arthur Somervell about which Gramophone magazine commented “Superbly partnered by Susie Allan (whose deft touch and ingratiating tone are a constant source of pleasure)”.  Susie‘s next disc released in 2022 for SOMM Recordings is of Stanford’s Children’s Songs collaborating with mezzo Kitty Whately and baritone Gareth Brynmor John. 

Susie has accompanied masterclasses of many luminaries including Sir Thomas Allen, Elly Ameling, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Elisabeth Söderström and Roger Vignoles and at important musical institutions including the Britten-Pears School.  Professor of Accompaniment at the Royal College of Music and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama she was a former student of the Guildhall School herself. Susie derived much inspiration from her teachers and mentors including Paul Hamburger, Martin Isepp, Graham Johnson and Iain Burnside.  She is recipient of the GSMD Accompaniment Prize, the Gerald Moore Award and a Geoffrey Parsons Memorial Award. She recently adjudicated the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s English Song Prize.’ 

Aida.  Piano teacher.

Aïda is an active concert pianist and the recipient of over 20 awards at international and national piano competitions. A graduate of the prestigious University of Cambridge and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, she uses her passion for music and the arts to create ground-breaking and often multidisciplinary concert experiences. She has performed in 11 countries, and her work has been the object of several television and radio profiles.

Aïda has 10 years of experience teaching one-to-one piano lessons, from complete beginners to semi-professional students, and from 4-year-olds to senior adults. Under her guidance, some of her students have achieved top prizes at national competitions.

By putting meaning and artistic vision at the heart of her pedagogical practice, she aims to treat her students like the artists that they are, give them the confidence to express themselves authentically, and provide them with the methods to work towards achieving whatever dreams they may have.

“In my lessons, we will approach music as a living thing, and a source from which we can learn more about ourselves and the world. I often bring up concepts from psychology and neuroscience, music theory, literature, philosophy, history, drama, and more, to help contextualise what we are trying to achieve as pianists and musicians.”

“I was lucky to have amazing teachers that made me leave my lessons bright-eyed, excited, and inspired. My objective is to replicate this with my students.”

Declan – Piano teacher

Declan is a pianist, composer, and trained teacher currently living in Oxford. His teaching experience includes private piano tuition, academic mentoring, and leading workshops in musical outreach programmes in London. By studying at Oxford, and as a composer at the Royal Academy of Music, he has developed an imaginative approach to learning new repertoire, encouraging students to work on not only their technique and style, but also their score interpretation and ability to improvise. With backgrounds in both popular and classical music, he is happy to teach all styles and ability levels up to Grade 8. Happy to teach at students’ homes in Oxford.  More to follow…

Antoinette – Piano teacher

Antoinette Cheng is a pianist, composer, and sound artist currently based in Oxford. She recently graduated from The Juilliard School with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance with Academic Honors, studying under the tutelage of Hung-Kuan Chen. Her past mentors include Stanislav Ioudenitch and Sequeira Costa. She has collaborated with orchestras internationally as a soloist and performed in renowned venues in Macao, Central Asia, Europe, and the United States. Aside from her solo and concerto engagements, Antoinette is an avid chamber musician and has performed classical and experimental works in various chamber settings. She has a diverse interest in musical repertoire, spanning Western classical works and contemporary new music. She is also engaged in pedagogy, hoping to promote more repertoire inclusivity in musical education. Antoinette is presently studying at the University of Oxford, pursuing an MPhil in Musicology. 

Harry – Piano teacher

Harry is currently studying towards an undergraduate degree in music at St Hilda’s college, Oxford. He has been playing piano since the age of 10, and enjoys performing both classical and jazz repertoire.  He has already taught piano, music theory and GCSE music to a variety of children, and is passionate about introducing music to children and developing their skills.  More to follow…

Eleanor – piano teacher

Eleanor is a piano teacher in Oxford.  She is a classically trained Piano player and clarinetist who has been performing since the age of 7. She has been a member of various ensembles and organisations, including Orchestras, Choirs, and Jazz and Wind bands.  Eleanor graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a BA in Music, and was the Musical Director of Oxford Brookes Big Band. Still a member of the University Orchestra, Eleanor is currently a full-time music tutor. She enjoys learning pieces of various styles and is intent on making her passion and genuine interest clear to her pupils.

Piano lessons in Oxford.  Testimonials… http://www.cassam.co.uk/testimonials

George – piano teacher

George is a (BA Hons) student at Oxford Brookes University who plays Piano.  He has Grade 8 contemporary piano and is also currently completing his diploma in Classical Piano. George has been teaching since the age of 16 both privately and in schools and thoroughly enjoys teaching students of varying ages and abilities. George has experience in a range of musical genres playing in jazz bands, choirs and orchestras.  More to follow…