prospectus

WE ARE DANCE DRAMA AND MUSIC

WE ARE PRODUCTION AND SCREEN

WE ARE EDUCATION

WE ARE UNITED IN EXCELLENCE

WE ARE CREATING THE FUTURE FOR

PERFORMANCE

05

Prospectus 2014/15

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is a 21st century conservatoire. Our undergraduate curriculum

gives students the freedom to choose. This is the best of all worlds. As a Royal Conservatoire student,

you will be able to excel in your own specialism – whilst having freedom to explore your own artistic

journey into the new with a peer group of exciting young artists. Our Masters programmes offer

yet higher levels of professional engagement, whilst our PhD students enjoy a healthy research

environment.

Whatever your specialism, we aim for excellence. Nothing less will satisfy either your ambition,

or our expectations of you. Our shared goal is that you will realise your own individual artistic

voice. This is the area in which the conservatoire experience excels. The close working partnership

between teacher and student will encourage you to exceed expectations through drawing out from

within you your own deep potential.

Every conservatoire is different, and the UK is home to a number of great conservatoires across

the performing arts disciplines of dance, drama, and music. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

is very distinctive in that we cover all three disciplines within one institution but also, in addition,

integrate the elements of production and screen. Together with the other conservatoires of the

UK, we supply the workforce for one of the most active performing arts industries in the world.

The cultural programme surrounding the London Olympic Games in 2012 was remarkable for its

huge impact in showing off the UK as a creative nation. And, in 2014, the biggest single event of the

year, the Commonwealth Games, in our home base of Glasgow, will make the most of Scotland’s

contribution to world culture.

The following pages capture our rainbow of intense specialisms. Our curriculum is designed

to instil the essential processes of self-generating creativity which you will carry with you for the

rest of your life, whichever path you choose to follow. In the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland we

encourage our students to flourish as knowledgeable and confident individuals. A conservatoire

experience is much more than an education. It is total immersion in discovering and developing

your inner potential to its optimum level.

Scotland is presently a crucible for artistic innovation and creativity. I would encourage you to

come to Scotland and help to create the future for performance. At the place where young artists

from across the world are converging to become the artistic leaders of tomorrow!

Professor John Wallace CBE, Principal

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Conservatoire Rìoghail na h-Alba

WELCOME

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We Are: the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

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Prospectus 2014/15

Our Programmes

Dance

BA Modern Ballet 23

Drama

BA Acting 25

BA (Hons) Contemporary Performance Practice 26

BA Musical Theatre 27

MA Musical Theatre 28

MA Classical and Contemporary Text 29

MA Learning and Teaching (Gaelic Drama) 30

Music

BA (Hons) Scottish Music 32

BA (Hons) Scottish Music – Piping 32

MMus Scottish Music 32

BMus (Hons) 34

BEd Music (Hons) 35

MMus 36

Brass 37

Conducting 37

Composition 38

Guitar and Harp 38

Jazz 39

Keyboard and Collaborative Piano 39

Strings 40

Timpani and Percussion 41

Vocal Performance 42

Woodwind 43

Contents

We Are Unique 08

Professional Partnerships

Collaborations

Staff and Visiting Artists

Performance

We Are at the Top of Our Game 10

Environment

Venues

Facilities

We Are One Step Ahead 12

Our Curriculum

We Are Supporting You 14

Living in Glasgow

Student Life

Equal Opportunities

Accommodation

Welfare and Support

Applications

Entrance Requirements

Application Dates

Junior Conservatoires and Short Courses 20

We Are the Now and the Future 52

Production

BA Production Technology and Management 46

BA Production Arts and Design 47

Screen

BA Digital Film and TV 49

Research

Research Degrees 51

This prospectus will give you an overview

about us and our programmes. For full

details and everything you need to know

about applying and studying here, go to

our website rcs.ac.uk and our digital hub

Broadcast, broadcast.rcs.ac.uk

2014 will see the introduction of new MA Arts Practice programmes in Dance, Drama, and Music. Details will be published online as they become available, so please visit rcs.ac.uk for up to date information.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland has played a critical role in the development of the performance arts in Scotland over many years. The nation can be rightly proud of this great institution, which has been ensuring our young artists, creators, and performers can access training and professional practice of the highest international standards.

Donnie Munro

Artist/musician, Director of Development, Fundraising and the Arts at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture

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Prospectus 2014/15

Professional Partnerships

When you study at Scotland’s national conservatoire you will join an

artistic and learning community that’s integral to the nation’s vibrant

performance culture. We are uniquely placed to partner with a wealth

of inspiring professionals and artistic companies.

Collaboration

We are the only UK conservatoire, and one of very few internationally,

offering training in all of the performing disciplines. This provides many

opportunities for you as a student, from collaborating with your peers,

to creating new work, to broadening your horizons as a contemporary

multi-disciplinary artist.

We facilitate many collaborative projects with our partners; in Scotland,

the rest of the UK, and internationally.

Staff and Visiting Artists

Our staff are leading professionals in their field. They’re also dedicated

educationalists with a commitment to passing on their knowledge. We

host masterclasses and visits from some of the world’s most prestigious

artists, who come to Glasgow to work with our students. Additionally

we arrange regular visits from numerous directors, artists, designers,

filmmakers, and other active practitioners from across the disciplines.

Performance

The Conservatoire is the busiest producing arts venue in Scotland, with

six professional standard performance spaces. You’ll have numerous

opportunities to put what you’ve learned into practice during your time

with us.

We present around 500 performances a year to some 40,000 people.

You’ll also benefit from many opportunities in professional settings in

external theatres, concert halls, community settings, festivals, and events

all over the UK.

Our performance projects are wide-ranging. Masters

Classical and Contemporary Text students spend a full

month at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, working with their

resident staff and artists, culminating in staged scenes. Our

music students perform side-by-side with Scotland’s national

companies in concert halls across the country. Masters Musical

Theatre students have a three-week season at the Edinburgh

International Festival Fringe. Our Acting students perform

on the stages of Glasgow’s well-known theatres such as the

Tron and the Citizens. Scottish Music students play in Celtic

Connections, one of the world’s premiere folk, roots, and world

music festivals. Opera students perform in collaboration with

Scottish Opera on the stages of Scotland’s two opera houses.

Our composers have their work performed during Plug, our

annual festival of new music, often by visiting players and

ensembles. Screen students work on live film and TV sets and

studios; and Production students hone their talents across

our huge range of performances.

Our partners include

Scottish Opera

Scottish Ballet

BBC Scotland

National Theatre of Scotland

Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Shakespeare’s Globe

Royal Shakespeare Company

Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland

BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

Classic FM

Images 01/02

Verdi Wagner Celebrations at City Halls with the Royal Conservatoire Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and The Orchestra of Scottish Opera, conducted by Scottish Opera Music Director, Francesco Corti, featuring alumna Karen Cargill

Professor Tommy Smith, Artistic Director, Jazz

WE ARE UNIQUE

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is at the forefront of the redefinition

of conservatoire education for the 21st century. We provide specialized

vocational education to professional standards across dance, drama,

music, production, and screen. Across all these specialisms, we currently

have around 900 students on degree programmes. We have our own

degree-awarding powers up to taught Masters and we work with two of

Scotland’s most prestigious universities: the University of St Andrews

validates our PhD degrees; our BEd Music is delivered in partnership

with the University of Glasgow.

If you study here, you’ll benefit from our unrivalled professional

partnerships, a unique opportunity to collaborate across the disciplines,

teaching from our renowned staff, and international visiting artists,

exceptional performance opportunities, and some of the best facilities

in Europe.

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Prospectus 2014/15

Our Environment

World-class talent and tuition demand nothing less than first-class facilities:

a prerequisite of the conservatoire experience. We believe excellent

facilities support excellent performances; that’s why we value them. We

are based in two specially designed city centre buildings – Renfrew Street

and Speirs Locks Studios – within a 10–15 minute walk of each other. Our

environment is amongst the best in Europe and is being enhanced through

additional investment in a three-stage programme:

Stage 1 saw the opening of our award-winning second campus, Speirs Locks

Studios, in 2011. It provides expanded accommodation for Production,

Musical Theatre, and Modern Ballet, including high-specification dance

and musical theatre rehearsal studios, and design, set, and wardrobe

construction studios. It is a cornerstone in the creation of a hub of artistic

activity in this part of the city, with our partners Scottish Opera and the

National Theatre of Scotland directly adjacent.

Stage 2 involved intensive refurbishment of facilities at Renfrew Street,

providing enhanced IT facilities with a digital lab and second recording

studio.

Stage 3 will see further development at Speirs Locks with a new

phase opening early 2014, providing further large high-specification

rehearsal and practice spaces for all programmes.

Our Venues

The New Athenaeum Theatre is the principal venue for plays, musicals,

and opera. It seats 343, with a stage the same size as the

London Palladium’s, an orchestra pit for up to 50 players,

and automated state of the art flying equipment from Stage

Technologies.

Stevenson Hall is our prestigious concert hall, seating 355,

and used frequently by the BBC for recordings and broadcasts.

It is acoustically perfect, and contains a magnificent organ.

Alexander Gibson Opera School is our purpose-built opera

school. It houses the Alexander Gibson Opera Studio, a

stunning flexible performance space, as well as rehearsal

and coaching rooms.

The Chandler Studio is a flexible black box space, seating

around 100.

The Ledger Recital Room is a recital hall, including a

minstrels’ gallery, seating 108, and is used for smaller scale

concerts and performances.

The Jack Bruce Space is an informal performance space in

the central public area of the Conservatoire.

Our Facilities

The Student IT Suite contain 60 PCs, and there are a further 19 PCs

around the Renfrew Street campus, and 16 at Speirs Locks Studios for

student use. Both campuses are wi-fi enabled throughout.

The Whittaker Library contains one of the most comprehensive

collections of performance materials for music, dance, drama, production,

and screen in the world. This includes access to a wide range of online

materials and journals.

The Fyfe Lecture Theatre seats up to 70 and is used for masterclasses,

seminars, and lectures. The Fyfe was recently upgraded with a new digital

suite, with technology available for video conferencing and interactive

lectures.

We have a Digital Training Unit with four recording studios, Studios A,

B, and C, and the Jazz studio, all equipped with ProTools DAW systems.

Recording Studio A is a state of the art 70 square metre professional studio,

with a built in drum booth, a separate vocal booth, and a full size Steinway

grand piano. We have an extensive array of microphones and a Hearback

headphone mixer system. All rooms are linked by video relays. The control

room has a ProTools D-Command mixing desk and a ProTools HD system.

We also offer a single shot video service

for students to provide video clips with

professional quality sound. The studio

is run by t wo experienced recording

engineers, and is available between 10am

and 9pm weekdays, and at weekends on

request.

Student concerts in the Stevenson Hall

and the Ledger Recital Room are always

recorded and made available online to

playback or download.

We have the facility to record in any of our

performance venues, and we have three

specialized electroacoustic studios. Here

performers and composers can create and

perform, often collaborating with artists across the disciplines. Works

made in the studios have been heard in concert halls, theatres, galleries,

and public spaces around the world.

As you would expect there are numerous teaching rooms and

rehearsal spaces of all shapes and sizes, from large movement rooms to

individual practice rooms. In 2008 we introduced specialist training in

stage automation using a state of the art system from industry giants Stage

Technologies. We became the world’s first industry-endorsed training

provider of this equipment, used in major productions around the world.

With the acquisition of the RED One digital cinema camera, our Screen

students became the first in the UK to shoot in RED HD Cinema. In 2011

this was supplemented by the purchase of the RED Epic MX Digital Cinema

camera, meaning we provide some of the best facilities for shooting film

and television.

Image

Modern Ballet Graduation Performance

Image

Our main house theatre, The New Athenaeum.

