Guitar

Professional Diploma (Performance)
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Overview

The Academy’s Professional Diploma is a one-of-a-kind programme for students who are looking for a specially tailored extra year of study to provide a competitive edge in building a career. The course is for performance candidates who wish to follow a particular area of focus within or connected to their Principal Study. It is a one-year specialist and intensive Diploma at Level 7 within the UK Qualifications and Credit Framework (post-Masters). 

Candidates should have the potential and aspiration to succeed at the highest international standard. Applicants must normally hold a postgraduate degree and put forward a project proposal outlining what they hope to achieve.

It is a highly focused combination of one-to-one tuition and professional development activity built around the needs of each individual student in consultation with the ProfDip Programme Tutor and the relevant Head of Department. Applicants will normally have completed a master’s degree but the programme is available to all applicants of the appropriate standard.

Training

In addition to the 45 hours of one-to-one tuition, all postgraduate students undertake an extensive programme of departmental activity targeted to their specialist focus.

Specialisms

Examples of specialisms include:

  • Opera repetiteurship
  • Historical Performance for modern instrumentalists
  • Preparation for opera studies
  • Orchestral Doubling specialisms (eg contrabassoon or piccolo)
  • Collaborative piano
  • Composition for television, film and media
  • Flute and piano duo repertoire from the first half of the twentieth century
  • Extended techniques on the cello
  • The German school of tuba playing, with an emphasis upon orchestral performance
  • The study of poets: lieder with texts by Shakespeare and Goethe
  • The role of the principal viola in an orchestra

Guides, Handbooks & Specifications

Entry Requirements

  • Academic: A Master’s qualification or equivalent (in a relevant subject), but the Academy welcomes applications from students who may not meet the usual academic requirements.
  • Performance: A performance standard at least equivalent to recognised postgraduate degrees and a clear sense of a direction (specialism) for further study.

You must complete a proposal document if you wish to be considered for the Professional Diploma. Your proposal should be included in your Acceptd profile.

Using the template below, please provide a one-page proposal outlining your chosen particular specialism and your intended individual learning outcomes for the course.

The aim of the Professional Diploma is to provide a platform for specialist professional development, which will allow you to follow a particular area of focus within or connected to your Principal Study.

There are several areas in which we recognise particular needs:

  • Historical Performance
  • Change of discipline (for example Piano to Piano Accompaniment)
  • Related instrument specialisms
  • Chamber Music (to be explored in detail at approval)
  • New Music
  • Compositional specialisms (e.g. working with other media)
  • Special repertoire projects
  • Collaborative Recording Production

This is not an exhaustive list and we could consider individual applications for other specialisms.

Applying for both the Professional Diploma and Advanced Professional Diploma pathways

Students completing the Professional Diploma (PD) in June will also be eligible to apply to the Advanced Professional Diploma (APD) as a nine-month enrolment starting the following September in Year 2 of the course.

The first year of the APD is identical to the PD, meaning that the PD will be a potential exit award for students unable to continue into, or complete, the second year of the APD.

If you want to apply for either of these courses alongside your main application, you do not need to create a second profile or submit a new application on UCAS Conservatoires.

Instead, simply follow these two steps:

  1. Opt-in: When prompted in Acceptd, indicate that you would like to be considered.
  2. Upload your documents: Add the required specialist proposal document (for the Prof Dip) or written requirements (for the Adv Prof Dip) directly to your existing Acceptd profile.

Alumni and student successes

We’re proud to see Academy guitarists lead the way with diverse, international careers. You can see some of their recent successes below:

