Chamber Music Experience
Summer School for Adults (16+)
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Overview
Scotland is home to a large number of talented musicians who have gone on to have careers and lives outside music. The RCS invites them to participate in a convivial week of chamber music.
The friendly ethos will about shared experiences – learning can come from anywhere – and a celebration of the wonderful and growing repertoire of chamber music.
Pre-formed groups are welcome, and for individual musicians we will find you a group of like-minded people who are playing at a similar level. You will be invited to describe your musical experiences, recent and historic, to help us arrange groups. Some people will be regularly playing with one of Scotland’s many fine amateur ensembles, for others it may be a chance to reconnect with their past musical life and reignite that spirit. We will do our best to accommodate all levels.
At the heart of the experience will be daily coaching for each group from a team of experienced professional chamber musicians led by RCS Chair of Chamber Music Prof David Watkin.
Repertoire choices can be led by participants and will depend on who applies. In this first Chamber Music Experience we invite string players, woodwind players, French horn players, and pianists.
Each group will have time every day to rehearse together as well as their coaching session.
There will be daily talks from RCS lecturers, giving insight into context, Performance Practice, and taking particular pieces apart in some detail.
We hope it will be a chance to connect with friends old and new, over coffee and soup.
At the end of the week, if groups wish they can take part in a sharing event, performing for friends and family.
The important details
Age:
16+
Cost:
£635 (lunch included)
Date:
7 - 11 July 2025
Time:
10am - 5pm
Venue:
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Course Information
The week is aimed at amateur musicians with some experience. Pre-formed groups are welcome, and for individual musicians we will find you a group of like-minded people who are playing at a similar level. You will be invited to describe your musical experiences, recent and historic, to help us arrange groups. Some people will be regularly playing with one of Scotland’s many fine amateur ensembles, for others it may be a chance to reconnect with their past musical life and reignite that spirit. We will do our best to accommodate all levels.
Each day will consist of
- a group session, working in detail on developing chamber techniques using repertoire such as Bach chorales
- rehearsal time with your chamber group
- coaching for your chamber group
- time to connect with friends old and new, over coffee and soup.
Each day will close with talks from RCS lecturers, giving insight into context, Performance Practice, and taking particular pieces apart in some detail.
Summer Accommodation
We are pleased to welcome students from across the world to our Summer Schools. Our course fees do not include accommodation or food, and these should be organised by the student. Our campus is located in Glasgow city centre, and you can find the addresses below.
We recommend Base Glasgow, as purpose-built accommodation for Conservatoire students, with Rehearsal Rooms, Practice spaces and Dance Studios. Base Glasgow is perfectly suited for our summer school students; both safe and secure, with 24/7 staff presence and only 3 mins walk from our main Renfrew Street building, keeping travel costs to a minimum.
Classic En-Suite rooms come with a 3/4 bed, en-suite bathroom, ample storage, mirror, study desk and chair. The shared area includes a spacious lounge and kitchen area.
Please note that Short Courses staff are not affiliated with BASE or on site outwith the summer school teaching hours, and therefore cannot take responsibility for students outside of these hours.
For more information about booking accommodation at BASE Glasgow you can contact them directly via website BASE – Student Accommodation in Glasgow or email baseglasgow@herestudents.com.
Alternatively, there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and b’n’b options available. We are located close to transport links should you wish to stay outside the city centre. If you are travelling to Glasgow for a course, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers course fees, travel, accommodation, and cancellations due to COVID-19 – as RCS will not refund in this circumstance. You can view the Cancellations and Refund policy for full information.
For students under 18 years old, we strongly advise travelling with a responsible adult should any emergency situations arise during class. Students are only monitored by staff during class times.
Renfrew Street Campus: 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Wallace Studios Campus: 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR
Further Information
We want to ensure as many children, young people and adult learners as possible can access the performing and production arts education that is offered through Short Courses at RCS. Financial support options available for Short Courses include:
Agnes Allan Bursary
Agnes Allan was a teacher, passionate about inclusion, and this bursary scheme exists to offer support to students to participate in the performing or production arts.
The Agnes Allan Bursary provides some support to students who may require financial assistance to take part in a short course in dance, drama, music, production or screen.
Anyone who wishes to take part in our Short Courses and faces a financial barrier can apply for bursary support to help meet the cost of tuition fees.
James McAvoy Drama Scholarships
BAFTA-winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy is committed to nurturing the creative potential of young Scots who experience barriers to access and participate in drama at RCS Short Courses.
James is a graduate of the BA Acting programme at RCS and Patron of the Junior Conservatoire of Drama. The Glasgow-born actor has funded the new James McAvoy Drama Scholarships to enable young people to experience the world-class drama training at RCS as he did.
The scholarship aims to support applicants who would otherwise find meeting the cost of tuition fees at RCS a barrier to accessing pre-Higher Education drama training at the Royal Conservatoire.
You can find more information about these funds on our Financial Support page.
We run various promotional offers for our Short Courses and Summer Schools. You can view our current offers on our Promotional Offers page.
You should contact us at shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk to request your discount code before booking a course.
Please note, only one promotional offer can be applied per course and should be used at the time of booking as we are unable to apply a discounts retrospectively.
Please see our Short Course FAQs for more information about all aspects of choosing, booking and attending your course.
Please see our Short Courses – Terms and Conditions for more information about your contract with Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Cancellation and Refund policies.
Sign up to our mailing list to receive the latest updates of courses, offers and news from Short Courses. You can do this by completing this short online form found here.
Short Courses
shortcourses@rcs.ac.uk
Summer Schools
summerschools@rcs.ac.uk
Credit-Rated
credit-rated@rcs.ac.uk
Bursary and Scholarship
bursaryscholarship@rcs.ac.uk