WE ARE AT THE TOP OF OUR GAME

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Prospectus 2014/15

Six principles underpin our new curriculum and express our artistic and

educational philosophy and values.

Our new curriculum:

| Develops excellence alongside high levels of reflection in all of

our disciplines

| Fosters the creative attitudes and skills needed for collaborative

learning in and through practice

| Enables students to take responsibility for managing and evaluating

their own learning

| Provides students with insight into a diversity of artistic fields and

experience of what is required to succeed in their individual

arts practice

| Develops the ability to use theoretical understanding to inform

practice and practice to inform theory

| Enables students to make a contribution in the world as artists,

educators, advocates, and active citizens.

Our Curriculum

Our graduates are entering a different world. The performing arts

professions are changing fast. As Scotland’s national conservatoire,

we need to ensure that our degrees are contemporary and relevant to

the changing professional world. We’re already known for developing

graduates who are best equipped with the skills they need for their careers,

and over three years we worked with staff, students, the professions, and

a panel of international experts to take this one stage further. Our new

curriculum, introduced in academic year 2012/13, builds on our reputation

for developing reflective and adaptable artists by creating the space and

support for this to flourish. Each student is exposed to an even richer

variety of influences to develop their unique qualities as an artist.

Our new curriculum retains the best of our existing learning and

teaching, including the highest quality specialist training, high contact

hours, professional partnerships, and performance opportunities; but

also takes it to a new level, with even more opportunities for choice and

flexibility, trans-disciplinary learning and collaboration, autonomy, and

self-reflection.

Uniquely in the UK conservatoire sector, our undergraduate

programmes span all the branches of the performing and production

arts. Our new curriculum builds on this to create a transformational and

innovative artistic environment which explores and challenges established

disciplinary boundaries.

As well as creating the opportunities to work together, all our

programme design teams have examined their own discipline areas,

ensuring that we are offering the best career preparation for our students

and a rewarding and exciting educational experience at the Conservatoire.

In practice, our new curriculum offers unparalleled opportunities for

the artists of tomorrow to grow and develop - including opportunities to

work with emerging artists from different disciplines.

Right from the start, you will get to know your fellow students

across all our disciplines by working with them in our new introductory

module on collaborative artistic practice. From then on, our new

curriculum offers you more choices in your learning journey: you’ll be

encouraged to be more independent in your learning and your choices,

and to make your own decisions. You’ll always have the experience and

guidance from our staff, all of whom are artistic professionals, to help

and guide you. Our new curriculum combines this increased flexibility

and choice with the bedrock of the conservatoire experience: focus on

disciplinary excellence.

The new curriculum will produce independent, thinking artists who will

push the boundaries rather than people who will fit into an orthodoxy;

the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will be a crucible of innovation, highly

connected to the creative economy.

Gillian MooreHead of Classical Music, Southbank Centre, London and member of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland International Advisory Committee

Images 01/02

Bridge Week – As part of the new curriculum we introduced Bridge Week between Trimesters 2 and 3. Students are at liberty to go home or travelling during this week, but those who stay and want to participate can pitch for funds to realize extra-curricula projects. All of the Conservatoire’s resources are made available. Highlights of the inaugural year included a brass quartet playing excerpts from Swan Lake in the Gorbals swimming pool, and a family musical drama, Si l’enfant ne dort pas bien . . . which was developed into an extended version for the Edinburgh International Festival Fringe.

WE ARE ONE STEP AHEAD

One of the things I loved not only about the Conservatoire but Scotland

and, specifically Glasgow, was this human grit that I’ve never found in

any other place I’ve ever been - this real sort of existential beauty. I feel

Scottish art and particularly Scottish theatre revel in a stark gorgeous

aesthetic that I think really challenged my boundaries.

Accommodation

You’ll find a huge choice of accommodation in Glasgow to fit your budget

and preferences. As well as student halls, there’s an abundance of flats

and houses to rent. In your first year you’re welcome to apply for Liberty

House, just 15 minutes’ walk from the Conservatoire, located in the vibrant

Merchant City, surrounded by shops and cafes. If you wish to rent privately,

you can access PAD, the private accommodation database set up by

Glasgow’s higher education institutions to help you find a suitable and

secure place in which to live.

www.libertyliving.co.uk / www.glasgowpad.org

Welfare and Support

At the Royal Conservatoire we take your welfare very seriously. We

provide a number of support services for students. Our International and

Student Experience team provides information and advice on matters

relating to welfare, health, and accommodation. You can email them at

[email protected]

We also offer specific support for international students and Sarah

Ward, Assistant Registrar (International and Student Experience) can

provide information and advice on immigration matters should you

need a visa to study come and study in the UK. You can email Sarah at

[email protected]

Jane Balmforth, our Counsellor and Disability Adviser, provides counselling

for students and support for students and applicants with disabilities,

including arranging dyslexia assessments when required. You can email

Jane at [email protected]

The Conservatoire’s Effective Learning Service provides all students

with study support throughout their degree programmes.

You can find out more about the support available to our students at

www.rcs.ac.uk/studyhere

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Prospectus 2014/15

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Living in Glasgow

Glasgow is one of the UK’s most energetic, friendly, and vibrant cities,

making it the perfect location for any student of the arts. It has excellent

direct transport links with the rest of Scotland, the UK, and Europe, with

two international airports, two mainline rail stations, and a national

bus station. 80,000 students live here, studying at four universities, the

Glasgow School of Art, and the Conservatoire, making it one of the most

student-friendly cities in the UK.

Glasgow is a UNESCO City of Music, part of the network of Creative

Cities. It’s the cultural hub of Scotland, home to all but one of the national

performing companies - most are our professional partners.

You’ll find a multitude of venues, theatres, galleries, and performing

spaces, from the international Royal Concert Hall to the famed Barrowlands,

as well as many restaurants, bars, and clubs, so you’ll never run out of new

places to explore. You’ll also be able to enjoy Scotland’s great outdoors,

with the national park of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs within a 45

minute drive of the city centre.

For more information visit www.seeglasgow.com and

www.visitscotland.com

Student Life

We’ll give you the practical, emotional, and learning support you need

when you first arrive and throughout your time at the Conservatoire.

As well as the support services available to you, you’ll find our

community is friendly and welcoming. The Conservatoire is a very special

place and one where, we are sure, you will flourish - and feel supported

so that you can rise to the many challenges and intensive demands of

your programme.

We celebrate our differences and believe

that our diversity is an important contribution

to creativity.

Our Equality and Diversity Ethos

T h e Ro y a l C o n s e r v a t o i r e o f S c o t l a n d

welcomes a diverse population of staff and

students. We are committed to promoting

equality in all of our activities and we aim

to provide a performing, learning, teaching,

working, and research environment free from

unlawful discrimination against applicants,

staff, and students on the grounds of age,

disability, gender reassignment, marriage and

civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex,

and sexual orientation.

Our website… has lots more information about studying at the Royal Conservatoire and Scotland rcs.ac.uk/studyhere, including everything you need to know about applying, fees, scholarships, welfare and support, international applications, entrance requirements, open days, the Student Union, and more.

Alexandra Silber

Graduate and Broadway performer

Image

Glasgow’s riverside

Images 01/02

Annual Scottish Music showcase concert

Little Shop of Horrors

WE ARE SUPPORTING YOU

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Prospectus 2014/15

Closing Dates for Applications for 2014/15 Entry

All applications for all Music Undergraduate and Masters programmes 1 October 2013

UK/EU applications for Drama, Dance, Screen, and Production 15 January 2014

Undergraduate programmes

Overseas (non EU) applications for Drama, Dance, Screen, and Production 31 March 2014

All applications for Drama Masters programmes 30 April 2014

All Research programmes 25 January 2014

All applications made on time are guaranteed an audition/interview. We hold auditions at the Conservatoire

in Glasgow, as well as a number of locations around the world. If you’re applying from outside the UK, we can

accept your audition by DVD for performance programmes, and you can submit your portfolio by post where

required and be interviewed remotely for non-performance programmes. For detailed information about

applying, including application and audition fees, visit www.rcs.ac.uk/studyhere

We strongly recommended visiting the Conservatoire, to meet our staff and students and find out more

about our facilities and environment. You can come along to one of our Open Days; register online at

www.rcs.ac.uk/opendays

We encourage applicants to disclose disabilities and medical conditions so that we can provide suitable

adjustments. If you declare a disability or medical condition at application, Jane Balmforth, our Counsellor

and Disability Adviser will get in touch with you to ask if you would like to discuss any arrangements to

support you at your audition or interview. For further information on support for disabled students visit

www.rcs.ac.uk/studyhere/studentsupport/disabilities

Image

Les Sirènes female chamber choir, 26 students and graduates of the Royal Conservatoire, was awarded the prestigious title of Choir of the Year 2012. Musical Director Andrew Nunn is one of our current Masters students, and is also the Conducting Fellow of the National Youth Choir of Scotland, recipient of The Sir Alexander Gibson Memorial Fellowship for Choral Conductors, and conductor and director of numerous choirs, including the Junior Conservatoire Chamber Choir.

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We Are: the Royal Conservatoire of ScotlandWe Are: the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Entrance Requirements

Entrance to the Conservatoire is based on talent, potential, and ability, and

consideration will be given to relevant experience which is deemed to compensate

for any lack of traditional higher education entrance requirements. If you are in

any doubt, or wish to check the suitability of your qualifications/experience, we

encourage you to contact us at [email protected],

[email protected], or [email protected]

Individual programmes may have specific entrance requirements. You can find

these in the programme’s Guide to Applicants, available on our website.

Below are typical entry requirements. We accept a wide range of qualifications,

including international qualifications – if yours isn’t listed here, please contact us

for more information.

General Undergraduate Entry Requirements

Typical minimum requirements are:

| Scottish Higher – 3 passes

| Scottish Advanced Higher – 2 passes

| A-level – 2 passes

| International Baccalaureate – 24 with 3 subjects at higher level

General Undergraduate Entry Requirements for BA Modern Ballet

Typical minimum requirements are:

| Standard Grades (Grade 1 - 3) or equivalent such as

Intermediate 1 or 2 – 7 passes

| GCSEs (Grades A* - C) or equivalent – 5 passes

| Knowledge of ballet vocabulary to a minimum of Intermediate level

General Postgraduate Entry Requirements

Applicants will normally be graduates or diplomats who have already undertaken

extensive study in the area of specialization.

English Language

If your first language is not English, we will require evidence of your language ability.

The minimum International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores are

listed below. Other equivalent English Language qualifications will be considered

– please contact us if you wish to check the required score.

All Music Programmes

Level 6.0 (with a minimum score of 5.5 across all parts)

BA Production Technology and Management, BA Production Arts and

Design, BA Digital Film and Television, BA Modern Ballet

Level 6.5 (with a minimum score of 5.5 across all parts)

BA Acting, BA (Hons) Contemporary Performance Practice and

BA Musical Theatre Programmes, MA Classical and Contemporary Text,

MA Musical Theatre

Level 7.5 with a minimum score of 7.5 in speaking

(with a minimum score of 5.5 across all parts)

Application

Wherever you are in the world, if you feel you have the necessary talent, dedication, and ambition, we encourage

you to apply to the Conservatoire.

All undergraduate and postgraduate applications are made through the Conservatoires UK Admissions Service

(CUKAS) online admissions service, www.cukas.ac.uk, Tel +44 (0)871 468 0470. Our institution code is R58.

Applications for research are made directly to us; full details and application forms are available from our

website www.rcs.ac.uk/studyhere

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Prospectus 2014/15

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Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees

2013/14 fees are given here for guidance only. Tuition fees are subject to an annual increase, broadly in line

with inflation. Please check our website www.rcs.ac.uk/studyhere/fees for more information.

