About Me

Burcu Kalaycioglu Bilen

For nearly 20 years, I have been helping children, teenagers and adults build confidence, develop musical skills and discover the joy of playing the piano through personalised lessons.

Over the years, several of my students have been awarded music scholarships and gone on to study at university music departments and conservatoires. My students also consistently achieve excellent ABRSM results, with many being awarded Merit and Distinction.

After beginning piano lessons at an early age, I was accepted into Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory at the age of 11—one of Turkey's leading performing arts institutions, offering specialist professional training in classical music. There, I completed six years of intensive classical piano education throughout my secondary and high school years.

During those years, practising the piano for four to six hours a day became part of everyday life (my family probably heard enough scales to last a lifetime!:)  That experience gave me a strong technical foundation, disciplined practice habits and a deep understanding of music that continue to shape my teaching today.

At the same time, my own musical journey taught me that becoming a confident musician is about much more than technique alone. While my education was rooted in classical piano, I don't believe every student should follow exactly the same path. Alongside developing strong technique and musicianship, I enjoy introducing improvisation, ear training, film music, contemporary repertoire, pop music and pieces chosen by each student. I believe students make the greatest progress when lessons are both structured and genuinely enjoyable.

I later earned a Bachelor's degree in Modern Dance from Y?ld?z Technical University and performed professionally with Contemporary Ballet Istanbul and the internationally acclaimed Fire of Anatolia. During my performing career, I also choreographed productions and composed original music, experiences that continue to enrich my teaching and inspire creativity in my students.

Between 2013 and 2019, I founded and directed Era Art & Burcu Bilen Piano & Ballet School in Istanbul, where I taught piano full-time while preparing students for exams, auditions and performances.

Since moving to Brighton in 2019, I have continued offering private piano lessons in Brighton & Hove for children, teenagers and adults, from complete beginners to advanced students.

I believe there is no single "right" way to learn the piano. Every student is unique, so I adapt my teaching to suit each individual's personality, goals and pace of learning. Whether your goal is to play for enjoyment, prepare for ABRSM exams, audition for higher music education or simply gain confidence at the piano, my aim is to make every lesson engaging, supportive and inspiring.

Above all, I hope every student leaves each lesson feeling more confident, motivated and excited to sit down at the piano again.