Scottish South Asian Ensemble (ages 10-17)

During the South Asian Ensemble course participants will:

• Learn the basic scales and rhythmic patterns and introduction to music theory of classical music from the South Asian region.
• develop creativity and wellbeing and encourage musical and social interaction with an emphasis on experimentation and co-operation.
• Perform a selection of South Asian music tailored for the individual skill levels.
• Explore the common underlying elements of Western classical music and South Asian classical music.
• Exploring the various ways of notating music and reading it

Applicants to this summer school must be able to,

• play an instrument/sing.
• prior training is preferred but not essential.
• essential to bring their own instruments.

Students should come to the course expecting to work hard, be challenged and enjoy contributing to the creative process.

Students should aim to bring at least one piece of music or song prepared to share with the group.

Students should also,

• Plan and prepare to attend all classes.
• Dress comfortably in clothes which are suitable for the activity you are taking part in.
• Bring a notepad and pen/pencil in case you wish to make notes.
• Please bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated during your class.

Amit Anand

Amit Anand (b.1989) is an Indian-born, Scotland-based, multifaceted musician who has made significant contributions as a composer, performer, audio engineer and educator. Born and raised in Hassan, South India, Amit showed interest in music at the early age of three. In 2015, Amit followed his dream and moved to Scotland to undertake a BMus in Composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, studying chamber music with Rory Boyle and Dr Colin Broom and electronic music with Prof. Alistair McDonald. Since completing his degree in 2019, Amit continues to reside in Glasgow, Scotland. 

As a composer, Amit has written works for a wide range of ensembles and genres, including chamber music, orchestral music, electroacoustic music and film scores. His music is often characterised by a blend of cultural and contemporary styles, incorporating elements from jazz, folk, Indian and European music. His compositions have been performed by numerous ensembles in festivals around the United Kingdom and have received critical acclaim. Amit also performs as a keyboardist and is known for his captivating live performances with his band the Banine Music Ensemble, Top Note and Raag’n’Tonic. He has performed at venues and festivals across India and the United Kingdom and has collaborated with renowned musicians in the industry.

Amit’s newfound passion is to compose music for educational settings and he has had music featured in publications and syllabuses by ABRSM and Trinity College London. Amit has also recently completed ABRSM’s flagship composer mentoring programme, during which he developed his skills in writing to briefs and received mentoring from established composers including Alan Bullard, Sarah Watts and Alexis Ffrench. As part of the programme, he co-composed an orchestral piece with Ben Lunn for the National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain, which he recalls as an exhilarating experience. This area of work complements Amit’s role as a dedicated educator – in addition to his thriving piano teaching practice, he runs Pianoshaale, an online piano school that produces music courses in the regional languages of India, making piano and composition accessible to non-English speakers. Amit is also training to be an ABRSM examiner and has completed the flagship Examiner mentoring programme curated by ABRSM and Black Lives in Music. 

Amit is also an experienced audio engineer, aiming to specialise in recording chamber music. He is currently working with pianist Gusztav Fenyo to record his performances of the complete Beethoven Sonata cycle. His latest releases in 2023 as an audio engineer are The International Poet by Guitar and Flute Duo named JKL Duo and Live from our living rooms by Scottish Freelancers Ensemble. 

Uniting all aspects of Amit’s work is his search for new perspectives in music and he remains passionate about finding innovative ways to inspire and ignite people’s curiosity in music. 

Samrat Majumdar

Samrat Majumder is a Scottish-Indian classical guitarist. Currently studying Konzertexamen at the Robert Schumann Hochshule, Düsseldorf, with Professor Alexander Ramirez, Samrat also holds a MMus from Royal Conservatoire in the Hague (cum laude) under the tutelage of Professor Enno Voorhorst and a BMus from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) (with Honours of the First Class) having previously studied with Professor Allan Neave. During his time at the RCS, Samrat was awarded the “Governors Recital Prize” for Strings in 2020. Prior to higher education, Samrat studied with Peter Stewart at the Junior School of the RCS.

Internationally, Samrat has won prizes in competitions across Europe. These include 1st Prize at the XIV Baltic Guitar Festival International Competition (Lithuania), 1st Prize at the XVII Harmonia Cordis International Guitar Competition (Romania), 1st Prize at the XVII Twents Festival International Guitar Competition (The Netherlands), and 1st Prize and Audience Award at the III Aalborg International Guitar Competition (Denmark).

In 2021, Samrat co-founded the Classical Guitar Reach Foundation of India (CGRFI), an organisation that supports classical guitarists from India through music education projects.

Ankna Arockiam 

Originally from Hyderabad in India, Ankna Arockiam moved to Glasgow in 2011. Since then, she has graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with a degree in Vocal performance. Ankna has completed her PhD, exploring young Western classical musicians’ musical, cultural and social identities in Indian cities. Before moving to Glasgow, Ankna studied at KM Music Conservatory, Chennai. She currently lectures at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. She co-founded Shared Narratives; empowering researchers of colour in the performing arts.

A versatile soloist, Ankna’s singing and performance career spans festivals and venues in India and the UK. With a background in both Indian and Western classical music, she enjoys collaborating with artists across diverse styles and genres. Ankna has also worked in theatre productions and films as an actor, singer, and composer.

Beyond her artistic and research pursuits, she is the founder of Glasgow Sitare, a singing group for South Asian women in Glasgow and actively contributes to various organisations and initiatives. She serves on the Board for MusiQuE, an organisation focused on enhancing the quality of higher music education. She is also involved with SWIM (Scottish Women in Music) and holds a position as a Regional Committee member for the Musicians Union, where she advocates for the rights and welfare of musicians. Ankna is a member of the Association of European Conservatoires (AEC) Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, and the European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA), where she works towards building a more inclusive European Higher music and arts education community. Recently, she has been appointed as the Artistic Director of Westbourne Music.

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