Funding

Scottish and EU-based students

The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) will pay tuition fees for

all eligible full-time Scottish-based and other non-UK undergraduate

EU students, who are studying in Scotland at degree level for the first

time. Students should apply to SAAS for payment of tuition fees even if

they are not applying for any other means of support. Eligible students

can also apply for student loans through SAAS. For further advice and

to check eligibility contact SAAS directly on 0300 555 0505 or visit

www.saas.gov.uk

Non-Scottish UK Students

Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland studying in Scotland

will be eligible for the same funding/loan package that they would

benefit from if they attended an institution in their home country.

For further advice please visit www.gov.uk/studentfinance (England),

www.studentfinancewales.co.uk (Wales), www.studentfinanceni.co.uk

(Northern Ireland).

Scholarships

Any potential student who auditions for a place at the Royal Conservatoire

will automatically be considered for a scholarship. They are awarded on

a combination of talent, potential and financial need. More information

about Scholarships is available online at www.rcs.ac.uk/studyhere

Sources of External Funding

For more information about alternative funding sources, including external

scholarships and bursaries, please visit www.rcs.ac.uk/studyhere

The Conservatoire’s International and Student Experience team are

available to advise and assist applicants and current students in respect

of queries about funding your studies at the Conservatoire.

Please email [email protected] or telephone

+44 (0)141 270 8281/ +44 (0)141 270 8223 for further information.

Scottish/EU Rest of UK International £ £ £

All Undergraduate Programmes 1820 9000 14193

MMus (Performance/Composition/Conducting) Year 1 7404 7404 14193

MMus (Performance/Composition/Conducting) Year 2 6495 6495 14193

MMus APEL (Performance/Composition/Conducting) 10050 10050 17058

MMus (Opera) Years 1 and 2 8111 8111 17058

MMus (Vocal Studies) Year 1 7650 7650 17058

MMus (Vocal Studies) Year 2 6853 6853 15678

MMus APEL (Opera and Vocal Studies) 11106 11106 17058

MA Musical Theatre 11106 11106 16410

MA Classical and Contemporary Text 11106 11106 16410

Research (Performance/Composition) Full-time 6453 6453 14193

Research (Performance/Composition) Part-time 3228 3228 7095

Continuing Education per unit 1263 1263 1962

Images

Our MA Classical and Contemporary Text students onstage at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London, as part of their annual month-long residency.

Carousel

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We are:

| The Junior Conservatoires of Drama,

Dance, and Music

| Weekly classes and weekend courses

| Transitions 20/40

| Credit-rated qualifications

| Summer Schools

| Professional Development opportunities

| Talks and Study Days

The Junior Conservatoires of Dance, Drama, and Music

enable ambitious, committed, and talented young

people from all backgrounds to take advantage of

our wonderful facilities and highly qualified staff.

Short Courses supports access to the wide range

of performance and production arts skills within the

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. We provide learning

and training opportunities in the same five disciplines

as our undergraduate and postgraduate degrees; Dance,

Drama, Music, Production, and Screen.

For students looking to gain internationally-

recognised qualifications, we offer a range of credit-

rated short courses which aim to assist students

working towards higher education training.

Our courses create opportunities, pathways, and

partnerships to engage with communities less likely

to take part in degree-level studies.

Our new scheme, Transitions 20/40, is designed to

seek out and develop potential performing arts talent

from the most deprived Scottish areas, to attract and

retain the widest range of students to the creative and

cultural industries.

If you’re thinking about applying to our degree

p r o g r a m m e s , S h o r t C o u r s e s a r e a n e xc e l l e n t

introduction to conservatoire-level study, and provide

an opportunity to experience our world-class facilities

and teaching. Courses include Audition Preparation

and Portfolio Preparation, as well as intensive specialist

study, and professional development for teachers and

practitioners.

Our programme includes courses that last from

just a few hours to almost a full academic year, and

there are weekly classes, intensive study weekends,

and summer schools that benefit all ages and stages

of development.

The teaching practices of Short Courses are of

the highest quality and our staff are passionate about

their specialist subjects. Together we aim to develop

a stimulating and inspirational curriculum in dance,

drama, music, production, and screen.

We welcome students from the local Glasgow area,

from further afield in Scotland and the UK, and our

summer schools are popular with students from across

the globe.

To find out more information about how you can get

involved with Short Courses at the Royal Conservatoire,

please contact us:

www.rcs.ac.uk/shortcourses

[email protected]

+44 (0)141 270 8213

JUNIOR CONSERvATOIRES

AND SHORT COURSES

On my short course I attempted things that I have

never done before and never thought I would do

but, with the help and encouragement of the tutors,

I found the confidence to try all sorts of things.

This was one of the best experiences of my life.

A short course is a perfect way to gain confidence and

experience in the art that you love. Not only do you find

out which course is right for you, you will find a way to

progress and take your learning further.

2012/13 Short Courses student

2012 Summer School student

DANCE

23

Prospectus 2014/15

BA Modern BalletThree years, full-time

www.rcs.ac.uk/ballet

Launched in 2009, our Modern Ballet programme has been

developed in collaboration with Scotland’s national dance

company. We focus on helping you to build a robust classical

technique a nd prepa ring you to enter t he profession as

a conf ident , versat i le, indiv idual , and technical ly strong

intelligent dancer. You’ll graduate with the skills required by

today’s companies, able to communicate with an audience

through the performance of a wide variety of classical, modern,

and contemporary choreography.

Our Modern Ballet training is unique in several ways.

Our partnership with Scottish Ballet provides numerous

opportunities, allowing you to gain invaluable insight into

professional life. You’ll have the opportunity to work regularly

with Scottish Ballet staff and dancers, and internationally

acclaimed teachers and choreographers are able to work with

you when they are visiting the Company. You may be able to

participate in performances or placements too.

Because we are the only UK conservatoire offering training

in all of the performance art disciplines, we’re able to encourage

and support you to expand your artistic horizons. So you may

f ind yourself performing on f i lm for our Screen students,

choreographing a piece with our composers in our annual

festival of new music, or on stage in an opera at one of Scotland’s

major theatres as part of our partnership with Scottish Opera.

Our environment is amongst the best in Europe, with state

of the art dance studios and professional venues, as well as a

whole range of other facilities to support you.

You’ll experience a series of performance opportunities,

w it h i n a va r iet y of env i ron ment s a nd contex t s , f u r t her

enhancing the breadth of training, and ultimately enhancing

your employability. The Modern Ballet programme aims to

train you to be versatile across a variety of styles, meaning

that you’ll be well placed to work in a variety of international

contexts.

You’ll be offered all sorts of opportunities during your

time with us, from performance, to collaboration, to work

based learning, all nurturing your individual development as

a distinctive and intelligent artist, as well as focusing on the

style of dance most suited to your unique talents and interests.

Our graduating students have been contracted to a range

of renowned companies, including Scottish Ballet, Northern

Ballet, Joffrey Ballet Apprenticeship, Geneva Junior Ballet,

National Dance Company of Wales Apprenticeship, Universal

Ballet Korea, David Hughes Dance Company, Vienna Festival

Ballet, and the National Theatre of Scotland.

Delivered in partnership with Scottish Ballet; Programme Artistic Director Paul Tyers is also Deputy Artistic Director, Scottish Ballet

World-class facilities on our campus and Scottish Ballet’s headquarters

Very small class sizes and excellent staff-student ratio

Opportunities for artistic collaboration across the Conservatoire

The only dance degree programme in Scotland offering professional classically based training

Opportunity to complete the Royal Academy of Dance internationally recognized vocational graded examinations

Typical Minimum Entrance requirements

Standard Grade (Grade 1- 3) or equivalent such as Intermediate 1 or 2 - 7 passes

GCSE (Grades A*- C) or equivalent - 5 passes

Knowledge of ballet vocabulary to a minimum of Intermediate level

International English Language Testing System score (if applicable) Level 6.5 with a minimum score of 5.5 in all parts

We accept a range of qualifications and their international equivalences. If yours are not listed, please contact us for further advice at [email protected]

Apply via CUKAS online www.cukas.ac.uk by 15 January 2014 (Home/UK/EU) or 31 March 2014 (Overseas)

Institution code R58

Course code 201F

DRAMA

25

Prospectus 2014/15

BA ActingThree years, full-time

www.rcs.ac.uk/acting

Our BA Acting programme has an unequivocal practical and

vocat ional focus. It is for except ional ly ta lented aspir ing

actors, who are dedicated to professional performance. I f

you’re committed, resourceful, independent, collaborative,

and creative, we’ll equip you with the skills, knowledge, and

understanding for a long and successful career.

You’ll experience intensive classical and contemporary

training, f irmly rooted in the best traditions of UK actor training,

but within a global context. The development of core skills in

acting, movement, and voice will underpin your personal growth

as a performer, alongside a range of learning experiences. Small

cohorts, the quality and commitment of our staff and high

contact hours all help to ensure that on graduation you will be

ready to act professionally in theatre, f ilm, television, radio, and

other areas of the creative industries.

As we’re the only UK conservatoire that offers training in all

of the performance disciplines, you’ll have the opportunity to

collaborate with your peers, formally and informally, in dance,

music, production, and screen. Our unrivalled professional

connections put you at the heart of performance in Scotland

there are opportunities with BBC Scotland, the National Theatre

of Scotland, and the Tron and the Arches theatres, as well as a

further range of Scottish and UK companies and individuals.

Our Acting alumni are regularly to be found on stage and

screen. Graduates regularly achieve success with signif icant and

sustainable careers in live and recorded performance, and a

range of other roles in the industry working as agents, directors,

casting directors, and educators. Graduates include Alexandra

Silber, James McAvoy, Robert Carlyle, Daniela Nardini, Alan

Cumming, David Tennant, Colin Morgan, Emun Elliot, Christine

Bottomley, Sam Heughan, Richard Madden, Laura Donnelly,

Andrew Hawley,and Jack Lowden amongst many more.

Collaborative professional partnerships include the BBC and the National Theatre of Scotland

Regular masterclasses from visiting professionals

Graduation showcases in Glasgow and London

Excellent staff-student ratio with a high level of contact hours

Many performance opportunities in and out of the Conservatoire

Professional mentor in final year


Scottish Higher – 3 passes Scottish Advanced Higher – 2 passes A-level – 2 passes International Baccalaureate – 24

International English Language Testing System score (if applicable) Level 7.5 with a minimum score of 7.5 in speaking and a minimum score of 5.5 in all parts




Course code W410


26DRAMA

BA (Hons) Contemporary Performance Practice Four years, full-time

www.rcs.ac.uk/cpp

Our students tell us that studying CPP at the Conservatoire is

like nothing you could ever imagine. It ’s total immersion in

a challenging programme with the central philosophy that

human beings make art in order to understand better the world

in which they live. It ’s for aspiring performance makers who

wish to develop their skills as innovative and socially engaged

performers, directors, teachers, and cultural leaders, who can

realize their aspirations to create and shape the future of new

work. In one sense, this could be the programme for you if you

are passionate about creating performance, but you’re unsure

of what you’d specif ically like to do in the f ield.

You will be able to explore the realization of ideas through the

disciplines of performance, education, installation, movement,

research, and documentation. We will help you to develop your

performance skills in our world-class facilities, working with

our staff, visiting practitioners, directors, and lecturers, with

regular opportunities to take part in specialist workshops and

masterclasses. You will push yourself and push boundaries,

creat ing new works w ith image, act ion, sound, and text .

And eventually you will leave the Royal Conservatoire as an

independent and entrepreneurial self-managing ‘eco-centric’

artist with an awareness of the aesthetic, intellectual, social,

emotional, political, and ecological considerations of a holistic

and sustainable arts practice.

