The Course
The Academy has established itself as a foremost international centre for the study of the classical guitar, with a comprehensive curriculum and unique musicological resources which encourage students to reach the highest standards as soloists, ensemble players and teachers. The expertise of the department embraces all aspects of guitar performance, from the concert platform to the theatre, ballet, opera house and recording studio, as well as specialisms in the main historical periods. Each year there is a prestigious series of masterclasses, lectures and concerts.
Among the distinguished visiting artists have been the Assad Duo, Manuel Barrueco, Edoardo Catemario, Eduardo Fernandez, Eliot Fisk, Sharon Isbin, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, David Russell, David Starobin, David Tanenbaum, John Williams and Julian Bream (who adjudicates his prize each year). Eminent luthiers, such as David Rubio, Paul Fischer and José Romanillos, have also been invited to discuss developments in guitar construction.
Other special events have featured the composers Leo Brouwer, Stephen Dodgson, Hans Werner Henze, Nicholas Maw, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and an International Guitar Duo Festival. The promotion of student compositions for the guitar also forms an integral part of the department’s work.
In competitions around the world, from the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Prince’s Prize and Mairants Award in the UK to the Tarrega Competition in Spain and the GFA , Parkening and Concert Artists’ Guild competitions in the USA, Academy guitarists have regularly won top prizes. Many successfully pursue international careers.
2009-2010 Highlights
> Appointment as Visiting Professor of David Russell, who will give two performance classes per year to each student and foster international guitar relations
> Announcement of the Julian Bream Trust Scholarship from September 2010: see below for details
> Voice and Guitar masterclass by Robert Tear
> Masterclass by Olivier Chassain
> Lecture on recording techniques by John Taylor
> Masterclass by Julian Byzantine
> ‘Villa-Lobos 50 Years On’ — masterclass and lecture by Fabio Zanon, followed by a concert involving strings, woodwind, brass, keyboard and vocal students
> Seminar on ‘Schubert and the Guitar’ with Christoph Denoth
> Concert of English songs from the repertoire made famous by Sir Peter Pears and Julian Bream
> Recital by Luigi Attademo of works from the Segovia Archive
> Further concert of chamber music with guitar
> Student performance in Royal Academy Opera’s production of Cavalli’s Il Giasone
> Alumni reunion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Guitar Department
Successes for students and recent alumni
> Milos Karadaglic (graduated 2006): Wigmore Hall recital and concerto performance with the English Chamber Orchestra
> Xuefei Yang (2003): Wigmore Hall recital and première, with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, of Stephen Goss’s Concerto
> Antonis Hatzinikolaou (2007): Recordings of solo works and, as accompanist, in the NMC Songbook
> Other outstanding alumni include David Russell, Antigoni Goni, Fabio Zanon, Mark Ashford, Stephen Goss, Gary Ryan, Benjamin Dwyer, the Eden/Stell and Katona Duos and both Tetra and the English Guitar Quartets
JULIAN BREAM TRUST SCHOLARSHIPS
Julian Bream Trust Scholarships are available to exceptionally gifted classical guitarists and lutenists, who wish to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Each Julian Bream Trust Scholarship will be awarded on the basis of musical merit and will cover the full cost of fees at the rate set by the Royal Academy of Music for Home/European Union students.
The selection of each nominee for a Julian Bream Trust Scholarship will be carried out by the Royal Academy of Music in accordance with its normal auditioning procedures and criteria. If your audition is successful, the Royal Academy of Music will pass your details to the Julian Bream Trust for consideration. There is no separate scholarship application process.
Scholarships are currently available for applicants who auditioned for entry in September 2010.
Applicants may be of any nationality, but must be under 20 years old for undergraduate and under 26 years old for postgraduate programmes at the date of enrolment, in order to be eligible for a Julian Bream Trust Scholarship.