Classical Music

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Overview

This Classical Music programme is an intensive, year-long course in which you will learn from one-to-one lessons, ensemble work, performance and musicianship classes. We aim to help you develop into the best musician possible and, one day a week, immerse you in conservatoire life.

You will also have a busy performance schedule, with Junior Conservatoire concerts taking place inside the Royal Conservatoire most weeks throughout the academic year.

You will benefit from learning within a conservatoire environment and have the opportunity to participate in Bridge Week, an interdisciplinary celebration where students from across the Junior Conservatoire come together to devise and perform new work within one of the Royal Conservatoire’s professional venues. As the National Conservatoire of Scotland, we have strong partnerships with the professional industry and you may benefit from performing opportunities or masterclasses with undergraduate and postgraduate students or visiting artists.

By studying in this Junior Conservatoire Classical Music programme, you will:

Learn from expert staff from the Royal Conservatoire
Work with students from other disciplines across the Junior Conservatoire
Develop your performance skills and have many opportunities to perform publicly on stage
Take part in prize competitions

The programme runs from September to June each year, and you can apply to join at any point in your secondary school education.

Entry to the programme is by audition only and we don’t have a minimum grade requirement – we look for the potential and dedication of every applicant. Please note that we can only accept applications from students currently receiving instrumental lessons in their chosen principal study.

The important details

For Ages:
11-18

Open Day:
9 November 2024

Application Deadline:
10 February 2025

Venue:
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB

Dates:
7 September 2024 - 14 June 2025

Time:
Saturdays, 9.00-17.00

Audition Fee:
£45

Cost
£2590 (subject to change)

The Junior Conservatoire of Music has been teaching young musicians for more than 50 years here in the centre of Glasgow. We now have more than 350 young people travel from across Scotland and the north of England every Saturday to access this renowned training programme and to work with our expert teachers.

Benefits of studying at the Junior Conservatoire include:

One-to-one instrumental tuition for 45—60 minutes per week
The option to have a further 30—45 minute one-to-one lesson in a second study
Participate in a wide variety of ensembles and orchestras, such as Big Band, Chamber Groups, String Ensembles, Sinfonia, Symphony Orchestra and Wind Orchestra
Receive your own personalised timetable, allowing for individual needs across one-to-one tuition, group lessons, choir, ensemble work and performing opportunities
Compete in internal and external music prizes and competitions, such as, the Junior Conservatoire Gilbert Innes Prizes, Traditional Music Prize, BBC Young Musician of the Year, Inspire Young Composers’, Rotary Club and local Music Festivals

Attend weekly Practical Musicianship classes which support and develop subject areas, such as theory, musicianship, composition, history of music and analysis skills
Work towards ABRSM Grade 5 theory/NYCoS ‘Going for Gold’ qualifications
Have the opportunity to work towards and sit ABRSM Grade 8 theory exam (optional)
Receive support with preparation towards SQA instrumental music exams
Receive formative feedback reports twice a year, in addition to weekly feedback from one-to-one lessons, to ensure you are achieving the most out of your studies

Every student within the Junior Conservatoire of Music is given their own individual timetable to ensure you receive the right tuition for your development.

Expect your Saturdays to be busy – most students begin their lessons at 9am, with a busy timetable taking them through to the afternoon when there may be live performances scheduled.

Your timetable could include some of the following classes:

A 45 minute one-to-one lesson with your principal study tutor (a further 15 minutes is available for an additional fee)
Musicianship lecture
One-to-one lesson on your second instrument (if applicable)
Choir and vocal class
Ensemble classes (we have more than a dozen ensembles running each week)
Orchestra
Performance coaching

Additional opportunities are available to students who have progressed to pass their ABRSM Grade 5 Theory exam, including conducting and composition classes.

The Junior Conservatoire of Music has a wide and varied range of professional educators who work on a weekly basis with our students. The staff are all experts in their field and include musicians from each of the national orchestras.

Staff include:

Violin

Fiona Campbell
Guido de Groote
Bernie Docherty
Andrea Gajic
Lamond Gillespie
Huixin Hu
Kanako Ito
Liza Johnson
Jane Lemoine
Olivier Lemoine
Fiona Osborne
Angus Ramsay
Marion Wilson

Viola/Violin

Lev Atlas
Guido de Groote
Barbara Downie
Andrea Gajic
Fiona McLean-Buechel

Cello

Susan Dance
David Munn
Betsy Taylor
Peter Phelan
Alison Wells

Double Bass

Tom Berry
Kirsty Matheson

Harp

Sharron Griffiths

Piano

Marianna Abrahamyan
Kathy Chow
Kate Durran
Sasa Gerzelj Donaldson
Claire Haslin
Alina Horvath
Andrew Johnston
Silviya Mihaylova
Cameron Murdoch
Ancuta (Anca) Nite-Doyle
Anna Rastopchina
Alina Savanenkovaite-Shilton
Hiroaki Takenouchi
Julia Wallin
Jia Ning Ng

Woodwind

Julian Appleyard
Joanne Freeland
Sheena Gordon
John Miller
Hyeon-Jeong Ro
Rebecca (Bec) Roberts
Alison Waller
Stephen West
Rebecca Whitener
Lawrence Gill
Ruth Morley

