Overview
The Academy’s postgraduate conducting course is internationally recognised as one of the foremost programmes for training conductors.
Our students have many opportunities to work with talented players and singers in a variety of settings, from two-piano workshops and intimate chamber ensembles to full symphony orchestra. Academy conductors work in a friendly, collaborative and focused environment which prepares them for professional conducting careers. The programme path (MA or MMus) can be discussed at the entrance interview and adjusted as appropriate, you are not tied to the option you choose when you submit your application in UCAS Conservatoires.
Classes and Activities
In addition to weekly individual lessons, as a conducting student at the Academy you will participate in:
Conducting and Baton Technique
You will learn and practise beating patterns, and the means to communicate your musical intentions through gesture.
Concerts and Collaborations
The Conducting Faculty regularly collaborates with departments across the Academy. You will work with singers from Royal Academy Opera and from the Vocal Faculty. You will work on twentieth-century and twenty-first-century repertoire, and on premieres of new works by Composition students. You will conduct a variety of ensembles in rehearsals, workshops and concerts within the Academy and have opportunities to organise your own projects.
Rehearsal Observation
The Academy regularly invites highly celebrated and famous conductors from all over the world to conduct orchestral and operatic performances with our students. You will have many opportunities to observe their rehearsals and often the Head of Conducting will organise lessons or discussions with visiting artists, which allows you to meet and interact with leading professionals.
Repertoire classes and Masterclasses
These take place throughout the year and students analyse, discuss and practise core repertoire under the guidance and expertise of Academy professors, Visiting Professors, composers and guest artists. You will study a broad range of styles including contemporary music, early music, concerto and mainstream repertoire.
Aural, Keyboard Skills and Score-reading
In these classes, you will be able to hone some practical skills necessary for good rehearsal technique, such as fluency in instrument transposition and baton technique, as well as studying important sources such as original manuscripts or personal scores belonging to conductors such as Sir Georg Solti, Sir Charles Mackerras and Sir Colin Davis. Keyboard skills are not an essential requirement for entry onto the programme but there are opportunities to develop these should you wish to do so.
Seminars
In addition to these regular classes and tutorials, a series of ‘professional development’ seminars are arranged, in which Academy professors and outside experts are invited to work with our conductors for example, in history and performance style, for analysis and for programme building and planning. There are also sessions with Nicholas Chalmers (Fernside Head of Choral Conducting) where you have a chance to gain experience in choral repertoire and conducting.
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 an active musical collaboration rather than a rigid test. Our panel is looking for your unique musical personality, your physical communicative clarity, your efficient rehearsal technique, and your potential for growth. Try to relax, focus on sharing your interpretive choices with the ensemble, and let us hear who you are as a conductor.
The Master of Arts (MA) in Performance selection process for Conducting is a highly selective, multi-stage process integrated into our postgraduate assessment framework. It is designed to rigorously evaluate your physical gesture, leadership presence, scores analysis, and advanced musical foundation.
The Audition Framework
Round One: Video Pre-Screening
The initial stage involves a detailed review of your uploaded video materials by the Conducting department entry panel. This digital submission serves as your first-round assessment. Your video must show a **front view of the conductor** (the view from the orchestra's perspective) and should feature:
- Content:Your video audition recordings should be a minimum of 15 minutes overall, showing you conducting an ensemble or orchestra in the last 18 months. The footage should be filmed strictly from the players' view of the conductor and should ideally start from the beginning of pieces with no edits or cuts. Including some rehearsal footage alongside actual performance is highly encouraged. (If you cannot secure an orchestral ensemble, a piano arrangement is acceptable).
- Repertoire: The footage must cover at least **two contrasting pieces or movements** from different musical styles or eras.
Round Two: Live Audition Days (London)
Candidates who are successful in the pre-screening round will be invited to the Academy in London for a intensive, two-day live practical assessment and the invitation will include confirmation of the repertoire to prepare. You must prepare all items, and the panel will choose the specific sections they want to see you conduct in the room. You do not need to perform on piano or other instruments. This round is split across consecutive days:
- Day One - Ensemble Rehearsal & Musicianship: You will conduct a small ensemble during an allocated time slot (typically around 15 minutes), and also will be given aural tests (sorry, we cannot issue specimen tests). There will also be an interview with the panel later in the day, the day's assessments are expected to be complete no later than 7pm. You will be will be contacted by email by around 9pm at the latest to confirm if you have been selected to proceed to the Day Two session.
- Day Two - Two-Piano Session & Interview: You will conduct two pianists performing orchestral works. During this session, the panel will assess your score layout understanding and gesture. This may be followed by a short interview to discuss your career directions and musical background.
Postgraduate Application Profile
In addition to your practical video portfolio, your digital application profile on the Acceptd portal must contain:
- Concert Biography: A professional biography formatted precisely as you would provide for a formal concert programme (please note that this is a separate document from your standard CV).
- Repertoire List: A comprehensive, chronological list of all the works you have previously conducted in performance, rehearsed in detail, or studied intensively.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV): A current copy of your CV detailing your formal musical background, degrees, conducting teachers, and past ensemble or masterclass experiences.
- Spoken English Introduction: A separate recorded video introduction between 3 and 5 minutes long. Presented in English, you must state your name, then talk about your musical background, training, professional ambitions, and your specific reasons for choosing to study conducting at the Academy.
Please note: The Master of Arts is a standard postgraduate pathway focused heavily on advanced practical direction and podium experience. There are no academic written dissertation requirements for the MA pathway. If you are also interested in the Master of Music (MMus) track, please prioritize applying for the MMus option in your application. All Master of Music 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.
