Many former students of the Percussion Faculty are in the UK’s leading orchestras. The backbone of our teaching has a clear orchestral bias, but today’s training covers all aspects of percussion activity, enabling you to enter the profession equipped with the musical tools of the trade.

Percussion students at the Royal College of Music enjoy the benefits of a vibrant faculty housed in a purpose-built percussion suite, which was opened by Dame Evelyn Glennie. We have dedicated practice facilities for teaching world percussion alongside the orchestral repertoire, in addition to a bespoke, state-of-the-art technology studio room for recording.

At postgraduate level, we offer the option to study marimba as a principal study instrument – an option devised in association with internationally renowned marimbist Daniella Ganeva.

Students have the opportunity to participate in repertoire classes with players from leading orchestras and benefit from workshops given by distinguished visiting artists.

All first and second year undergraduates enjoy regular lessons on solo marimba, jazz vibraphone, Latin percussion and drum kit, in addition to timpani and orchestral percussion. In their third and fourth years, all BMus students choose just four of these disciplines, crafting a bespoke study experience based on the specialisations that best suit their aspirations.

We are proud to be the first UK conservatoire to have an American Drumline ensemble – the Redhocks – which has been trained by 18-times world pipe band champion, Jim Kilpatrick.

The RCM also has its own percussion quartet, PERC’M, which is professionally coached, rehearses regularly and enjoys a busy performance schedule.

Performance opportunities

Percussion students have numerous opportunities to take part in public performances as soloists, in chamber groups and in the RCM’s various ensembles and orchestras. Orchestral performances are often directed by internationally renowned conductors, providing invaluable experience of truly world-class rehearsal and performance. Previous guest conductors have included Vladimir Ashkenazy, Vladimir Jurowski, Holly Mathieson, Sir Antonio Pappano and John Wilson.

Our percussionists occasionally travel and enjoy performing in a variety of external venues both in the UK and overseas, and have toured with Serge Vuille, She-e Wu and David Hockings. 

The Percussion Faculty runs regular performance classes in which every student participates at least four times a term. In addition, the entire faculty performs at the RCM’s termly percussion showcases, which include solos and duos, performances by PERC’M, our percussion quartet, and the Redhocks, our American drumline.

RCM percussionists performed at the inauguration of the Francis Crick Institute, which was opened by Queen Elizabeth II, and helped set a world record for the largest drum lesson ever given, which took place at the Copper Box Arena and was adjudicated by the Guinness World Records.

Festival of Percussion

The annual RCM Festival of Percussion, London’s only annual percussion festival, is a celebration of the field. It offers a wide range of entertaining and educational events, further performance opportunities for RCM students, plus a trade fair featuring some of the most important brands in the industry.

The Festival of Percussion has attracted artists such as John Chimes, Benny Greb, Mark Guiliana, Pete Lockett, Jojo Mayer, John Riley, Ralph Salmins and Dave Weckl, as well as representatives from major London orchestras and leading percussion ensembles such as Amadinda, O Duo and 4-MALITY.

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