We place great emphasis upon preparing you for a range

of diverse careers in professional practice. The programme is

packed with work opportunities. Performance and professional

collaborations with national and international cutting-edge

practitioners, companies, festivals, and arts venues are central

to the programme. Recent projects have included work with The

Arches, the macrobert, Libellule Theatre, Janice Parker, National

Theatre of Scotland, Glas(s) Performance, the Tramway, Fish

and Game, the British Red Cross, and Nic Green, and several

students have gone on secondment to international locations

such as the USA, Switzerland, Germany, India, and Zambia.

Our graduates are working as solo artists in the live arts

sector, directors and performers in devised, communit y,

or educational theatre, and as freelance drama workers. A

sig nif icant number of g raduates have successful ly set up

their own companies. With further study graduates have also

become drama teachers and drama specialists. Alumni from the

programme include Nic Green, Jess Thorpe, Tashi Gore, Peter

McMaster, Becki Gerrard, Gary McNair, and Johnny McKnight,

all of whom produce performance work internationally, and

frequently teach or give workshops at the Conservatoire.

Work opportunities include performance and professional collaborations with national and international cutting-edge practitioners and companies

Create work in places where people least expect performance

Work in contexts including education, the health service, residential care homes, secure environments, and urban and rural communities

Partnerships include the National Theatre of Scotland, the Arches, Birds of Paradise, Solar Bear, Corali, Graeae, and Tramway



International English Language Testing System score (if applicable) Level 7.5 with a minimum score of 7.5 in speaking and with a minimum score of 5.5 in all parts




Course code W310


27

Prospectus 2014/15

BA Musical TheatreThree years, full-time

www.rcs.ac.uk/musicaltheatreug

Our pioneering Musical Theatre programme offers outstanding

practical training for exceptionally talented students who

are dedicated to becoming highly skil led and employable

professional artists. It is unique in the UK in that you will

receive conservatoire level tuition in acting, singing, dance,

and music (on your chosen instrument).

We offer an extraordinar y combination of world class

faci l it ies, professional connections, and opportunit ies for

collaboration, at a level and intensit y that ’s not available

elsewhere. We keep al l class sizes small so ever y student

is nurtured and advanced through individual teaching and

mentoring. You’ll train as a truly multi-disciplinary artist, so

you’ll need to demonstrate high level acting, singing, and dance

ability, as well as additional instrumental skills. You will be

very open to new ideas, ways of learning, and collaboration.

You need to be eager to perform, ambitious, intellectually agile,

and a fantastic communicator with a story to tell.

You’ll spend time working with directors and writers on

new musical theatre, as well as traditional and contemporary

productions. You’re also l ikely to f ind yourself working in

professional venues and rehearsal spaces, and we try and give

you as many opportunities as possible in the industry. In your

f inal year you’ll present an industry showcase in Glasgow and

London, and for our North American students, in New York city.

There are endless possibilities to collaborate with other

Conservatoire students. You’ll work regularly with your peers

from the Masters programme, and the other disciplines; our

Music students form the orchestra of all of our major shows;

Production students provide all the off-stage and backstage

support, and as well as f ilming with our Screen students in

our studios and on location, you may f ind yourself on BBC

production sets, with guidance and support from BBC Scotland.

The f irst graduating cohort (2012) have already worked

professionally with major companies including the National

Theatre of Scotland, the Citizens Theatre, Dundee Rep, and the

BBC. Following their Showcase, the majority of our students

were signed immediately by agents from the UK and overseas.

Quadruple threat training covering acting, singing, dance, and music

Excellent UK and international industry connections

Staff members are professionally active multi-disciplinary artists

Full final year season of productions in a range of venues

Industry showcases in Glasgow, London’s West End, and New York

Regular masterclasses and workshops with industry professionals including producers, directors, casting directors, agents, and performers (recent visitors include Sir Cameron Mackintosh, John Barrowman, James Brining, Alan Cumming, David Grindrod, Jemima Levick, Barbara Dickson and Dominic Hill)







Course code 202F

28


DRAMA

MA Musical Theatre (Performance) or (Musical Directing)One year, full-time

www.rcs.ac.uk/musicaltheatrepg

Performance

The Performance pathway is an intensive blend of high level

training and creative opportunities for students who already

have a performance arts degree and/or performing experience.

As well as practical performance training, we’ll equip you with

skills, knowledge, and contacts for your professional career as

an imaginative and versatile artist.

The programme is closely linked with the industry, and

has been developed with professional input. This ensures your

training encompasses the skills that employers are looking for,

and is both contemporary and relevant.

The Performance pathway focuses on acting, singing, dance,

and music. Class sizes are deliberately small, to help you to

focus on developing creative skills rooted in solid technique.

You’ll have a high degree of one to one contact time, including

individual voice and singing tutorials with some of the f inest

singing teachers in the UK, as well as conservatoire level training

in acting, dance, and music.

Musical Directing

The Musical Directing pathway will nurture your development

in all areas of Musical Directing, with specif ic attention to

keyboard skills, scoring and arranging, vocal technique, and

conducting. The programme is an intensive blend of ski l l

development and creative thought for the musician with a

passion for theatre. As well as practical performance training,

we’ll equip you with the skills, knowledge, and contacts for

your professional career as an imaginative and versatile artist.

You’ll collaborate with your peers on both the BA and MA

Musical Theatre (Performance) programmes, gaining valuable

production and performance experience in a range of contexts

and environments, including our season at the Edinburgh

Festival Fringe. We’ll team you up with an industry mentor,

and there are many opportunities for professional placements

throughout the year.

All of our training is geared towards preparing you for a

sustainable and long lasting professional career. Graduates of

the programme are working around the world; in London’s

West End (including Book of Mormon, Ghost, Singing in the

Rain, Wicked, Shrek, Les Misérables) on Broadway (including

Rock of Ages, Spiderman), on national and international tours,

and for renowned companies including the National Theatre

of Scotland and Scottish Opera.

Full fee waiver applies for the Musical Directing pathway.

Triple threat training covering acting, singing, and dance (Performance pathway)

Excellent industry connections

Staff members are active multi-disciplinary artists

Full season of work produced at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Industry showcases in Glasgow, London, and New York city

Regular masterclasses and workshops with industry professionals including producers, directors, casting directors, agents, and performers (recent visitors include Sir Cameron Mackintosh, John Barrowman, James Brining, Alan Cumming, David Grindrod, Jemima Levick, Barbara Dickson, and Dominic Hill)


A good honours (at least 2:2) degree, or international equivalent, in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme



Apply via CUKAS online www.cukas.ac.uk by 31 May 2014


Course code Musical Directing 702F Performance 703F


29

Prospectus 2014/15

MA Classical and Contemporary Text (Acting) or (Directing)One year, full-time

www.rcs.ac.uk/cct

To join this demanding programme, you’ll need some previous

experience, and to be ready to take your skills to the next

level to become a better practitioner. There are two strands to

the programme, Acting or Directing, and you’ll focus on two

strands of theatre – Classical (Shakespeare and Renaissance) and

Contemporary (New Writing). It’s an exciting opportunity to work

as an ensemble company with your peers on the programme,

immersing yourself in an intensive and rewarding environment.

You’ll work with industry professionals throughout, as well

as Royal Conservatoire staff, and you’ll have opportunities to

collaborate with your fellow students across the disciplines.

You’ll be supported and encouraged to develop a thorough

understanding of professional practice. There will be many

opportunities to learn, experiment, and collaborate in a packed

schedule of projects, performances, and rehearsals. When you

graduate, you’ll have gained practical high-level experience of

working in the profession, as well as all-important contacts and

the skills to underpin your future career.

You’ll benefit from our unrivalled professional connections,

which will see you networking with a who’s who of theatre in

Scotland and beyond. The highlights of the programme include

a full month working at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, and

time spent working on brand new work with some of Scotland’s

most talented writers in our collaboration with Playwrights’

Studio, Scotland. These works are performed in professional

venues in Glasgow and London.

Other opportunities in the industry may arise, and you’ll

have a professional mentor and a week-long placement. The

list of companies that students have undertaken placements

w it h is i mpressive: Steppenwol f (Ch ica go), Red-Ha nded

Theatre (Canada), The Factory (London), Shared Experience,

BBC Scotland, Dundee Rep, Citizens Theatre, Royal Lyceum

Theatre (Edinburgh), Gridiron, Communicado, Théâtre Sans

Frontières, Vox Motus, Frantic Assembly, and the National

Theatre of Scotland.

You’ll also learn about business, entrepreneurship, and

industry etiquette. Our graduates leave with a sharper sense

of potential and aspiration, and are able to adapt in the ever

changing dynamic of the profession. They are working as

performers, directors, dramaturgs, producers, writers, and

teachers. Some have successfully started their own theatre

companies, and as the programme has attracted an international

following, you will have fellow alumni worldwide.

Taught in collaboration with Shakespeare’s Globe and Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland

Month in residence at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, and performances in professional venues in Glasgow and London

Opportunity to develop new works with professional playwrights

Partners include the National Theatre of Scotland, the Tron, the Arches, and Bard in the Botanics Festival

Regular masterclasses and workshops with visiting professionals


A good honours (at least 2:2) degree, or international equivalent, in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme



Apply via CUKAS online www.cukas.ac.uk by 31 May 2014


Course code Acting 700F Directing 701F

DRAMA 30


MA Learning and Teaching (Gaelic Drama)One year full-time, part-time options available

www.rcs.ac.uk/magaelic

Delivered in partnership with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

This innovative, visionary MA has been designed to

drive forward and enhance the teaching of performing

a r t s i n Gael ic for t he nex t generat ion of Gael ic

speaking performers. It enables full-time students

to under ta ke modules in t hree st ra nds of Post-

compulsory Education, Performing Arts, and Gaelic

Culture. The programme culminates in a project that

brings all three strands together.

This programme has been developed in response

to the National Gaelic Language Plan, along with a

number of other Conservatoire programmes and

courses, including our planned BA in Gaelic Drama.

It will equip both Gaelic-speaking performance arts

practitioners and aspiring educators within the Gaelic

speaking community with the skill-set to design and

deliver appropriate higher education courses. Its

ultimate aim is to strengthen the prof ile and deepen

the pool of talent, thus enhancing and expanding the

output of live and recorded Gaelic drama.

It will appeal to established and emerging Gaelic

speaking performing arts practitioners, who may have

a previous degree, but not necessarily in drama. It will

also attract Gaelic-speaking/f luent learners working

in the performing arts and/or drama education from

countries outside of Scotland.

The Scottish Funding Council is providing funding

for full fee waivers for six places for 2014 entry; it

is possible that further places may receive funding

a ssist a nce. Plea se cont ac t us to f i nd out more –

[email protected]

This programme is subject to validation.

MA Ionnsachadh is Teagasg (Dràma Gàidhlig) Bliadhna làn-ùine, roghainnean

pàirt-ùine ri fhaighinn

www.rcs.ac.uk/magaelic

An co-bhonn ri Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

Chaidh an cùrsa MA tionnsgalach innleachdail seo

a dhealbhadh airson teagasg nan ealain thaisbeanail

sa Ghàidhlig a leasachadh don ath ghinealach de

chleasaichean Gàidhlig. Faodaidh oileanaich làn-

ùine a’ chùrsa modalan a thaghadh à trì prìomh

f hreumhan; Foghlam Iar-Reachdail, Na h-Ealain

Thaisbeanail agus Cultar na Gàidhlig. Thig am

prògram gu crìch an lùib pròiseact a bheir na trì

freumhan còmhla.

