Male student, conducting a rehearsal for an upcoming orchestra, with musicians in the foreground in RCM's Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall

Conducting

Latest from Conducting Courses availableContact the Conducting team

‘You will be supported as you hone your own individuality and style, and will be involved in all aspects of musical life at the Royal College of Music.’

Toby Purser, Head of Conducting

The Royal College of Music’s two-year postgraduate course in orchestral conducting is designed to support students as they develop their professional skills and their own individual conducting style. From contemporary compositions to large symphony orchestra repertoire, recording sessions to rehearsals and concerts, you will be involved in all aspects of musical life at the RCM.

For undergraduate and postgraduate students, conducting modules are available which introduce the challenges and rewards of conducting as part of their wider study. Conducting is also available as a second study specialism to promising undergraduates and postgraduates. Second study students can enjoy a mixture of individual and class lessons focusing on the skills and knowledge necessary to develop in this field.

One-to-one lessons

One-to-one lessons are at the very heart of every RCM student’s learning experience. Each of our conducting professors brings a different but compatible approach to teaching, drawing on the wealth of experience they have in their own fields.

Meet the professors

Postgraduate conducting

A detailed programme of technical and repertoire study supported by the conducting professors and regular guest masterclasses complements a wealth of high quality podium time, including public performances with full orchestra, orchestral and sectional preparation for visiting international conductors, individual projects, and regular collaborations with the Composition Faculty.

Conductors at the RCM have the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills, gaining an all-round understanding of the artistic, psychological, practical and business issues involved in making a career as an orchestral conductor.

Professional engagement will be a key component of your experience as a conductor at the RCM. Industry professionals periodically meet with our students, providing valuable insights and career advice. In addition, visiting conductors of the highest calibre often work with RCM conducting students on preparing performances of key repertoire.

‘The wealth of high-calibre opportunities, supportive and experienced staff, professional and yet welcoming atmosphere are only some of the many reasons why RCM is the place to be!’

Ondřej Soukup, Master of Music

‘My first performance conducting the RCM Symphony Orchestra was such a thrill, and recording a student-led orchestral project in Abbey Road Studios was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.’

Avi Taler, RCM graduate

‘Community is extremely important. Our teachers offer advice and insights into the profession of conducting.’

Nicolò Foron, RCM graduate

Postgraduate student Michal Oren, a female student, with medium height brown hair, wearing a white and black striped shirt, conducting a small orchestra in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall.

Recent visiting artists

Exceptional international conductors regularly visit the RCM to work with our orchestras and ensembles, while also providing conducting masterclasses and opportunities for students to act as their assistant conductor, as well as to lead orchestral and sectional preparations.

Students regularly enjoy the opportunity to learn from British Conductor Martyn Brabbins, our Prince Consort Professor of Conducting, and Colin Metters. Other recent visitors, online and in-person, have included:

  • Nicholas Collon
  • Vladimir Ashkenazy
  • Jessica Cottis
  • Kevin John Edusi
  • Sakari Oramo
  • Joana Carneiro
  • Nicholas Collon
  • Jonathon Heyward
  • Vladimir Jurowski
  • Wayne Marshall
  • Holly Mathieson
  • Sir Roger Norrington
  • Sir Antonio Pappano
  • Rafael Payare
  • Vasily Petrenko
  • Chloé van Soeterstède
  • Jac van Steen
  • John Wilson
  • Thomas Zehetmair
A man, wearing smart black attire, smiling at the audience, standing in the conductor's podium, with the orchestra sitting in their seats holding their instruments.

Sir Antonio Pappano

A man, wearing a black blazar and black shirt, standing in the podium, waving to the audience, with a group of students standing and holding their instruments, behind him.

The late Sir Andrew Davis

A male conductor, wearing a hair wrap, wearing a dark blue shirt, conducting a group of students performing in a jazz orchestra on a stage.

Winston Rollins

A man, wearing a dark shirt and glasses, conducting an orchestra rehearsal with students performing in a well lit concert hall.

Ben Palmer

A male conductor, wearing smart black attire, standing next to the conductor's podium smiling at the audience, with musicians standing behind him.

Håkan Hardenberger

A women, with brown hair tied back, wearing formal attire and smiling, with her arms out, standing in the conductor's podium, with students, wearing formal attire, standing next to her and smiling.

Jessica Cottis

A man, wearing formal attire, conducting an orchestra with his hands, with students performing on their instruments, also wearing formal attire.

Sakari Oramo

A man, wearing formal attire, smiling and facing the audience, standing outside the conductor's podium, with students standing next to and behind him, smiling and holding their instruments.

Vasily Petrenko

A black man wearing formal attire, conducting an orchestra, with students performing on their instruments, also wearing formal attire

Wayne Marshall

A women, with brown hair, moving her hands, with students sitting in front of her in an orchestra setting, performing on their instruments.

Joana Carneiro

Performance opportunities

First-study conducting students regularly rehearse and perform with our in-house ensembles, including the RCM Symphony Orchestra, RCM Philharmonic Orchestra and various new music ensembles. They often premiere new works by RCM composers working with the RCM New Perspectives ensemble or as part of our cutting-edge From the Soundhouse series.