  • Tohi Harada (postgraduate)
    2025: 1st Prize in the Ivor Mairants Guitar Award, administered by the Worshipful Company of Musicians; Awarded 'Grand Prize' and 'Rodrigo Prize' at the 14th Joaquín Rodrigo Guitar Competition in Olsztyn, Poland; Special commendation at the Viseu International Guitar Competition (Portugal)
    2026: 1st Prizes in the Segovia Academy (online) International Guitar Competition (Italy) and Dutch Guitar Foundation’s International Guitar Competition (Gröningen)
    Countess of Munster and Hattori Foundation Recital Artist
    Winner of the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ Prince’s Prize and New Elizabethan Award
  • Georgi Dimitrov (postgraduate)
    Acclaimed Linn recording Tales of Being, celebrating the anniversaries of John Dowland and Hans Werner Henze
    Co-Holder of the Worshipful Company of Musicians’ New Elizabethan Award: Wigmore Hall debut and appearance on BBC Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’, followed by performances for City Music Society, Surrey Hills International Music Festival, Octagon Norwich, St Martins in the Fields and Saffron Hall
  • Petar Jovanovic (undergraduate); Georgi Dimitrov, Kacper Dworniczak and Tohi Harada (postgraduates)
    Awarded Julian Bream Trust scholarships for 2025-26
  • Zoë Meadowcroft and Maryna Vosmirova (undergraduates) and Goncalo Maia Caetano (alum)
    Selected by the International Guitar Foundation for its Young Artist Platform
  • Gonçalo Maia Caetano and Gus McQuade (alums)
    Volt Duo selected for the prestigious Kirckman Society Concert Series
  • Gus McQuade and Eleanor Grant (alums)
    City Music Foundation Young Artists
    Acclaimed debut recording Seasons in Time on the Deux-Elles label
  • Declan Hickey (alum)
    Invited to give a lecture at the Guitar Foundation of America’s 2025 academic symposium
  • Sungbin Cho (alum)
    Debut recording Opening the Doors on the Deux-Elles label
  • Plínio Fernandes (alum)
    Decca Gold Recording Artist. UK and USA tours with violin virtuoso Nicola Benedetti
  • Alexandra Whittingham (alum)
    Recording contract with Decca, and release of debut album Letters from Paris to outstanding acclaim in the Gramophone and BBC Music magazines, reaching 2nd place in UK Specialist Classical Album charts
  • Giacomo Susani (alum)
    Carnegie Hall debut in New York performing his own Guitar Concerto; Artistic Director of the Barco Teatro Festival in Padova (Italy). Acclaimed recordings of his own music on the Stradivarius and Linn labels
  • Dimitrios Soukaras (alum)
    Acclaimed debut recording with singer Lotte Betts-Dean on the Delphian label
    World Premiere of Leo Brouwer’s Concerto of Corinthos at the Megaron Athens Concert Hall with the Athens State Orchestra
  • Michael Butten (alum)
    Member of the Mela Quartet on their USA tour as winners of the Guitar Foundation of America’s Ensemble Competition
  • Rafael Aguirre (alum)
    International soloist and recording artist for Naxos, MDG and Warner Classics. Brilliant debut in the BBC Proms 2026 performing Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez with the National Orchestra of Spain

Your Audition Repertoire

For your postgraduate audition, you must prepare an advanced performance programme that highlights your technical mastery, musical breadth, and interpretive capability on the classical guitar. 

Repertoire Guidelines:

  • You should present a contrasted solo programme of four pieces from the following list.
    • a contrapuntal work written between c1500-1750
    • a work from the 19th or 20th century in 1st movement sonata form
    • a theme with variations (from any period)
    • a work, or movement(s), from the late 20th or early 21st century
    • a dance movement (from any period)

Auditions & Assessments

For more information and general guidance, see auditions.

We want you to view your audition as a recital rather than a rigid test. Our panel is looking for your unique musical personality, your technical command, and your potential for growth. Try to relax, focus on your storytelling through the instrument, and let us hear who you are as a musician.

The Professional Diploma selection process is integrated into our postgraduate audition framework, allowing candidates to demonstrate their advanced artistic maturity through a practical performance programme.

Your Audition Repertoire

For your postgraduate audition, you must prepare an advanced performance programme that highlights your technical mastery, musical breadth, and interpretive capability.

Repertoire Guidelines:

  • Duration: A free-choice programme lasting approximately 30 minutes in total.
  • Stylistic Contrast: Your selected programme must include a substantial variety of works from contrasting historical periods and diverse musical styles.

Repertoire for International Audition Centres

If you are selected from your video recordings to perform in person at one of our international audition centres, you should take the same repertoire items you uploaded into your Acceptd profile.

What to Expect on Audition Day

1. Delivery Options & Practical Assessment

  • In-Person (London): As live audition time is strictly limited, the panel may choose to hear selected sections of your pieces rather than the full programme. This is standard procedure to ensure they experience a balanced overview of your technical skills and repertoire.
  • Video recordings (video application, or international centres): You must upload one unedited video containing your complete performance programme to the Acceptd portal. Your recording must be captured under clear audio and visual conditions.

2. Postgraduate Interview

Professional Diploma candidates may participate in a structured conversation with senior faculty members. This interview is designed to explore your musical background, artistic philosophies, professional aims, and how this specific intensive diploma will support your immediate career trajectory.

In addition to your practical repertoire, your digital application profile must contain:

  • Curriculum Vitae (CV): A current copy of your CV detailing your education, masterclasses, and concert history.
  • Specialist Proposal: as detailed above in the section 'Entry Requirements'
  • Spoken English Introduction (video application, or international centres): A short recorded verbal introduction introducing yourself and your professional goals to the faculty panel.

Please note: The Professional Diploma is designed for musicians who already hold a Master's degree or equivalent professional experience. Your ultimate course placement remains flexible; the panel may discuss and recommend a different postgraduate pathway (such as the MMus or MA) during your assessment if they feel it better matches your academic needs.

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