The saxophone is a brass instrument made of brass, but is categorised as a woodwind instrument and the reason being that sound is produced by an oscillating reed! It was manufactured during the mid 1840s by Adolphe Sax (named after him) who was a clarinettist. It is still not proven what inspired him to create the sax; however, it is said that the saxophone is a descendant of the clarinet and oboe! It took a lot of time for it to be established as a classical orchestra instrument, even though it was used by George Bizet in ‘Arleziana’, and Jules Massenet in ‘Werther’. It is widely used in military bands, jazz orchestras and other genres of music such as reggae.

What kinds of saxophone are there and what kinds of music can you play with it?
There are seven saxophone types, differing in size and sound; the sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass with the most common one being the alto saxophone pitched in F or E♭. One may play several music genres with the saxophone, such as classical, jazz, pop, blues and military marches.

When can someone start learning the saxophone?
One may start learning the saxophone at the age of about 8 years old. This varies according to the maturity and musical perception a child has developed until that moment. The child’s body type also plays an important role because the student must be able to have lungs stamina, which can also be developed and accomplished through the lessons. As with almost all musical instruments, the lessons start by learning the notes, values ​​and short easy pieces.

How many lessons does one have to take in order to be considered a saxophone player?
The saxophone is considered to be one of the hardest instruments to learn! As with all brass instruments, it requires a strong diaphragm and breathing/blowing stamina. However, students will be able to play short musical pieces by the end of the first year and their progress solely depends on them. The personal interest, the study hours and their love for the saxophone are elements that if combined together can turn someone from a beginner saxophone player to a good saxophonist in a very short time!

When are saxophone lessons offered at the school?
Saxophone lessons, as all musical instrument lessons, are conducted on a private basis. That is, the lessons are conducted with the teacher and one student only. This enables the teacher to give all his/her attention to the student for the best possible results. The duration of the lessons varies according to the level of each student. Since the lessons are private there is flexibility in terms of the day and time a lesson can be arranged. The exact days and hours are jointly agreed upon by the student and the teacher before the beginning of the academic year. As time passes by and as the student progresses, additional hours might be added in a classroom with students of other musical instruments in order to create small orchestras, ultimately aiming to familiarize themselves and coexist with other musical instruments.

Are there any examinations one can take in order to obtain a recognized saxophone diploma?

The school offers recognized examinations for all of its departments. The majority of the examinations are from foreign universities and schools and especially from the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic. The saxophone examinations offered by the school are from the ABRSM (Royal School of Music), Greek conservatories and Trinity College. All diplomas are recognized by the Ministry of Education and Culture as well as by all universities abroad. Therefore, regardless of what musical instrument one plays and the levels completed, the school diplomas can be used as additional qualifications for admission in overseas universities!

Who are the most famous saxophonists?
Several musicians stood out for their talent to mesmerize people with their saxophone; either with jazz and bebop, romantic and fusion jazz, or with classical music. The greatest saxophonists are Charlie Parker Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Kenny G and Eric Marienthal.

The trumpet belongs in the brass group of instruments. It originally derives from the Greeks’ trumpet firstly made of wood and then of bronze/silver, while now it is made of copper. At first it was not possible for the trumpet to generate all the notes of the scale, so during the 18th century a mechanism was introduced to fix that weak spot. In the 19th century two piston valves were added and then three, still remaining until today. It was a purely military instrument and was used in orchestras during the 17th century.
What kinds of trumpet are there and what kinds of music can you play with it?
There are several kinds of trumpet, with different tonalities and sizes; the normal trumpet, the piccolo (smaller in size), the soprano, the bass trumpet and the slide. One can play classical music, jazz, folk music (especially Balkan music) and pop with a trumpet.

When can someone start learning the trumpet?
One may start learning the trumpet at about the age of 8 years old. This varies according to the maturity and musical perception a child has developed until that moment. The child’s body type also plays an important role because the student must be able to have lungs stamina, which can also be developed and accomplished through the lessons. As with almost all musical instruments, the lessons start by learning the notes, values ​​and short easy pieces.

How many lessons does one have to take in order to be considered a trumpet player?
The trumpet is considered to be a relatively easy instrument to learn! As with all brass instruments, it requires a strong diaphragm and breathing/blowing stamina, which is where the difficulty in playing the trumpet lies. However, students will be able to play short musical pieces by the end of the first year and their progress solely depends on them. The personal interest, the study hours and their love for the trumpet are elements that if combined together can turn someone from a beginner trumpet player to a good musician in a very short time!

When are trumpet lessons offered at the school?
Trumpet lessons, as all musical instrument lessons, are conducted on a private basis. That is, the lessons are conducted with the teacher and one student only. This enables the teacher to give all his/her attention to the student for the best possible results. The duration of the lessons varies according to the level of each student. Since the lessons are private there is flexibility in terms of the day and time a lesson can be arranged. The exact days and hours are jointly agreed upon by the student and the teacher before the beginning of the academic year. As time passes by and as the student progresses, additional hours might be added in a classroom with students of other musical instruments in order to create small orchestras, ultimately aiming to familiarize themselves and coexist with other musical instruments.

