Performance Opportunities
Embracing more than life on stage, performance is a key part of conservatoire training and one of the most exciting things about studying with us.
Supported by our diverse artistic programme, opportunities include everything from large orchestral projects and cross-school collaborations, to full-scale opera productions, intimate chamber concerts and solo recitals.
Varying in size and focus, our orchestras and ensembles cover genres from classical to contemporary, and our thriving and energetic chamber music programme provides valuable opportunities to develop your skills through expert tuition, masterclasses and performance. You’ll also have the chance to gain an understanding of early performing styles, repertoire and technique, and if you have an interest and passion for jazz or choral, you’ll have the freedom and support to explore this throughout your studies.
Guest conductors, composers and musicians also work with students throughout the year, heightening the breadth of training and different musical perspectives we’re proud to offer. And there are plenty of chances for students to propose their own projects as part of our Spotlight series of pre- and post-concert events, Monday Recitals, or RNCM Lab Week, dedicated entirely to student creativity.
Our unrivalled performance opportunities mean that experiences aren’t limited to the RNCM. With the support of our Professional Engagements team, which coordinates over 350 paid external performances every year, many students head out on the road, presenting events at venues across the UK and taking part in exciting collaborations with professional organisations.
Some students also tour overseas during their course. For example, our Symphony Orchestra has travelled to Italy to take part in Montepulciano’s Cantiere Internazionale d’Arte for almost 20 years and our Big Band has participated in the Malta International Arts Festival and presented workshops and concerts in Changzhou, China. Collaborations also provide valuable opportunities for performance in other countries. Popular music students have worked with peers from partner institutions in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Valencia for an exciting initiative called Interplay, and in 2018 over 100 classical musicians joined forces with students from the Paris Conservatoire for a series of concerts in Manchester, London and Paris to mark the end of the First World War.