Our Faculty

The academy places a large emphasis on the quality of its faculty. Our rigorous selection procedure has allowed us to have a group of renowned, versatile, and highly-experienced faculty. Find out more about our teaching team below.

Sam Bidwell

Director, Founder & Piano Teacher (ENG, GER, FR)

Sam is a successful founder, business consultant and classical pianist. He is the founder, director and piano teacher at Mountain Piano, a renowned privately-held piano academy in the Swiss Alps. He is also an active consultant throughout Europe, working with SMEs, non-profits and institutions on improving their business growth, transformation and digital pivot strategies. Sam also has strong experience as a workshop leader for classical piano and teaching strategies, as a piano teacher for all ages and levels and as a classical concert pianist. He is the president of a charity for young musicians in the Chablais region and in his spare time, is a keen hiker, skier and traveller.

Favourite composer – Alexander Scriabin

Greg Davies

Piano Teacher (ENG)

Greg has 30+ years of music and piano teaching experience internationally. He was trained on a full scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music, before receiving a BA and PGCE at several UK universities. Since then, Greg has taught and led the music and performance faculties at several international schools in the UK, Japan, Thailand, Italy and now Switzerland. Such work has entailed running large teaching faculties, teaching all levels, exam training, teacher training and large-scale event management. Greg currently directs the music department at a leading Swiss international school and also teaches piano part-time at Mountain Piano. Greg spends his free time with his wife and two girls, and is an avid skier, traveller and kitesurfer.

Favourite Composer - Fréderic Chopin

Dilyana (Didi) Hristova

Piano Teacher (ENG, FR)

Didi boasts almost 30 years of music and piano teaching experience. She has held teaching positions at several international schools in Bulgaria, Kuwait and Switzerland, as well as being for 8 years a full-time lecturer at a University in Bulgaria. Didi is a highly versatile educator and musician – with roles including leading and conducting choirs, as a professional accompanist, production leader and as a concert pianist with impressive experience as a soloist and with orchestras. She holds a bachelor’s degree and several other diplomas from several leading music institutions in Bulgaria alongside having post-diploma certifications in music and psychology. Currently she teaches at Aiglon Collège and Mountain Piano. In her free time, she is a passionate hiker and runner.

Favourite composer – Fazil Say

Michael Kovalchuk

Violin and Viola Teacher (ENG, FR)

Michael Kovalchuk, a Ukrainian-born musician, is a dedicated performer and educator deeply committed to the world of classical music. He honed his musical skills at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne under the tutelage of renowned mentor and professor Alexander Gordon, and graduated with two Master of Arts, in Concert Performance and Music Pedagogy respectively. Michael has earned his reputation as a distinguished musician, gracing both Swiss and international stages with his exceptional talents. His performances encompass solo, chamber music collaborations, and orchestral contributions as a member of the Sinfonietta de Lausanne. Beyond his career as a performer, Michael's passion for music education is equally profound, with many years of teaching experience privately and at leading international schools.

Favorite composer : Paul Hindemith

Michel Rembold

Visiting Teacher, Head of Advisory Council

Michel is a highly-regarded artistic personality in Switzerland and internationally, both as a teacher but also as a concert pianist. A likening to Richter and Michelangeli from an early age, receiving the coveted title of 'Steinway artist' and publishing award-winning recordings of the Beethoven Concertos alongside the Liszt and Chopin Sonatas with International Artists AIA are just a few of many examples of his artistic excellence and prominence. He was a member and professional trainer of aspiring pianists at the Swiss Music Pedagogical Association (SMPV) from 1997-2019, and for many years he has simultaneously directed the highly-renowned Piano Institute Frédéric Chopin in Switzerland. Michel is the head of the advisory council for the academy and is also visiting teacher in the form of leading our master-classes.

Favourite composer – Fréderic Chopin