Chaidh am prògram seo a leasachadh mar

f hreagairt air Plana Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig, cuide ri

prògraman is cùrsaichean eile aig a’ Chonservatoire,

leithid a’ chùrsa BA a tha sinn a’ dealbhadh ann

an Dràma na Gàidhlig. Bheir an cùrsa na sgilean

seachad, do chleasaichean Gàidhlig is do dhaoine

aig a bheil ùidh ann an teagasg sa choimhearsnachd

Ghàidhlig, airson cùrsaichean freagarrach aig àrd-

ìre a dhealbhadh is a liubhairt. ’S e prìomh amas

a’ phrògraim gun tèid inbhe nan ealain a thoirt

am feabhas agus an àireamh de luchd-ealain a

leudachadh, airson na th’ ann de dhràma Gàidhlig

beò is clàraichte a shìor leasachadh.

Bidh e tarraingeach do Luchd-proifeiseanta

nan ealain thaisbeanaidh Gàidhlig a tha stèidhichte

no ùr, ma dh’f haoidte aig a bheil ceum mar-thà

nach eil ann an dràma. ’S dòcha gum bi ùidh aig

daoine f ileanta sa Ghàidhlig a tha ag obair anns na

h-ealain thaisbeanail no ann am foghlam dràma à

dùthchannan eile.

Tha Comhairle Mhaoineachaidh na h-Alba

a’ cur maoineachadh air chois airson sia àiteachan

gun chìsean air a’ chùrsa ann an 2014; ma dh’f haoidte

gum faigh barrachd oileanach taic maoineachaidh.

Cuir f ios thugainn airson tuilleadh f iosrachaidh –

[email protected]

Tha am prògram seo ri dhearbhadh.

MUSIC

3332

Prospectus 2014/15

BA (Hons) Scottish MusicFour years, full-time

Principal studies – Accordion, Cello, Fiddle, Flute/

Whistle, Gaelic Song, Guitar, Percussion, Piano,

Scottish Harp (gut and/or wire-strung), Scots Song

BA (Hons) Scottish Music – PipingFour years, full-time

Scottish Musicwww.rcs.ac.uk/scotmusic

Our world-leading Scottish Music programmes produce

highly educated professional performers of traditional

Scottish music. They are a carefully developed yet

dynamic mix of practical performance work, balanced

with a strong contextual element, including the study

of history, traditional music theory, the Gaelic and

Scots languages and their relationship to song; coupled

with unique links to the Scottish live performance

scene. You will be supported to develop the full range

of your abilities and pursue your musical interests

and aspirations to the highest level.

The Piping programme is delivered in partnership

with the National Piping Centre, the international

centre of excellence for the Highland bagpipe.

O u r p r o g r a m m e s w i l l e q u i p y o u w i t h t h e

k nowled ge, sk i l l s , a nd exper ience requ i red for a

professional career in traditional music. You can take

electives which enable you to apply for enrolment on

PGCE courses for music teaching.

You’l l be able to col laborate w ith your fel low

students in the Conservatoire across the range of

disciplines, including classical and contemporary

musicia ns , composers , f i lm-ma kers , ac tors , a nd

da ncers . Our sta f f a re professiona l performers ,

composers, and scholars of Scottish traditional music

with active careers.

They understand the challenges that you’ll face in

your own career, and can provide help and advice as

you progress. As well as working with our elite core

staff, you’ll get the opportunity to learn from visiting

artists and academics from all over the world.

Performance in a variety of contexts is a corner-

stone of our programmes. Opportunities include tours

around the United Kingdom, teaching placements

in Europe, recording and production of a lbums,

and appearances at high-prof ile events, including

Glasgow’s internationally famous Celtic Connections

festival, Piping Live! and international occasions of

state. We believe thorough preparation is just as

important as performance itself, so we also cover

stagecraft, rehearsal management, and administration

and entrepreneurship. You’ll be able to accumulate a

great deal of practical experience during your time

with us, as well as valuable industry contacts.

Our graduates are working in the professional

music and related industries, including as performers,

teachers, composers, musical directors, recording

artists, producers, music therapists, doctoral students,

community project managers, and broadcasters.

MMus Scottish MusicTwo years, full-time

Three years (one year full-time and two years part-time)

One year (full-time – exceptionally, by accreditation of

prior experience)

Performance opportunities include the world-famous Celtic Connections festival

Professor Phil Cunningham, internationally renowned musician and performer, is the programmes’ Artistic Director

Collaborations and connections include the National Piping Centre, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the European Network of Folk Orchestras, World Academy of Irish Music and Dance Feis Rois, and the Sibelius Academy, Finland



Subjects recommended Music at Higher, Advanced Higher or Advanced Level or equivalent English at Higher, Advanced Higher or Advanced Level or equivalent The study of Gaelic and/or another European language at least to Standard Grade/GCSE Level is desirable

International English Language Testing System score (if applicable) Level 6.0 (with a minimum score of 5.5 across all parts)


Apply via CUKAS online www.cukas.ac.uk by 1 October 2013



Standard Route (full-time over two years):

Upper second class honours degree in a related discipline

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) Route, Accreditation of Prior Learning, and Non Standard Entry:

If you wish to be considered for admission to the programme through either Non Standard Entry or APEL please contact us for further advice at [email protected]





MUSIC


34


MUSIC

BMus (Hons)Performance (Brass, Guitar and Harp, Keyboard and

Collaborative Piano, Strings, Timpani and Percussion,

Vocal Performance, Woodwind); Composition; Jazz;

Joint Performance; Composition and Performance;

Composition and Jazz; Conducting and Performance;

Conducting and Jazz; Composition and Conducting

Four years, full-time

www.rcs.ac.uk/bmus

This programme is aimed at performers and composers of

outstanding potential. From the day you commence the BMus

programme we treat you as an emerging professional, preparing

you for either specialist postgraduate study or for employment

in a range of careers such as a performer, teacher, composer,

or in a portfolio career in the music profession.

Your journey with us is focused on your individual needs

and career interests, thanks to a wide range of custom-built

pathways throughout your programme. Along with your

pr incipa l study, t he core units a re key prac t ica l studies

(performance classes, workshops and masterclasses, orchestral

and ensemble work), and creative and contextual studies

(including teaching techniques and community placements,

orchestration and arranging, sound recording, and the creative

use of technology).

Career and enterprise skills are an integral feature of the

programme. Strongly practical, its f lexible structure and content

enables you to choose pathways to help you develop the full

range of your abilities, and pursue your musical interests and

aspirations to the highest level. You will also collaborate with

your fellow student musicians, and with your peers in the

Conservatoire across the range of artistic disciplines.

We provide a wide range of innovative collaborations and

work-based learning opportunities with Scotland’s leading

professional companies. Whether for orchestral musicians,

concerto soloists, conductors, chamber musicians, specialist

performers, or composers, the range of imaginative schemes

available is both extensive and exceptional . They include

masterclasses, mentoring and side-by-side schemes, and

oppor tunit ies to audit ion a nd per form. We promote a n

environment of entrepreneurship as part of your future life as a

performing and creative musician; our students are encouraged

to manage their careers, and may undertake professional

enga gements , or or ig inate their ow n projects , set t ing up

ensembles and bands.

Huge range of performance opportunities

Opportunities to collaborate across the Conservatoire’s disciplines

Unrivalled partnerships with major and national performing companies, and several international organizations, such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Opera, Scottish Ensemble, Red Note, Enterprise Music Scotland, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Scottish National Wind Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London, and Rostov State Conservatoire

World-class facilities

Fantastic location in a UNESCO City of Music, home to four of the five national performing companies, BBC Scotland, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra



Subjects recommended: Music at Higher, Advanced Higher or Advanced Level or equivalent. English at Higher, Advanced Higher or Advanced Level or equivalent. For singers, the study of two foreign languages (German, French, or Italian)

Successful applicants will normally be of a standard at least equivalent to Grade 8 with Distinction of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in their Principal Study





35

Prospectus 2014/15

BEd Music (Hons)Performance

(Brass, Guitar and Harp, Keyboard

and Collaborative Piano, Strings,

Timpani and Percussion,

Vocal Performance, Woodwind)

Four years, full-time

www.rcs.ac.uk/bed

Designed for performers who aspire to teach in schools, this

highly vocational programme is the main route into classroom

music teaching in Scotland. Uniquely it qualif ies you for both

primar y and secondar y school teaching and it is the only

degree of its kind in the world which offers integrated school

placements in all four years of study. Following graduation you’ll

qualify for professional registration as a classroom teacher with

the General Teaching Council for Scotland, and are guaranteed

a probationary year of classroom teaching. GTCS standards are

widely recognized internationally.

The programme is delivered jointly with the School of

Education of the University of Glasgow. At the University you

will study all aspects of teacher education and preparation

for school experience. You’ll benef it from all the University’s

facilities. At the Conservatoire you’ll undertake intensive music

studies including a principal performance study, keyboard and

vocal skills, performance classes, and participation in ensemble

music and choral activities. Through sharing the same tutors

and classes as BMus students, you’ll develop your own skills

as a musician to the highest level.

Through our ER ASMUS exchange partnerships, it wil l

be possible for you to spend part or all of your third year of

study at Trinity College Dublin. Staff and students from other

international institutions also visit us regularly, widening the

knowledge and experience of educational practices available.

Only programme of its kind with integrated school experience throughout all four years

Accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland

Qualifies students for both primary and secondary teaching

Jointly delivered with the University of Glasgow, providing music education in parallel with teacher education


Normally an A in Higher Music plus three additional Highers at BBC one of which must be Higher English or the equivalent e.g. a comparable English qualification at SCQF level 6

Successful applicants will normally be of a standard equivalent to Grade 8 of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in their Performance Study, and approximately Grade 6 in piano




36MUSIC


MMusPerformance (Brass, Guitar and Harp, Keyboard, Strings,

Timpani and Percussion, Vocal Performance, Woodwind),

Accompaniment, Composition, Conducting, Historically

Informed Performance Practice (in partnership with the

University of Glasgow), Jazz, Opera, Piano for Dance (in

partnership with Scottish Ballet), Repetiteurship, Scottish Music

Two years, full-time

Three years (one year full-time and two years part-time)

One year (full-time – exceptionally, by accreditation of prior experience)

www.rcs.ac.uk/mmus

With our thriving Opera School and practice-based research community,

we offer an ideal environment for postgraduate study, with innovative

programmes designed as a springboard to a professional career.

Our students are aiming to make music their life’s work across the full

range of musical careers, refining and extending their musicianship in

preparation for their next steps in the profession. We have designed the

Masters framework with a diverse range of individual aspiration in mind,

offering a great deal of choice and f lexibility around your core principal

study. Whatever your individual rationale for joining us, our starting point is

that you already have a broad base of skills, knowledge, and understanding,

and a realistic and well-focused sense of what you need to build on that

base to reach higher levels of accomplishment and understanding.

Taught postgraduate programmes are aimed at graduates from

Conservatoires and universities, or individuals who have attained an

equivalent standard through experience. You can progress through a choice

of options determined by your individual needs, ability, and aspirations. You

will experience rehearsals and performance in a wide range of contexts,

and enjoy the benefit of our professional partnerships and the ability to

collaborate across the disciplines.

The framework is designed to encourage meaningful interaction

between your artistic and your broader intellectual development; to give

you space to develop and take ownership of a specialism without reducing

the versatility that you will need to succeed as a professional musician. Most

importantly, we have designed it so that you can and must take ownership

of the learning process throughout the degree and beyond it, whether in

the professional world or in higher studies (such as a PhD).

We have set ourselves high aims for Masters study at the Royal

Conservatoire – nothing short of changing your relationship with the work

you do as a musician. This is what distinguishes study at Masters level

from the undergraduate experience. You begin your postgraduate studies

with the core of your musical personality – the skills, understandings, and

attitudes that define you as a musician – already established; we want your

postgraduate studies to nurture that existing artistic personality so that

you can really make a difference in the fields in which you choose to work.