All of these public conducting opportunities are an integral part of the RCM’s annual programme of events. In addition, our students have directed RCM orchestras in external venues, including London’s Royal Festival Hall.

Recent student-led projects have included a Conductors’ Podium featuring music by Milhaud, Elgar and Korngold, and a French Baroque project in collaboration with our Vocal & Opera and Historical Performance faculties.

Repertoire

Conducting students engage with a lot of repertoire, covering a broad range of styles, and are strongly encouraged to explore and programme a diverse range of composers. Alongside ongoing collaborations with Composition and Composition for Screen students, an example of a recent term’s worth of repertoire for a typical student might be:

  • Beethoven Symphony no 6
  • Boulanger D’un matin de printemps
  • Brahms Symphony no 1
  • Coleridge-Taylor Overture to Hiawatha
  • Debussy Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
  • Mozart Cosi fan Tutte (complete)
  • Ravel Daphnis and Chloe Suite no 2
  • Schumann Symphony no 4
  • Shostakovich Symphony no 10
  • Stravinsky The Rite of Spring
  • Tchaikovsky Symphony no 4
  • Wagner Overture to Der Fliegender Holländer
  • Walker Lyric for Strings

Graduate successes

RCM conducting graduates are working successfully across the music world including:

  • Andrew Gourlay as Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y Léon
  • Rui Pinheiro as Principal Conductor of Orquestra Clássica do Sul in Portugal
  • Graham Ross as Director of Music and Fellow of Clare College Cambridge and co-founder and Principal Conductor of The Dmitri Ensemble
  • John Wilson as Founder and Director of the John Wilson Orchestra and Artistic Director of the Sinfonia of London
  • Nicolò Foron as First Prize Winner of the Donatella Flick Conducting Competition 2023, Assistant Conductor of Ensemble Intercontemporain, Paris.

Celebrated alumni

  • Sir Colin Davis
  • Sir Charles Groves
  • Simon Halsey
  • Sir Neville Marriner
  • Sir Roger Norrington
  • Leopold Stokowski
  • John Wilson

Career development

The RCM’s Creative Careers Centre, which is recognised internationally for its innovative approach to supporting young musicians, provides an unparalleled service to current students and recent alumni. The dedicated team partners with leading consultants, reputable arts organisations and local communities, delivering unique career-building opportunities and a direct route to the music industry. 

The work of the Creative Careers Centre allows students to discover their professional identity, gain hands-on experience and new skills, develop an entrepreneurial mind-set and build a fulfilling professional portfolio. 

Extensive performance and teaching opportunities are available, as well as valuable guidance on CV and biography writing, concert programming, communication skills, project management, marketing and publicity, online promotion, financial matters and how to develop a business idea.

Find out more about the Creative Careers Centre 

Facilities

The Royal College of Music is proud to offer its students fantastic practice and performance facilities with resources to support teaching and learning. We continually improve our facilities to ensure RCM students have the best opportunities.

Explore our facilities with a video tour of the RCM

Key facilities at the RCM include:

  • The Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall - our primary performance venue for orchestras and large ensembles.
  • Our 400-seat Britten Theatre, home to the RCM’s thriving International Opera School.
  • A new Performance Hall, offering an alternative space for ensembles, with a retractable stage, Fazioli grand piano and variable acoustics.
  • Intimate spaces for solo and chamber performance in our Performance Studio and Parry Rooms.
  • Sound-proofed Amadeus Music Pods for private practice.
  • A purpose-built percussion suite – you can watch a video tour on YouTube.
  • Over 160 pianos, including 60 grand pianos and 20 early keyboards, as well as organ rooms.
  • A Blüthner Practice Suite which holds ten Blüthner Model A upright pianos.
  • Instrument surgeries including luthier services.
  • RCM Studios: a commercial-grade facility, enabling live broadcasts around the world.
  • Digital Innovation Lab: advanced recording and mixing suite.
  • RCM Library with more than 200,000 scores, books and recordings in its lending collection, as well as access to more than 400 music journals.
  • Recently refurbished RCM Museum, holding more than 14,000 instruments, portraits and images, as well as a climate-controlled performance space and the associated Wolfson Centre in Music & Material Culture | Royal College of Music (rcm.ac.uk)

Find out more about RCM facilities

Courses available

Postgraduate

Master of Performance, MPerf

Master of Music in Performance, MMus(Perf)

Audition requirements

Contact the Conducting Faculty

If you have any general queries about conducting at the RCM please contact the Conducting Faculty Administration team. If you have any queries about auditions or the admissions process, please contact our Admissions team.

Conducting Administration team

General enquiries about the operation of the team and consultation lessons

conducting@rcm.ac.uk

Admissions

Admissions and general audition enquiries

+44 (0)20 7591 4362

admissions@rcm.ac.uk

A female student, looking at their music sheets, using a conductor's baton to conduct a group of students performing in a rehearsal.

Performance opportunities
A group of female students, holding music sheets, smiling and chatting while walking in a well-lit corridor at the RCM.

Life at the RCM
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