Jazz

Tom Gibbs
Douglas Hough-Stewart
Brodie Laird-Jarvie
Peter Johnstone
Konrad Wiszniewski

Brass

Sue Baxendale
Simon Bird
Kenneth Blackwood
Nigel Cox
Brian McGinley
Stephanie Kennedy
Alastair Sinclair
Tony Swainson

Vocal Studies

Polly Beck
Phil Gault
Margaret Izatt
Verity Johnson
Ailsa Mooney
Andrew Nunn (Choral Director)

Composition

Tom Butler
Elise Haller-Shannon
Dr Shona Mackay

Guitar

Adele Neilson
Peter Stewart
Roberto Versluys

Percussion

Ruari Donaldson
Alasdair Rankin

Traditional Music

Amy Laurenson
Ben MacDonald
Ruairidh MacMillan
Isaebail (Ishabel) MacDonald
Anna Reid
Eddie Seaman

Accompanist

Liivi Arder
Hebba Benyaghla
Edward Cohen

Accordion

Djordje Gajic

Practical Musicianship

Robert Marshall
Claire McCue
Carole Sim Sayce
Sarah Skerritt
Aileen Sweeney

Entry Requirements

Entry to Junior Conservatoire is by audition only, and progression through the levels is not automatic — students will be assessed each year if they would like to continue with their studies.

We do not ask for any minimum grade — instead the panel will be looking for applicants of great potential who demonstrate they have the commitment and ability to work hard and become the best performer they can be.

Fees & Funding

Tuition fees

The Junior Conservatoire course fees for 2024/25 begins at £2590 for 30 weeks of tuition. In addition to weekly 45-minute principal study lessons, this course fee is inclusive of all timetabled classes: practical musicianship, ensembles or performance coaching, composition, aural training and choir(s). In addition to these classes, students may be able to opt into a number of elective courses, according to availability and in agreement with the Head of Junior Conservatoire.

Students can choose to enhance their study combinations by learning a subsidiary study instrument, or by increasing their weekly one-to-one lesson time at an additional cost.

Funding & Scholarships

We want to make the performing arts as accessible to everyone as possible. Anyone who faces financial barriers to participate in the Junior Conservatoire can apply for a bursary or scholarship. As soon as you have been made an offer, you will be sent a link to the bursary and scholarship application form.

These funds are currently supported by the generosity of individuals and charitable trusts and foundations including:

Agnes Allan Bursary
ABRSM Junior Scholarship UK
Wolfson Foundation Scholarship
Stevenson Scholarship
Miss Nancy Williamson Bursary
William R MacFarlane Scholarship
Savoy Scholarship
John McIntyre Memorial Scholarship

How to Apply

We want to ensure everyone has an opportunity to apply for the Junior Conservatoire Classical Music programme so we will audition everyone who applies ahead of the application deadline.

Please note, we are only able to accept applications from students who are currently receiving instrumental lessons in their chosen principal study.

All applications should be completed online and there is an audition fee of £45.00.

When to apply

To register for a Junior Conservatoire Music Audition for September 2025 entry, please complete our Application Form by no later than Monday, 10 February 2025.

Please note, there is a separate audition fee of £45.00 which must be paid via this link. Applicants must complete both the form below and the application payment prior to the above closing date.

Audition dates

Auditions take place at the RCS in February/March each year for September entry.

Open Day

Each year we hold open days and evenings for our Junior and Pre-Junior Conservatoire programmes. The open events are an opportunity for any young person and parents/carers to come to RCS and find out more about the programmes on offer.

The next in-person Open Day will take place on Saturday, 9 November 2024. Due to limited capacity, registration for this event is now closed.

We will be hosting an online open day on 25 January 2025. The booking form for this event is now available here.

Question?

If you have any questions about the Junior Conservatoire or the application process, please don’t hesitate to contact us at juniorsmusic@rcs.ac.uk

Audition Information

We want your audition to be an enjoyable experience and encourage you to take this opportunity to find out more about the Junior Conservatoire.

Classical

Classical Music auditions will be split into two parts: a performance and an informal interview, both with a panel of teachers from the Junior Conservatoire.

The Audition

You should come prepared to perform two contrasting pieces on your instrument – you should select pieces that you think best demonstrate your current playing ability. We will also ask you to perform some scales and arpeggios, to sight-read and undertake some aural and rhythm exercises.

If you have a second instrument, we’ll also ask you to perform one additional piece on this.

The Interview

The interview is a chance for you to ask us questions also, so please use the opportunity to ask anything that you’d like to know about the Junior Conservatoire. We’ll ask you questions around your musical experience, your practices and what you hope to get from being a part of the Junior Conservatoire.

Accompanist: Please note that an accompanist will be provided but you may bring your own accompanist if you wish. There will be no rehearsal with the accompanist prior to the audition.

Principal Study Percussion applicants will be asked to prepare the following:

The performance of one piece on each of the following instrumental disciplines:

Tuned percussion
Timpani
Snare drum

Less-advanced/younger percussion players may offer to perform on only two of these instruments. This should be agreed with the Juniors Music office in advance of the audition. Total performance time should not exceed twelve minutes.

The audition will also include the following elements:

Sight Reading, appropriate to your current standard on any of the above disciplines.
Scales and arpeggios, appropriate to your current standard on tuned percussion.