Piano/keyboards 1D

Sarha is an experienced teacher and gigging musician, performing on the saxophone, arranging and composing on the piano, in classical, jazz and world music genres. Her principal band, Bollywood Brass Band, is the UK’s pioneering Indian-style wedding band, performing tunes and compulsively danceable rhythms of Bollywood films. Twice nominated for Songlines World Music Awards, the band has performed across the world in concerts, festivals, and Indian weddings in the UK, Europe, India, Thailand and South Africa. Sarha played with Ghanaian Highlife band Orchestre Jazira, and socialist big band, The Happy End. She also plays in the Charlie Mingus jazz cover band Hog Callin’, The Great Yiddish Parade marching band and Freylekh klezmer band. Sarha’s specialist area is World Music, and she has a PhD on the study of the Flattened Supertonic across different cultures. At CityLit she teaches jazz and classical piano, saxophone, world music styles (practical and academic courses), musicianship and music theory.

Simon has been working as a musician for nearly forty years, initially solely as a performer with occasional composition, and then more latterly in education. After a mainly classical music training, he studied music at Goldsmiths College. His first job was at the Laban Dance School as an accompanist for contemporary dance, which required extensive improvisation, an experience that proved very useful training for his subsequent work as a keyboard session player in live performance and recording studios. In 2000, Simon became involved with adult education, and started working at City Lit teaching jazz, pop and classical piano and theory, and also as a community musician and workshop leader for Trinity College of Music, working with all ages. He has taught on Jazz Summer Schools for the Workers Music Association and Music for People, worked as accompanist and workshop leader for Mbawula, a South African Township choral project, and set up a weekly Jazz club in Hackney. Simon runs a successful private teaching practice in addition to his City Lit classes.

Gisela is a multi-skilled musician: She works as a pianist, piano accompanist, classical soprano, cellist and teacher. Following undergraduate studies in Frankfurt-am-Main and a postgraduate diploma (piano) in Weimar, Gisela obtained a MMus in Accompaniment at the Guildhall School for Music and Drama. She has also studied singing privately with Jessica Cash, focussing primarily on oratorio and art songs. Gisela performs regularly in recitals as a soloist (as pianist or singer) and also sings and plays in a variety of chamber ensembles. In her freelance work she accompanies concerts, exams and recitals for professionals, students of various music colleges and Grade exam canditates. She is a consultant for Islington Sixth Form college, with her roles ranging from accompaniment and teaching to the conducting of exams and auditions. Gisela has taught at City Lit since 2001. Presently, she teaches Chamber music (Advanced and Intermediate) and Piano.

Jonathan Wilson BMus MMus studied Piano Performance and Electroacoustic Composition at Goldsmiths College, University of London under the tutelage of internationally acclaimed musicians such as John Tilbury, Alexander Ivashkin, and Colin Lawson (currently director, Royal College of Music). During this period he won 1st place at the Blackheath Music Festival in the Piano category, and has had his pieces performed at the Saatchi Gallery, London. Jonathan is a multi-instrumentalist and is equally proficient in playing electric guitar and drums; as a regular live performer and accomplished session musician he has toured with major label recording artists and performed at prestigious venues such as Glastonbury Festival, Isle of Wight Festival, Reading and Leeds Festivals, Latitude Festival and the Royal Festival Hall. He is currently an in-demand tutor who teaches both privately and at a number of educational establishments across London.

Early signs of musical activity indicated David’s future path, and after taking grades on both piano and viola, he obtained a first-class honours degree in music at Leeds University, studying both instruments. He subsequently completed a postgraduate jazz course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, studying piano with Simon Purcell, where he obtained an LGSM. He obtained an MMus in composition with Merit at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, with support from the Trinity College London scholarship, studying with Deirdre Gribbin, Gwyn Pritchard and Paul Newland. David is passionate about teaching, and teaches adult piano students at City Lit, as well as piano to individuals in his private practice and to young learners for Richmond Music Trust. He also performs from time to time as a jazz and classical pianist and undertakes practical music examining work for ABRSM jazz and classical syllabuses both in the UK and abroad. David also enjoys playing chamber music on viola.