Auditions

We know auditioning can seem like a very daunting experience, but we want you to do well and have a positive experience.

The panel are very used to seeing nerves, so don't worry.

Don’t panic if you’re stopped- it’s very normal and there could be several reasons for this.

Think of it as a recital, not an exam. We’re looking for individuality, potential and artistry.

Don’t compare your audition experience to others. It’s a totally unique experience for each candidate.

If you make a mistake, try to stay calm. Mistakes happen; it’s about how you recover in the moment.

Be yourself! Part of the purpose of an audition is to find out more about you.

Practise walking in, settling down, and tuning up, and playing in unfamiliar settings in front of friends and family before your audition.

On the day, tune carefully, but try not to take up too much of your audition time tuning up.

Your audition is a chance to get to know more about the Academy too. Research your chosen department before the audition and the professors who might teach you if you are offered a place.

Make sure you have thoroughly read the audition requirements for your chosen department in plenty of time.

Eat and hydrate well before the audition, and make sure you arrive in good time.

Plan for contingencies! For example, make sure you have extra music, or a spare reed just in case.

If you have learning difficulties, mobility impairment or a long-term health condition, we want you to feel that you have the support you need to audition at the Academy.

Please let us know of any disabilities or access requirements when filling out your UCAS Conservatoires application by using the drop-down menu provided.

After your application has been processed, the Academy Registry will contact you before the audition to find out how we can assist you.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to get in touch by email admissions@ram.ac.uk. Information disclosed to the Academy will be treated in confidence and every effort will be made to meet your needs within the Academy.

See also:

• Access and disability
• Belonging Scheme

As detailed on our Apply page, all candidates have to submit an Acceptd profile ahead of their audition as well as a UCAS conservatoires application. Your Acceptd application is an opportunity to let us know more about you, to upload any supporting documents and, if you are auditioning by video recording or providing pre-screening recordings, to upload your audition videos. Acceptd is the system the panels use to get to know you and to make notes and decisions on all applications.

You don’t need to let us know your audition programme in advance, unless your department has asked for this to be included in your Acceptd profile. However, if you’re bringing less familiar repertoire, just keep in mind that complex accompaniments can be tricky to prepare in the short rehearsal time with your accompanist before your audition.

You need to bring

• your instrument
• anything needed for your instrument such as mutes for brass instrument and sticks for percussionists
• your music
• music for your accompanist

You don’t need to bring music copies for the panel.

(Composition candidates - please see your Audition requirements page).

For travel: Travelling to the Academy | Royal Academy of Music
For accommodation: Royal Academy Of Music Bed and Breakfast, Cheap Hotel and Guest House Accommodation

Academic interview questions can differ depending on each candidate. You don’t need to formally prepare anything as the panel are most interested in getting to know more about you.

It’s possible that questions may be based on something you wrote in your personal statement, or about your musical tastes and inspirations.

All Jazz candidates take a short jazz theory paper directly after their audition.

Otherwise there is no written assessment.

The requirements for this are different for each department, so we recommend you look at the ‘audition requirements’ section of your chosen department’s pages.

The Academy has a pool of accompanists for auditions in London. There is no charge for using an Academy accompanist, and you will be allocated a rehearsal with them in your warm-up time immediately before your audition.

Academy accompanists will always do their best to provide you with a satisfactory accompaniment to your chosen programme, although rehearsal time is necessarily limited so please consider that complex accompaniments can be tricky to prepare in the available time.

We are unable to allocate accompanists in advance, to receive music in advance, to arrange additional rehearsal time before the audition or to lend you music from our Library.

Ensemble Piano candidates should consult the Ensemble Piano audition page for guidance.

Audition experiences can vary – you might be asked to stay for a second round, or you might not, and neither necessarily reflects the outcome. So don’t worry if your experience differs from someone else’s.

Overall, you should expect to be in the Academy for up to 3 hours, to allow for extra assessments. Please do not leave the building until you have received a message on Acceptd to say it’s okay to do so.

When you arrive at the Academy, you will be greeted by one of our student ambassadors who will take you to your warm-up room.

The length of your audition may vary, depending on the course you are applying for. The audition itself may include an opportunity for you to speak to the audition panel. There will usually be two or three examiners on the audition panel, and they are eager for you to perform well and in as relaxed an atmosphere as possible. We recommend that you think of your audition as a performance.

Candidates who reach a certain level of achievement in their Principal Study audition will be called to an academic interview (Programme Assessment) on the same day. The interviewer, usually a member of the academic studies or tutorial team, will use this opportunity to find out more about you. You will be contacted by the Admissions team through Acceptd if the panel has recommended this.

Jazz undergraduate candidates are interviewed during their practical audition.

Yes, there will be a room for you to warm up and rehearse with your accompanist.

You will normally have a practice time immediately before the audition, unless your audition is for organ (see below). This warm-up will usually be for 15 to 20 minutes (a longer warm-up is scheduled for Guitar, Accordion, Ensemble Piano, Harp, and Timpani & Percussion candidates).