We will also encourage you to be curious and resourceful, because however

great your musicianship, you will only sustain a satisfying career if you

can constantly renew yourself artistically and professionally, and draw

nourishment from the diverse professional and intellectual challenges

and opportunities that a life in music will pose.

Huge range of performance opportunities

Opportunities to collaborate across the Conservatoire’s disciplines

Unrivalled partnerships with major and national performing companies, and several international organizations, such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Opera, Scottish Ensemble, Red Note, Enterprise Music Scotland, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Scottish National Wind Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London, and Rostov State Conservatoire

World-class facilities

Fantastic location in a UNESCO City of Music, home to four of the five national performing companies, BBC Scotland, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

37

Prospectus 2014/15

Brasswww.rcs.ac.uk/brassug

www.rcs.ac.uk/brasspg

O u r Br a s s dep a r t me nt h a s a lon g t r ad i t ion of

excellence and a worldwide reputation for training

lead i n g mu sic ia n s . Ou r tea m of ded ic ated st a f f

includes many of Britain’s f inest brass players, with

international reputations as soloists, orchestral, and

chamber musicians.

You’ll get a real sense of the professional world on

the programme. As well as weekly classes in orchestral,

ensemble and solo repertoire, individual tuition on

your principal instrument, and related second study,

there are many performance opportunities, often

in professional settings. Our students take part in

symphony, wind, opera, and chamber orchestras,

and a diverse range of ensembles including Big Band

and Royal Conservatoire Brass. Our Conservatoire

en semble s g ive concer t s re g u la rly t h rou g hout

Scotland, and we’ve recently toured to China, Spain,

Denmark, and Russia. You’ll also enjoy the opportunity

to set up your own ensembles, and perform in our

lunchtime concert series.

O u r profe s siona l col lab or at ion s w it h m ajor

orchestras provide further benef its, and we operate

apprenticeships with the RSNO, BBC SSO, and The

Orchestra of Scottish Opera.

We have regular masterclasses from many of the

world’s great artists and we’ve recently appointed

Ian Bousf ield, the Principal trombone player of the

Vienna Philharmonic, as our International Fellow who

visits several times a year to work with students.

Conductingwww.rcs.ac.uk/conducting

Our conducting programmes provide you with the

comprehensive and integrated training required of a

professional conductor. You will concentrate on the

technique and craft of conducting through diverse

practical experience with the Royal Conservatoire

orchestras , our Opera Depar tment , and var ious

classical and contemporary ensembles.

Our extensive professional links offer unmatched

opportunities to work as appropriate in observation

and collaboration with the country’s major orchestras,

such as The Orchestra of Scottish Opera, the BBC SSO,

and the RSNO.

You will learn with our in-house team of specialists,

and visiting conductors and conducting consultants,

including Garry Walker, James Lowe, David Danzmayr,

Nicholas Cleobury, and Christopher Adey. Through

these individual lessons you’ll develop perception,

l i stenin g sk i l ls , a nd sel f-awa reness to become a

responsive leader in rehearsal and performance.

We offer a highly prestigious conducting fellowship

each year. The Conducting Fellow plays a major role

in a wide variety of our performance activities, in

both rehearsa l and performance, and w i l l work

closely w ith the our specia l ist tutors , conduct ing

consultants, and visiting conductors. The Conducting

Fellow will also act as assistant to our International

Fellow in Conducting, Donald Runnicles, for eight

weeks. Runnicles is Chief Conductor of the BBC SSO,

General Music Director of the Deutsche Oper Berlin,

Music Director of the Grand Teton Music Fest ival

(Wyoming, USA), and Principal Guest Conductor of

the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.


Standard Route (full-time over two years):

Upper second class honours degree in a related discipline

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) Route, Accreditation of Prior Learning, and Non Standard Entry:

If you wish to be considered for admission to the programme through either Non Standard Entry or APEL please contact us for further advice at [email protected]





MUSIC 038


38


Compositionwww.rcs.ac.uk/compositionug

www.rcs.ac.uk/compositionpg

When you study Composition, you will be working with

our diverse and talented performing community in

some of the best facilities in Europe. You’ll benefit from

our professional partnerships with leading ensembles

and orchestras, and there will be opportunities to

hear your work performed. The performance of new

work is of paramount importance to us, and we have a

signif icant reputation for contemporary music. Plug,

our critically acclaimed annual festival, has become

a re now ne d pl at for m for ne w work , pre m ie r i n g

hundreds of new works.

You’ll be able to work across the disciplines, and

explore composit ion for f i lm, opera , bal let , and

musical theatre, developing your ideas without being

restricted to a certain type of player or performance.

Collaborations have included work with the Paragon

Ensemble, Psappha, the Fidelio Trio, the New Music

Players, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the BBC

Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Flute Trio,

Symposia, and Icebreaker, amongst other orchestras

and ensembles, and projects such as working with

Gl a s gow S c ho ol of A r t a nd Gl a s gow C a le don i a n

University.

You’ll follow your own tailored path through the

programme; you can pursue a second study, work in

the superb electroacoustic and recording studios, or

devise new work in our purpose-built performance

venues.

Our staff are working artists, with various areas of

specialist expertise. There’s a real sense of community

among our composit ion students, staf f , and PhD

cohort ; the Composers Forum meets weekly, and

our students have also set up their own Composers

Collective. Composition can be a solitary existence;

at the Conservatoire we help you to develop the skills

to work with other artists and across the disciplines.

Our students have developed a number of projects in

dance, theatre, f ilm, and musical theatre, and often

arrange their own performances of new work.

39

Prospectus 2014/15

Jazzwww.rcs.ac.uk/jazzug

www.rcs.ac.uk/jazzpg

We offer the only conservatoire-level jazz training

in Scotland. Led by Artistic Director, internationally

celebrated ja zz sa xophon i st , P rofessor Tom my

Smith, you’ll experience a versatile and challenging

programme preparing you for your professional career.

You’ll work alongside some of the country’s most

renowned jazz musicians, benefiting from the advice

and guidance of tutors who are fully experienced in

jazz performance at a high level. One-to-one lessons

and ensemble coaching are at the heart of a diverse

range of activities that cover every aspect of the skills

required by today’s jazz performer.

The jazz scene in Glasgow and Scotland is thriving,

and there are many performance opportunities in

the Conservatoire and external venues. You’l l be

able to collaborate with fellow students across the

disciplines in a range of diverse projects including

classical music, musical theatre, drama, f ilm, and

dance. You may have the opportunity to rehearse and

perform with the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra,

which acts as a feeder ensemble to the internationally

acclaimed Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, and is a

recording band in its own right. You’ll experience

regular masterclasses with visiting artists, often giving

you the opportunity to perform with musicians such

as Courtney Pine, Peter Erskine, Bill Evans, Arild

Andersen, and Randy Brecker.

You’ll not only explore standard jazz repertoire

but also a number of styles including contemporary

and Latin jazz music. There’s a real variety of material

experienced and you’ll get used to playing in lots

of different ways at a very high level. You’ll also be

encouraged and guided in writing, performing, and

recording your own original compositions. Through

class-based teaching in our dedicated ensemble jazz

studio, you’ll become part of a band for four years

and create a network of contacts and professional

performance opportunit ies before you graduate.

We also instil the jazz musician’s essential business

survival skills, so you can make your transition into

the professional music world with confidence.

Guitar and Harp www.rcs.ac.uk/guitarharpug

www.rcs.ac.uk/guitarharppg

We have a highly active Guitar Department with

staff who regularly teach, perform, and adjudicate all

over the world. The curriculum includes individual

tuition, guitar repertoire – performance – ensemble

and technique classes all running weekly. We also

offer a large selection of second and/or related studies

including lute, mandolin, theorbo, and 19th century

guitar options.

Our guitar students have recently won a number

of prestigious awards in international competitions,

including the Royal Overseas League Award Gold

Medal and f irst prize, Heisenberg International Guitar

Competition. New staff member and alumni Ian Watt’s

solo g uita r CD on t he Nimbus A l l ia nce label has

received rave reviews. We also produce and host the

annual Big Guitar Weekend every November alongside

a new summer course for young players each July.

We have a regular programme of masterclasses with

leading performers, including Pavel Steidl, Marcin

Dylla, David Tanenbaum, Julian Byzantine, Edoardo

Catemario, and Tilman Hoppstock.

Our small Harp Department allows experience

in symphony, chamber, and opera orchestras, which

is offered alongside chamber music, The essential

ensemble and communication skills needed for a

long-term career are emphasized, and you’ll benef it

from our unique professional collaborations with a

number of high- prof ile orchestras and ensembles,

including the Scottish Ensemble, Red Note, RSNO,

BBC SSO, and The Orchestra of Scottish Opera.

There i s a l s o t he opp or t u n it y to pl ay i n t he

Conservatoire operas, either in the pit of our New

Athenaeum Theatre or side-by-side with The Orchestra

of Scottish Opera in Glasgow and Edinburgh’s opera

houses. The Conser vatoire Sy mphony Orchestra

performs regularly in our own Stevenson Hall and in

Scotland’s prestigious concert halls, often directed by

world-class visiting guest conductors. So you’ll develop

specialized skills in solo, ensemble, and orchestral

playing throughout all four years in a number of

venues and professional settings. Harpists are often

found working with other departments across all

disciplines in the Conservatoire. Recently students

have collaborated with the Jazz Department and with

our Composition students in creating new work at the

Plug Festival.

Keyboard and Collaborative Pianowww.rcs.ac.uk/keyboardug

www.rcs.ac.uk/keyboardpg

We focus on developing your individual skil ls in

a suppor t ive but cha l len g in g env iron ment . The

programme has been designed to offer maximum

f lexibility of repertoire and collaborative opportunities.

Our staff enjoy active performing and recording careers

and bring a wealth of experience and sensitivity to

their teaching, and you’ll benefit from their expertise

in your one-to-one lessons, and performance classes

in solo and chamber music.

Our performing and practice facilities are world

class . You’re g ua ra nteed da i ly prac t ice t ime on

Steinway and Yamaha g rand pianos, as wel l as a

generous allocation of performance classes each week

in the main concert halls. The Conservatoire’s historic

and reproduction instrument collection, including a

newly refurbished Erard Grand, allows exploration of

core repertoire in its appropriate historical context.

There’s a dedicated organ pract ice room and we

offer a loan system to provide you with free use of

an upright piano during the academic year in your

accommodation.

There is a busy programme of masterclasses and

recitals given by pianists of international reputation.

Recent visitors have included Dr Leslie Howard, Dr

Roy Howat, Martino Tirimo, and Alexander Korsantia.

Distinguished artists Steven Osborne and Malcolm

Ma r t ineau have been appointed as Internat iona l

Fellows in piano and accompaniment. Anto Pett, our

visiting professor in contemporary improvisation,

also offers highly inclusive and innovative classes.

We record all student performances, performance

classes, and masterclasses enabling in-depth ref lection

and group discussion on all aspects of performance.

40


MUSIC

Stringswww.rcs.ac.uk/stringsug

www.rcs.ac.uk/stringspg

We offer one of the most dynamic string programmes in the UK. Your

weekly one-to-one principal study lesson is enhanced by orchestral

repertoire classes, performance classes, and historical performance

practice. You may also choose a second and/or related study.

Experience in symphony, chamber, and opera orchestras is offered

alongside chamber music, which emphasizes the essential ensemble and

communication skills needed for a long-term career. You’ll benef it from

our unique professional collaborations with a number of high-prof ile

orchestras and ensembles, including the Scottish Ensemble, Red Note,

RSNO, BBC SSO, and The Orchestra of Scottish Opera.

We have a reg ular prog ramme of masterclasses w ith leading

performers, and we’ve appointed a number of prominent International

Fellows who work with our students several times a year. These include

Ilya Gringolts, Violin; Thomas Martin, Double Bass; Peter Manning,

Strings; and The Brodsky Quartet, Chamber Music.

