Overview
The Advanced Artist Diploma (AAD) is a one-year course for a select group of instrumentalists at the highest level.
The programme supports development of a range of industry-related skills (as appropriate to your individual profile) with mentoring provided in addition to one-to-one lessons. Successful applicants will be ready to take full advantage of a recording opportunity with world-class production and special release arrangements on major streaming platforms and/or record labels.
AAD students will be required to self-manage critical aspects of the delivery of the recording, and the range of work undertaken during the programme, in line with professional expectations. The programme is at level 8 of the FHEQ, which demands a high level of autonomy and initiative, as well as highly developed artistry.
This course is right for you if you are on the cusp of an international career and aim to develop musical collaborations at a corresponding level. It is designed to enable students to make the most of the artistic and educational opportunities afforded by the Academy and its location in the heart of London.
Entry Requirements
- Performance: You are required to have a performance standard at least equivalent to a Distinction at Master’s level.
- Academic: You are also required to have 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.
You will also need to include the following three items in your Acceptd profile:
- a repertoire list (repertoire that has been at performance level or that is being prepared for performance, or has been learnt recently, including the titles of the pieces as well as the composers' names).
- recording portfolio (a text list of your professional recordings, with links or details of the CD/DVD where possible)
- your ideas for the year, including a list of professional engagements to which you are already committed
Assessment
The Advanced Artist Diploma is only auditioned by in-person attendance at our London auditions in December.
Advanced Artist Diploma applicants may also take part in a formal Academic Assessment interview.
During this session, you will meet with a member of the postgraduate academic staff to discuss:
- Your individual study plans and artistic ambitions.
- A detailed review of your project proposal, evaluating the scope and academic rigor of your intended creative outcomes.
Please note: Your performance and academic reviews are handled in tandem to determine overall suitability for this highly specialised level of study.
See entry requirements for full information, including English language requirements.
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 instruments, and let us hear who you are as a musician.
Available Instruments (London Auditions Only)
- Percussion: Adams 4-Octave Xylophone, Musser 3-Octave ProVibe, Yamaha 5-Octave Marimba, Pearl Philharmonic 14x5 Side Drum
- Timpani: Ludwig Pro Symphonic & Premier timpani (candidates choice of pedals) (Note: Candidates specialising in single-instrument pathways must still prepare both timpani and percussion repertoire).
Your Audition Repertoire
For your postgraduate audition, you must prepare a comprehensive orchestral extract portfolio alongside a solo work of your own choice.
1. Timpani Repertoire
Note: All Timpani excerpts below are available in Test Pieces for Orchestral Auditions, Schott.
- Bartók:Concerto for Orchestra, movement 4
- R Strauss:Der Rosenkavalier (Big Waltz)
- Hindemith:Sinfonische Metamorphosen, Turandot Scherzo
- Technical Requirement:
- Perform a roll on the highest drum, going from pianissimo to fortissimo and back down to pianissimo over 4 bars of 4/4 at crotchet = 60.
2. Percussion Repertoire
- Xylophone:
- Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky (xylophone part only, available in the Goldenberg book).
- Gershwin: Porgy & Bess (available in Schott's Test Pieces for Orchestral Auditions).
- Hindemith: Kammermusik No. 1, Movements 1 & 4 (available in Schott's Test Pieces for Orchestral Auditions).
- Vibraphone:
- Bernstein: 'Cool' from West Side Story (available in Schott's Test Pieces for Orchestral Auditions).
- Side Drum:
- Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Movements 3 & 4 (available in Schott's Test Pieces for Orchestral Auditions).
- Ravel: Rapsodie Espagnole, Movements 3 & 4 (available in the Hathway Snare Drum book).
- Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol (available in the Goldenberg book).
- Suppé: Pique Dame Overture (available in the Goldenberg book).
- Own Choice Piece: One piece of your own choice performed on either Xylophone, Marimba, or Vibraphone.
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): You will perform your prepared orchestral extracts and your solo selection live for the specialist faculty panel. Because time is strictly limited, you may be interrupted before you have finished a complete piece or extract. This is standard procedure to ensure the panel can balance your assessment across all required instruments within the slot.
- Video Auditions: If you are auditioning remotely, you must upload your performance recordings to the Acceptd portal. Ensure that all working parts of the instruments and your hands are clearly visible for the duration of the video, and that the audio balance allows the panel to assess your dynamics accurately without added reverb or pitch correction.
2. Academic & Aural Assessments
Candidates may be asked questions about a short extract of music and take some practical aural skills tests. These consist of a sight-singing test alongside elements such as:
- Singing the middle notes of a played chord.
- Identification of intervals.
- Sight-reading of single rhythms.
- Sight-reading of two simultaneous rhythms (to be sung and clapped concurrently).
3. Postgraduate Interview
Candidates participate in a structured conversation with a postgraduate programme tutor to discuss your study plans and career directions. Your digital application profile must also include a short recorded spoken English introduction to introducing yourself to the faculty panel.
For more information see auditions.