Jazz and Improvisation
At the RNCM, improvisation is for everyone. Whether you’re an experienced jazz musician, a classical performer looking to broaden your artistry, or simply curious about creating music spontaneously, you’ll find opportunities to explore, experiment, and develop your own musical voice.
From your first year onwards, improvisation is woven into undergraduate study through practical teaching, specialist modules, performance projects, and masterclasses with internationally renowned artists. Alongside dedicated jazz ensembles and electives, students from all schools can engage with jazz and improvisation as part of a vibrant creative community.
We believe every student should have the freedom to explore their interest in and passion for jazz during their studies, supported by expert staff, inspiring a culture that celebrates curiosity, creativity and artistic discovery.
Modules and Electives
Students on the BMus programme can engage with jazz throughout their studies via modules, electives, and performance opportunities that develop core repertoire knowledge, improvisation skills, and ensemble practice.
In Years 1 and 2, all students take Musicianship, where improvisation is central, with options including Jazz Musicianship and Jazz Theory. By late Year 2, students choose specialist options such as Jazz and Pop Improvisation, while one-to-one instrumental study and weekly Jazz Essentials classes provide additional practical support. Teaching is enriched by visiting artists and masterclasses led by leading international jazz musicians. In Years 3 and 4, students can specialise further through electives such as Jazz Performance, Jazz Arranging, and ensemble-based learning.
Recent masterclasses and performances have included some of the world’s leading practitioners, including Patrick Bartley, Gerry Hemingway, Izumi Kimura, Elena Andrea Wang, Rob Luft, Jon Fält, Laura Jurd, Angrusori (led by Nils Henrik Asheim and Iva Bittová), Dan Costa, and Huw Warren.
One-to-One Instrumental Study
Current students can access a growing range of opportunities for specialist jazz tuition alongside their principal study.
The Schools of Wind, Brass and Percussion and Strings offer pathways for students wishing to explore jazz performance, while Dan Whieldon, Professor in Jazz Piano, provides specialist jazz piano tuition for students from across the RNCM, regardless of their principal study discipline.
Performance Opportunities
RNCM Big Band
The RNCM Big Band is our flagship ensemble for students specialising in jazz performance and improvisation. Directed by Iain Dixon, Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Improvisation, the ensemble explores the rich heritage of big band music alongside newly commissioned works, original compositions and arrangements by students and guest artists.
Recent guest artists have included: Nikki Iles, Mike Walker, Dennis Rollins, Percy Pursglove, Madeline Bell, Emma Smith, Zoe Rahman, Julian Siegel, Gareth Lockrane, Josephine Davies, Dave Hassell, Andy Scott and Sara Dowling.
MIUAWGA Improv Ensemble
The RNCM Big Band is our flagship ensemble for students specialising in jazz performance and improvisation. Directed by Iain Dixon, Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Improvisation, the ensemble explores the rich heritage of big band music alongside newly commissioned works, original compositions and arrangements by students and guest artists.
Recent guest artists have included: Nikki Iles, Mike Walker, Dennis Rollins, Percy Pursglove, Madeline Bell, Emma Smith, Zoe Rahman, Julian Siegel, Gareth Lockrane, Josephine Davies, Dave Hassell, Andy Scott and Sara Dowling.
Off-Beat Lab
Established in 2021, the Off-Beat Lab provides a creative space for performers and composers to explore how an improvising big band operates.
Through a workshop-based approach, students combine collective and individual improvisation with written material, developing ideas in an environment designed to encourage experimentation, collaboration and creative risk-taking.
Jazz Essentials
Open to all students, Jazz Essentials is a weekly series of practical, non-assessed classes led by Iain Dixon and Steve Berry.
The sessions introduce the foundations of jazz performance and improvisation, making them ideal for beginners while also offering valuable development opportunities for more experienced players.
Jazz Piano Group Classes
Led by acclaimed jazz pianist Dan Whieldon and offered by the School of Keyboard Studies on a biennial basis, these classes provide an accessible introduction to jazz piano and improvisation for students interested in broadening their musical horizons.
Professors
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Steve Berry
Head of Jazz and Improvisation
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Iain Dixon
Professor of Saxophone and Jazz Improvisation
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Dan Whieldon
Professor of Jazz Piano