Quartet playing is strongly encouraged, and there is additional

coaching available from internationally acclaimed artists and groups

such as Jacqueline Shave, the Brodskys, and the Vermeer Quartet. There

is a Junior Fellows quartet residency for those students who wish to enter

the world of international professional string quartet playing.

There’s also the opportunity to play in one of the Conservatoire

operas, either in the pit of our New Athenaeum Theatre or side-by side

with The Orchestra of Scottish Opera in Glasgow and Edinburgh’s opera

houses. You’ll be allocated to a different chamber group each year and

also encouraged to set up your own. The Conservatoire Symphony

Orchestra performs regularly in our own Stevenson Hall and in Scotland’s

prestigious concert halls, often directed by world-class visiting guest

conductors. So you’ll develop specialized skills in solo, ensemble, and

orchestral playing throughout all four years in a number of venues and

professional settings.

You may also choose to work with other departments across all

disciplines in the Conservatoire. Recently students have collaborated

with Musical Theatre, Modern Ballet, and contemporary Composition

students in creating new work.

41

Prospectus 2014/15

Timpani and Percussionwww.rcs.ac.uk/percussionug

www.rcs.ac.uk/percussionpg

In preparation for your professional career, our Timpani and Percussion

depa r t ment prov ides excel lent fac i l i t ies for st udy, prac t ice , a nd

performance. These include three large dedicated studios with a full

and plentiful range of the highest quality instruments. You’ll have weekly

one-to-one lessons with renowned professional performers, enhanced by

repertoire classes, as well as specialized individual and class tuition in

Latin American, Ethnic Percussion, and Drum Set provided by six visits

per academic year for two days each. Although tuition is directed towards

orchestral repertoire, we’ve developed well-established traditions of solo

performance and also offer a Solo-Marimba provision.

We welcome artists from around the world to give clinics, workshops,

and masterclasses, and recent visitors have included Dame Evelyn

Glennie, Colin Currie, Sam Walton, Birger Sulsbrück, Leigh Howard

Stevens, Eric Sammut, Simon Carrington, Keith Aleo and Neil Grover,

and Neil Percy amongst many others.

Chris Lamb (New York Philharmonic and Manhattan School of Music)

is our International Fellow in Percussion, and makes three two and a half

day teaching visits each academic year. Eric Sammut (Orchestre de Paris

and Conservatoire de Paris) visits to teach six times each academic year.

As well as working with your fellow student musicians, you’ll have

opportunities to collaborate across the disciplines. You may be part of

a band for Musical Theatre performances, providing music for f ilm, or

joining forces with composers to create new works – the opportunities

are unlimited.

You’ll gain lots of performance experience in a number of learning

and professional contexts. You’ll work with our ensembles in symphonic,

chamber, opera, wind orchestra, brass, and Big Band repertoire in the

Conservatoire and external venues. We operate a number of side-by-side

schemes with Scotland’s leading orchestras, where you can experience

the realities of the working world in a supportive environment. You’ll

benef it from the guidance and mentoring of professional musicians,

performing in some of Scotland’s major concert halls and venues.

042


42


Vocal Performancewww.rcs.ac.uk/vocalug

www.rcs.ac.uk/vocalpg

We aim to prepare you for the many and varied demands of a professional

singing career. Our experienced staff will work with you to release

the true voice healthily, establishing a secure vocal technique. Vocal

Performance requires many different specialisms, and we offer classes in

Italian song, German Lieder, French mélodie, oratorio, and opera, which

are explored through shared performance classes and coachings. You’ll

have plenty of performance opportunities, such as main stage operatic

productions, the Conservatoire Chamber Choir, and larger choral works.

Many of our students also sing for choral societies or with professional

choruses and choral scholarships.

We recognize the need for you to use your whole body as your

‘instrument’ and classes in movement, drama, dance, and Alexander

Technique are available. Due to the nature of classical Western repertoire,

language skills are clearly important and you’ll have classes given by

native-speaking language tutors. Underpinned by weekly one-to-one

lessons, you’ll develop a real breadth of skills to support your development

and future career as a singer.

You’ll make your own individual pathway through the programme;

you may choose a second study, or create an ensemble with other singers

and musicians, or work with fellow students from across the disciplines.

We encourage you to take risks, but support you throughout.

Throughout the year we welcome distinguished visiting artists who

have included Ian Storey, Siegfried Jerusalem, Malcolm Martineau, Anne

Murray, Dame Felicity Lott, Barbara Bonney, Christine Brewer, Rosalind

Plowright, John Treleaven, and Sir Thomas Allen, offering professional

understanding and coaching in technique, role, and repertoire. Jane

Eaglen, our International Fellow in Voice, visits twice a year for several

days to work with singers.

Our unique partnership with Scottish Opera provides valuable

learning and performance experience, including access to rehearsals,

shadowing schemes, and staff visits. We co-produce a fully staged opera

each year, which sees our students performing in Scotland’s two major

opera houses. Our joint Emerging Artist programme sees our graduate

singers auditioning for a year of work with the company to launch their

professional careers.

Each year we welcome Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Bayreuther

Festspiele, Independent Opera at Sadlers’ Wells, British Youth Opera,

and the Britten Pears School to audition students for the opportunity of

professional work. Regular ERASMUS exchanges of staff and students are

also in place, and in the last few years there’s been major collaborations

with the Conser vatoires of St Petersburg and Rostov-on-Don, the

Norgesmusikhøgskole in Oslo, and the Universität der darstellende

Kunst, Berlin.

MUSIC 43

Prospectus 2014/15

Woodwindwww.rcs.ac.uk/woodwindug

www.rcs.ac.uk/woodwindpg

The Woodwind department delivers an intensive and thorough training,

based on the principal of one-to-one lessons delivered by leading soloists

and musicians from professional orchestras and chamber groups. Our

staff are enthusiastic and supportive, creating an environment that is

both caring and demanding. Weekly classes include orchestral, ensemble,

and solo repertoire, in contemporary and period performance, and in

technique and performance. In addition, masterclasses are given by

renowned international musicians such as Wissam Boustany, Meyrick

Alexander, Maurice Bourgue, and Anthony Pay. Our International Fellow

Lorna McGhee, principal f lautist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra,

also visits to work and perform with us several times a year.

Through an enormous and diverse range of performance opportunities,

we will challenge and inspire your individuality as a musician. Our

professional partnerships with Scotland’s major orchestras and ensembles

provide invaluable collaborative opportunities, including rehearsing and

performing alongside top professionals, often in major venues.

Our students tell us that the quality of teaching, facilities, professional

collaborations, and performing opportunities give them the best possible

start to their performing careers. Double-reed players benef it from

their own practice space. This room also houses specialist reed-making

equipment, and you’ll receive regular reed-making classes throughout the

programme. Our world-class facilities include numerous practice rooms

and rehearsal spaces, as well as our professional standard performance

venues, all providing the best possible environment for your development.

We encourage you to form your own ensembles and offer professional

coaching to support your work. Symphony, chamber and wind orchestra

concerts, opera productions, wind ensembles and chamber groups are

also regular highlights. Our elite ensemble, the Stevenson Winds, was

created to promote the outstanding talent within the department, and

sees students selected by audition working with the ensemble and staff,

with performances in the Conservatoire and at other high prof ile venues

and events.

PRODUCTION

We work closely with industry to ensure our Production training is

current, competitive, and of the highest professional standard, so you’ll

gain all of the skills and knowledge needed for your future career.

Our unrivalled professional associations mean that you can develop

invaluable industry contacts during your time with us, as well as practical

skills. Our partnerships include many major performing companies and

organizations such as the Association of British Theatre Technicians

(ABTT), the Professional Lighting and Sound Association (PLASA), the

National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Opera, Disney Cruise Lines, and

Stage Technologies.

From day one, you’ll be hands on, with practical training underpinned

by classroom learning and regular workshops and masterclasses with

distinguished visiting professionals. Class sizes are kept small, so you’ll

benef it from individual attention; we’ll support your development

throughout, encouraging you to push boundaries and create new

standards of industry practice.

The Conservatoire is a major public performance and conference

venue with world-class facilities. The combination of professional venues,

extensive workshops, construction spaces, and studios, and the latest

stage technologies provide a fantastic learning environment, second

to none in the sector.

We are the only UK conservatoire that can offer you opportunities

to collaborate with staff and your fellow students across all of the

performance disciplines, so you’l l be able to gain lots of practical

experience in different art forms. You’ll be able to undertake industry

placements. You may f ind yourself working on productions as diverse

as a full scale opera alongside Scottish Opera staff at Glasgow Theatre

Royal and Edinburgh Festival Theatre, our musical theatre season at

Edinburgh Festival Fringe, dance performances, f ilm and screen projects

on BBC sets, our annual pantomime, new works in community settings,

cabaret, music, and more.

Students are prepared for a wide range of diverse careers, and our

graduates go on to work in a huge range of companies and specialisms

all over the world. We’ll help you to create your own pathway through

the programmes, focusing on your areas of interest. You’ll learn to

work creatively, as an individual artist and in collaboration. There are

opportunities to apply for study abroad at the California Institute of the

Arts and the Hong Kong Academy of the Performing Arts, as well as a

range of European Union institutions as part of the ERASMUS exchange

initiative. Production staff and students were named ‘Best Design Team

in the World’ at the World Stage Design Exhibition in South Korea, and

we have also had a regular presence at the Prague Quadrennial Design

Exhibition.

45

Prospectus 2014/15

46


PRODUCTION

BA Production Technology and ManagementThree years, full-time

Accredited by the National Council for Drama Training

www.rcs.ac.uk/productiontechnology

This programme is for students who wish to train in one or more

of the following areas: Stage Management; Stage Technology;

Lighting and Sound Technology (Core); Lighting Design; Sound

Design (Elective).

During an initial foundation period you’ll investigate and

experience all areas of the broader Production department.

You’ll explore the production arts workshops and the design

process, and at the same time develop key practical skills in the

programme’s core subject areas.

From then, you will then have the opportunity to work on

Conservatoire productions, progressing level by level, advancing

from assistant roles at f irst, up to taking on responsibility for

the management of major public productions.

You’ll practise all core areas within the programme to at least

departmental assistant level, with the opportunity to specialize

in a core or elective subject. You’ll have the opportunity to

develop further skills in the production workshops, as well as

collaborating with other disciplines. Throughout the programme,

you’ll be preparing to work in the industry. Health and Safety

is a priority and Preparing for the Industry modules, including

speci f ic hea lt h a nd sa fet y t ra inin g a lon g w it h ot her key

employability skills, will be delivered throughout the programme

alongside professional placement opportunities and choice

modules from across the Conservatoire.

Excellent links with industry and a wide range of professional companies including secondment opportunities

World-class facilities in state of the art performance technology

Final year networking events

Engages with the broadest range of performance art forms of any UK conservatoire







Course code 204F

Excellent links with industry and a wide range of professional companies including secondment opportunities

World-class facilities in new purpose-built high specification production workshops

Final year online digital showcase

Engages with the broadest range of performance art forms of any UK conservatoire







Course code 203F

47

Prospectus 2014/15

BA Production Arts and DesignThree years, full-time

Accredited by the National Council for Drama Training

www.rcs.ac.uk/productionarts

The two specif ic strands of this programme are for students

aspiring to a career as a Production Artist or a Set/Costume

Designer specializing in one or more of the following areas:

Scenic Art; Costume Construction; Set Construction; Prop

Making; Set and Costume Design.

Ideally, you’ll be able to demonstrate skills and experience

in at least one or two of these areas when you apply as you will

be required to study both a major and a minor subject for the

f irst two years.

During an initial foundation period you’ll investigate and

experience all areas of the broader Production department.

