Overview
The Academy's distinctive postgraduate Choral Conducting courses embrace a comprehensive range of sacred music for concert and service plus selected secular repertoire.
It is the UK’s longest-established specialist postgraduate choral conducting course, founded in 1997. We equip students with the necessary skills to become leaders of choirs all around the world. Choosing to study in the centre of London, at the heart of the diverse British choral tradition, provides an unrivalled learning environment.
Classes and Activities
As a Choral Conducting student, you will work intensively with members of the Academy's Chamber Choir. We also have close working relationships with the BBC Singers, the Choir of Royal Holloway, University of London, the Joyful Company of Singers, the Renaissance Singers, and the Music Makers of London as well as the adult and professional and children's choirs of the London Oratory. Self-generated work is seen as essential and we encourage you to take up positions with choirs outside the Academy during your studies.
Rehearsal Techniques
Repertoire
Stylistic Performance Practice
Technique and Interpretation
This is the core of the course, delivered in intensive weekly classes – usually totalling eight hours per week.
Aural skills
A specialist weekly class at advanced level.
Editing
Specialist teaching is available for students who wish to develop scholarly editing skills.
Vocal Technique
Our specialist voice teachers will help you develop your own voice and deepen your understanding of vocal techniques essential for training choirs.
Contextual Studies
You will have the opportunity to study Gregorian chant, chorale and other liturgical music forms up to the present day to give you insight into the religious, cultural and compositional contexts of the core European choral repertoire.
Assessment
In the final year, you are assessed on a self-organised concert outside the Academy and on a rehearsal and performance with the Academy Chamber Choir.
Entry Requirements
Academic Qualifications
You will usually hold a Bachelor of Music (BMus) degree, a university Bachelor's degree containing music as a core component, or an international equivalent qualification.
Written Requirements
Unlike the Master of Music (MMus) track, the Master of Arts (MA) in Performance does not require you to submit an academic project proposal or a written portfolio. Your selection is focused primarily on your musicality and practical performance.
See Entry Requirements for more information.
Auditions
We want you to view your audition as a practical rehearsal and a musical dialogue rather than a rigid test. Our panel is looking for your unique musical personality, your technical control, your ensemble leadership, and your potential for growth. Try to relax, focus on communicating your musical vision clearly to the singers, and let us hear who you are as a conductor.
The Master of Arts (MA) in Performance selection process for Choral Conducting is a two-round process integrated into our postgraduate framework. It is designed to allow candidates to demonstrate their physical gesture, rehearsal technique, and advanced communicative foundation.
The Audition Framework
Round One: Video Pre-Screening
The initial stage involves a thorough review of your uploaded video materials by the Choral Conducting department entry panel. This digital submission acts as the first-round assessment. Your video performance recordings must be filmed from the singers' view of the conductor and should show your full height. You may conduct a piano arrangement if you are unable to secure a live choir for the recording.
Your Round One portfolio must contain recordings of the following two specific works:
- Parry:"My soul, there is a country" (from Songs of Farewell)
- Byrd:Ave verum corpus
Optional Addition: You may also optionally upload a maximum of 10 additional minutes of video showcasing rehearsal and/or performance footage of you conducting a choir in a choice of piece(s) of your own choosing, provided the footage has no cuts or editing.
Round Two: Live Assessment (London)
Candidates who are successful in the pre-screening round will be invited to the Academy in London for a live practical audition day, which includes a rehearsal assessment and a panel interview.
- Set Rehearsal Task: You will be given one of the pieces from the pre-screening list to rehearse with a small choir of Academy students (consisting of 12 singers) for approximately 12 minutes.
- Own-Choice Rehearsal Task: You will also rehearse the student choir for 12 minutes on a contrasting or complementary piece of your own choice for unaccompanied choir (sacred or secular, in English or Latin). This piece must be from a later musical period than Byrd, Gibbons, or Tomkins. You must bring 14 physical copies of your chosen score (12 for the choir, 2 for the panel).
- The Audition Interview: Selected students will move forward to an interview on the same day. During this interview, you will be handed a number of choral excerpts and asked to conduct the openings of them and comment on their structural or interpretative challenges. The panel will also discuss your prior knowledge of choral repertoire, your career goals, and your general musical outlook.
- Practical Aural Tests: Your live assessment includes an evaluation of your aural capability. These tests will involve elements such as identifying intervals, determining the number of notes sounded concurrently in a chord, identifying a common chord after an unrelated named pitch is played, and practical sight-singing.
Postgraduate Application Profile
Whether submitting for the initial video round or preparing for a live recall, your digital profile on the Acceptd portal must include:
- Concert Biography: A paragraph-style narrative biography suitable for a concert programme. This is distinct from your CV.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV): A current, standard CV detailing your education, masterclasses, and music history.
- Spoken English Introduction: A short recorded verbal introduction introducing yourself and your professional goals to the faculty panel.
Please note: The Master of Arts is a standard postgraduate pathway focused heavily on advanced performance and practical direction. There are no academic written requirements for the MA pathway. If you are also considering the Master of Music (MMus) track, please prioritize applying for the MMus option in your UCAS Conservatoires application. All MMus candidates are automatically considered for the Master of Arts track, meaning only one audition process is required to evaluate you for both potential pathways.
For more information see auditions.