Are there any examinations one can take in order to obtain a recognized trumpet diploma?

The school offers recognized examinations for all of its departments. The majority of the examinations are from foreign universities and schools and especially from the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic. The trumpet examinations offered by the school are from the ABRSM (Royal School of Music), Greek conservatories and Trinity College. All diplomas are recognized by the Ministry of Education and Culture as well as by all universities abroad. Therefore, regardless of what musical instrument one plays and the levels completed, the school diplomas can be used as additional qualifications for admission in overseas universities!

Who are the most famous trumpet players?
There are famous trumpeters in various music genres. The best classical ones are Maurice André, Armando Ghitalla, Alison Balsom and Hakan Hardenberger, while Nat Adderley, Bud Brisbois, Chet Baker, Clifford Brown, Donald Byrd are the greatest jazz trumpeters. The unarguably best trumpeter of all times is the jazz musician Louis Armstrong who has been awarded a Grammy award and is one of the musicians who radically changed jazz music

The flute belongs in the woodwind group of instruments and it went through various changes before reaching its present form. Originally, it was made of animal bones and was used mostly by hunters but also during spiritual ceremonies. Later on animal bones were replaced by wood and bamboo. Until the middle ages it was only a long and narrow instrument held sideways or straight. Around the 16th century things started changing in its manufacturing process. Until then the flute was only one piece of wood but around 1670 three different pieces were created, that one could join together, creating the flute. The tonalities became even more and different for each country and city. In 1775 the flute could generate four scales pitched in D sharp, B flat, G sharp and F. As the years passed the scales increased in number and that made things even more difficult in terms of the flute’s sound. Charles Nicholson (1795-1837), an English flutist, introduced bigger holes for better sound. The one though who played the greatest role in the flute’s final form and perfected it, was Theobald Boehm (1794- 1881) ,who created a mechanism making the flute playing easier and the sound even better and even today the flute is known as Boehm flute.

What kinds of flute are there and what kinds of music can you play with it?
The types of flute used and developed in Western European music are the soprano, the alto, the bass and the tenor also known as the ‘flute d’ amore’, among others. Each one has a different sound, some are higher and sweeter, and others are heavier and louder. Each flute type covers a different range which is important when composing musical works. The modern flute can perform different genres of music and is mostly used in symphonic classical music orchestras. Despite being a classical instrument, it has even been used in rock music and jazz. As far as jazz is concerned, composers and musicians used the flute as a woodwind instrument because of its ability to reach high tonalities in contrast to other woodwind instruments.

When can someone start learning the flute?
One may start learning the flute at the age of about 9-10 years old, since students must have a mature diaphragm to be able to apply the breathing techniques needed when playing the flute. They also need to learn and understand the basics about correct body posture and the position of their mouth, lips or even tongue. As with almost all musical instruments, the lessons start by learning the notes, values and short easy pieces. It is recommended that in case a child is having difficulties in learning the flute, he/she should start taking piano lessons for about 6-12 months.

How many lessons does one have to take in order to be considered a flute player?
The flute is a specialised and unique instrument! As with most instruments, it requires a lot of study time, and the students’ progress solely depends on them. The personal interest, the study hours and their love for the flute are elements that if combined together, will enable them to play simple musical pieces by the end of the first year.

When are flute lessons offered at the school?
Flute lessons, as all musical instrument lessons, are conducted on a private basis. That is, the lessons are conducted with the teacher and one student only. This enables the teacher to give all his/her attention to the student for the best possible results. The duration of the lessons varies according to the level of each student. Since the lessons are private there is flexibility in terms of the day and time a lesson can be arranged. The exact days and hours are jointly agreed upon by the student and the teacher before the beginning of the academic year. As time passes by and as the student progresses, additional hours might be added in a classroom with students of other musical instruments in order to create small orchestras, ultimately aiming to familiarize themselves and coexist with other musical instruments.

Are there any examinations one can take in order to obtain a recognized flute diploma?

The school offers recognized examinations for all of its departments. The majority of the examinations are from foreign universities and schools and especially from the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic. The flute examinations offered by the school are from the ABRSM (Royal School of Music) and Trinity College. All diplomas are recognized by the Ministry of Education and Culture as well as by all universities abroad. Therefore, regardless of what musical instrument one plays and the levels completed, the school diplomas can be used as additional qualifications for admission in overseas universities!

Who are the most famous flutists?
The most famous flutists are Julius Baker, Jeanne Baxtresser, Lori Bell, William Bennett, Michel Debost and Geoffrey Gilbert. It is widely accepted that the best of flutist of all times is the Irish Matt Molloy!