You will be introduced to the stage environment and associated

practices and technologies, and at the same time develop key

practical skills by working in each of the four production arts

workshops. You will also explore the design process, examining

how to take your ideas from page to stage.

You will follow a major and a minor study through years

one and two building your knowledge, skill, and experience

in two complementary areas of specialism.

The programme will allow you develop your abilities in a

real world context, with a focus on building high level practical

skills but allowing you to take on greater responsibility for

the management of resources and leadership in productions.

We’ll help you to develop the specialist practical, aesthetic,

and conceptual skills, confidence, and professionalism to work

collaboratively with directors, producers, and performers.

There will be an opportunity to develop further relevant

skills in areas such as drawing (including digital drawing

packages) and portfol io building , as well as undertaking

professional placement opportunities and choice modules

from across the Conservatoire.

SCREEN

49

Prospectus 2014/15

BA Digital Film and TVThree years, full-time

www.rcs.ac.uk/dftv

We i nt roduced t h i s i n nov at ive prog ra m me i n 2 0 03 for

aspiring f ilm-makers who are passionate about the art and

craft of film-making. It has swiftly built a significant reputation

in the industry, as well as acting as a catalyst and focus for

artistic collaboration within the Conservatoire. It’s a rich and

challenging experience for students who are keen to develop

their skills to the highest level, and who have the potential

to originate new ideas and formats for f ilm, television, and

digital platforms. We aim to help you develop a combination of

technical excellence with informed creativity via a programme

which integrates theoretical and practical learning, so you can

establish and sustain your career in the industry. We focus on

process not product, to help you anticipate future developments

in the profession.

You’ll need to demonstrate your passion for f ilm-making

a nd a n infor med insi ght into t he nat u re of t he f i lm a nd

T V industr y, as wel l as your potent ia l to be resourceful ,

independent, collaborative, and creative.

In the Conservatoire you’ll f ind a multitude of resources at

your f ingertips – nowhere else in the UK provides the range of

disciplines at conservatoire level that we do. This means that you

have the opportunity to work with actors, composers, directors,

dancers, and musicians, as well as your peers from Production,

including scenic art ists , stage managers, and technicians. In

other words, every thing you need to make great work for the

screen is right here, and you can engage with the spectrum of

performance arts.

You’ l l enjoy e x ten si ve i ndu s t r y cont ac t , w h ic h c a n

include working on live BBC sets, becoming part of the crew

on a professional production, masterclasses and expert tuition

from industry practitioners on a daily basis, and more. We’ll

help you develop your ideas and your creativity, and you can

cover multiple f ilm-making functions such as screenwriting,

pro duc t ion m a n a gement , a nd e d it i n g , or fo c u s on one

discipline like cinematography or sound recording.

Since 2005, students have won and been nominated for a

number of awards, including BAFTAs and Royal Television

Society Awards. Graduates are employed by major broad-

casters , production companies, and f i lm-makers, working

f re e l a nc e for i ndep endent compa n ie s or on shor t f i l m

schemes; some have gone on to further training, including to

the National Film and Television School.

Access to state of the art technology, including RED ONE and RED Epic MX Digital Cinema camera

Opportunities to work with collaborators throughout the Conservatoire, including actors, musicians, composers, designers, scenic artists, and more

Regular masterclasses and workshops from visiting professionals

360 degree commissioning (material for the complete range of digital platforms, and film and TV)

Blend of technical, aesthetic, and creative film-making







Course code 200F

RESEARCH

51

Prospectus 2014/15

Research DegreesThree years, full-time

www.rcs.ac.uk/research

It is not enough for our emerging artists to enter the world fully

able to interact within their industry as it operates now; we

enable them to leave the Royal Conservatoire equipped with

the necessary skills to take the industry on and push forward,

creating new ways of working, collaborating, and performing.

Through our unique position as the only UK conservatoire

offering specialist education in such a rich range of artistic

disciplines we facilitate the discussion that occurs not only

within but also in the space between these disciplines, leading

to profound innovation in the performing arts.

Research is embedded throughout our new curriculum: one

of our six new curriculum principles underlines the importance

of the members of our learning community using theoretical

understanding to inform their practice, and their practice to

inform theory. Festivals such as Into the New and Plug provide

many opportunities for students to showcase their projects

and to engage their fellow students in the realization and

performance of new work.

A v ita l pa r t of t his innovat ion a nd impac t is dr iven

by students fol lowing our research degree programmes.

Following an historic validation agreement between the Royal

Conservatoire and the University of St Andrews in 2000, we

offer research programmes leading to the awards of Doctor of

Philosophy (PhD) and Master of Philosophy (MPhil). Students

matriculate at both institutions and their degrees are validated

and awarded by the University. As well has having access to all

the facilities of a modern international conservatoire, they are

able to use the academic resources of a world leading ancient

research university.

Our research degree students are highly professional

performers, practitioners, and composers seeking new ways

to develop and contextualize their work whilst forging ahead

in their particular discipline, through rigorous practice-based

research. Others specialize in performing arts education and

policy, Scottish music, historically-informed performance, and a

range of other specialist research areas. All are supported both

in their research by carefully selected and expert supervision

teams, and in project delivery by the unique resources of the

Royal Conservatoire. Previous research students have been

supported in projects such as new fully- staged operas and

the performance of large scale symphonic works.

When I thought about doing a PhD, I realized that for me and my work, it needed to be practice-based. Studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland has afforded me the opportunity to explore new territory, not only in theory, but through rigorous practical exploration and experimentation. The unparalleled support of the department and my supervision team has enabled my research to move into uncharted territories of rehearsal and performance practice while simultaneously giving me the confidence that sufficient academic rigour underpins everything I do. In facilitating the marriage of artistic craft and research, the Conservatoire has provided a constantly challenging, constantly enriching experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

Marc Silberschatz Research Student

52

WE ARE THE NOW

Alan CummingActor

David TennantActor

Jessica CottisConductor

Lisa MilneSoprano

James McAvoyActor

Colin MorganActor

Shernaz Patel Film maker/Actor

Paul WrightFilm-maker

Ruby WaxComedienne

Sir David McVicarDirector

Lorna McGheeMusician

Rebecca Faulkenberry

Actor

Richard MaddenActor

Sean Shibe Musician

Kate Dickie Actor

Alexandra SilberActor

Daniela Nardini Actor

David Hayman Actor

Emun Elliot Actor

Gareth Williams Composer

Nic Green Artist/Performance

Maker

Our graduates are today’s musicians, directors,

writers, composers , c o s t u m e d e s i g n e r s , s e t d e s i g n e r s , a n i m a t o r s , educ ators , ac tors ,

performance makers, producers, technicians… and more. Some are faces you will know,

but many more make up the young talent chasing at their heels. These are just a few

who represent the microcosm of extraordinarily talented people

who pass through our doors.

53

AND THE FUTURE June Binnie (2005) – Principal Timpani with

Sinfonia Finlandia under Music Director Patrick Gallois. Sinfonia Finlandia Jyväskylä has recorded extensively and has released music for some of the largest classical music publishing companies.

Charlotte Carden (2011) - Film-maker. Charlotte’s short film The Taxidermist won Best Short Film at the Celtic Media Festival, a Creative Loop Award, and two BAFTA New Talent nominations.

Jessica Cottis (2011) – Conductor. Jessica has conducted numerous concerts and operas with the BBC SSO, Scottish Opera, Nuremberg Opera, and made her BBC Proms debut with MusicLab. She is Assistant Conductor with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra with Chief Conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy. She was a mentor on the BBC series Maestro at the Opera, and a judge for the finals of the BBC Young Musician of the Year.

Emun Elliott (2005) – Actor. Hailed by Screen International as ‘one to watch’, Emun plays Marillion in HBO’s Game of Thrones, John Moray in BBC One’s The Paradise, and appears in Threesome, Filth, and Ridley Scott’s Prometheus.

David Fennessy (2000) – Composer. David’s work has been widely performed, and he has received many commissions. He is co-creator, with David Shrigley and Magnetic North, of Pass the Spoon. In 2010 he was awarded a Paul Hamlyn Award for composers.

Amanda Gaughan (2009) – Director/Producer. Following her work with playwright Douglas Maxwell while still a student, Amanda went on to become a Trainee Director at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, and a New Director with the National Theatre of Scotland.

Becki Gerrard (2010) – Performer. Becki’s first solo work Lip Service was nominated for a Total Theatre Award and the Arches Brick Award at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe. She has developed and delivered touring schools workshops as an associate artist for Junction25 and Glas(s) Performance.

Nicola Killean (2002) – Director and CEO Sistema Scotland.

Dávur Juul Magnussen (2010) Musician. Principal Trombone for the RSNO, appointed while still a student.

Kate McDermott (2008) – Musician. Co-Principal Clarinet with the Gothenburg Opera.

Claire McKenzie (2010) – Composer, Sound Designer, and Musical Director. Claire works regularly for performing companies, including the National Theatre of Scotland and the Citizens, and was recently nominated for a BAFTA New Talent Award. She is the co-founder of Noisemaker Productions, a new music theatre company.

Johnny McKnight (2002) – Actor, Director, Writer. Johnny’s directing credits include: Smalltown, Promises Promises (Scotland, West End and Broadway runs), Little Johnny’s Big Gay Adventure (Random Accomplice). He has also worked as a performer and on educational projects with organisations including: National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Opera, 7:84 Theatre Company, and Visible Fictions.

Ayden Millar (2010) – Artist. On graduation Ayden was employed as Assistant Scenic Artist at the Citizens Theatre; she has since been Art Director on a number of primetime BBC and Channel 4 television programmes.

Siobhan Miller (2009) – Singer, Scottish Music. Siobhan is a teacher, recording artist, and was Scots Singer of the Year 2011, and winner of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award. Her numerous performing credits include the Celtic Connections festival, and on Broadway.

Katie Shearer (2008) – Music Teacher. Head of Music at Cayman Prep and High School, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.

Alexandra Silber (2005) – Actor, Musical Theatre performer. Alexandra made her West End debut before graduation in The Woman in White. She starred in Master Class on Broadway, the US premiere of Love Story, and guest starred in Law and Order for NBC/Universal. She is a Drama League Award nominee and TMA Award Winner for Best Actress.

Genna Spinks (2005) – Musician. Double Bass, Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Since joining the orchestra Genna has toured to Switzerland, Spain and China and worked with conductors such as Simon Rattle and with artists such as Paul McCartney, Hilary Hahn, and Deep Purple.

Paul Wright (2006) – Film-maker. Paul has been described as one of the most exciting film makers of his generation. His DFTV graduation film Hikikomori won a BAFTA Scotland award and was nominated for a UK BAFTA. He has since directed a number of award-winning short films, winning Locarno’s Golden Leopard, and the BAFTA for Best Short Film. His debut feature film was selected for Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival 2013.

Karen Cargill Mezzo-soprano

Robert CarlyleActor

Martin Gillespie Musician

54

We are a charity committed to the achievement of excellence in the performing arts. A company limited by guarantee reg no 4703 (Scotland) and a charity registered in Scotland no SCO015855.

All details correct at time of publication, and printed in good faith, but all information is subject to alteration. We reserve the right, without notice, to vary the content of programmes, and to modify facilities and arrangements.

© Royal Conservatoire of Scotland 2013Images © Royal Conservatoire of Scotland/KK Dundas

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Conservatoire Rìoghail na h-Alba

Patron, HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay DAcad (RSAMD)

President, Sir Cameron Mackintosh DDra (RSAMD)

Chairman, Lord Vallance of Tummel

Principal, Professor John Wallace CBE

Vice Principal, Professor Maggie Kinloch FHEA FRSA

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland 100 Renfrew StreetGlasgow, UKG2 3DB

+44 (0) 141 332 4101

www.rcs.ac.uk

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