Organ candidates - you will have a designated warm-up time on the Rieger organ, which is specified as the earlier time detailed in your audition notification. Typically, this time is scheduled for the morning, while your audition will occur in the afternoon. Undergraduate candidates are allotted 45 minutes for warm-up, and postgraduate candidates receive 1 hour. If you require the Academy to arrange for a page-turner, please inform the Admissions Manager at admissions@ram.ac.uk.

If you would like more practice time beforehand, here is a list of commercial practice facilities in London:

• Jaques Samuel Pianos Ltd
  142 Edgware Road, Marble Arch, London W2 2DZ
  Telephone: +44 (0)20 7723 8818
• Peregrine’s Pianos
  137A Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8TU
  Telephone: +44 (0)20 7242 9865
• Kafri Studios
  Arch 357 Laburnum Street, London E2 8BB
  Telephone: +44 (0)20 8616 0233 or mobile +44 (0)7828 254458
  info@kafristudios.co.uk
• Craxton Studios
  14 Kidderpore Avenue, London NW3 7SU
  Telephone: +44 (0)20 7435 2965
• The Music Studios
  29 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2NQ
  Telephone: +44 (0)20 7486 0025
  info@themusicstudios.co.uk

Also see London Rehearsal Studios for other suggestions.

Rehearsal and performance spaces are available to rent at tutti.space, mushRoom and PianoMe.

In many cases, playing from memory is not essential. However, it’s best to check this in the ‘audition requirements’ section in your department’s pages, as some departments do ask for this. If it is not a requirement for you to play from memory, we advise that you try not to rely heavily on a score.

Yes, we have a canteen which is open throughout the audition period, which sells hot and cold food, as well as snacks and hot drinks.

You are welcome to bring a family member or friend with you to your audition. However, on arrival, we will kindly ask your guest to wait in our canteen until the audition is finished.

Please note that space is limited and the Academy can become crowded during the audition period - There are plenty of shops and cafes on Marylebone High St and Baker St that your guest can choose to wait in instead.

Candidates with accessibility requirements - You are welcome to bring someone with you to assist you with your access needs. (Please also see 'Access and Auditions' section above).

There’s no formal dress code and concert dress is not required. Wear whatever you feel most comfortable and confident in.

It can mean several things. Do not panic if the panel ask you stop during a performance. It’s very normal for this to happen and they could have several reasons for doing so. Every audition experience is unique, so do not worry if yours differs from someone else’s.

We offer video auditions and some international auditions. Read this information before you apply, to help you decide which option is best for you.

In case of any emergencies on the day please email admissions@ram.ac.uk and we’ll do our best to help.

Audition results will be displayed in your UCAS Conservatoires Hub as soon as possible at the end of the audition session. For our main auditions in December, results are usually available before Christmas.

No. All applicants for degree and diploma courses will be considered for a scholarship award as part of the audition, irrespective of whether they choose a video or live audition.

Our audition/interview process is a diagnostic one. We are therefore unable to provide detailed feedback to applicants.

Some Principal Studies are only auditioned in London or through video submissions. These include:

• Opera
• Jazz
• Composition
• Research Degree (Composition or Performance Practice)

For the second-round recalls, only in-person auditions will occur in London for the following studies:

• Conducting
• Choral Conducting
• Répétiteur
• Musical Theatre Performance
• Musical Direction and Coaching

Candidates for Harp, Percussion, Organ, or Historical Performance should email admissions@ram.ac.uk before applying through UCAS Conservatoires.

Video auditions are available for these studies; see the 'Audition Requirements' on the relevant Department pages for more details.

Application Deadlines

• Brisbane, Melbourne, Qingdao: 2 October 2025, 18:00 UK time
• New York: 31 October 2025, 12:00 UK time

Submit by the deadline:

• Your UCAS Conservatoires application
• Your Acceptd application profile, including:
  • Videos of your pre-screening repertoire
  • A spoken English introduction
  • Any written requirements for your course

Refer to the Candidate Guide to Acceptd for details.

Audition Dates

• Australia: Week commencing 27 October 2025
• China: Week commencing 3 November 2025
• New York: Week commencing 16 March 2026

Audition pre-screening repertoire for international centres mirrors that of video auditions, with possible variations in length for in-person recalls. Ensemble Piano candidates must provide their own soloists for the recall. If live recalls are not feasible in your chosen centre, your pre-screening video will serve as your audition performance, and you may have an online interview.

The repertoire you present at the recall should be the same pieces which you included in your video pre-screening submission.

If you do not have an EEA or Swiss passport, you will probably need a visitor visa for auditions in London.

Most international travellers will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before coming to the UK.

We can assist with the process and provide an invitation letter upon completing your UCAS Conservatoires application. Note that we cannot support visa applications for centres outside the UK. Visit Visas and Immigration for further details on study visas. All applicants will be considered for scholarship awards, regardless of audition format.