‘Studying at the RCM will enable you to find your own voice, to be the best musician you can be, and to find your own unique career path.’

Brass
The Royal College of Music’s Brass Faculty is an active and supportive community. Every student is provided with the means to recognise their full ability as a performing musician. You will receive a challenging and carefully structured bespoke programme of study and performance, with particular emphasis on identifying and unlocking your individual potential.
Additionally, promising undergraduates and postgraduates can choose conducting as a second study specialism. Our students can also explore natural horn, natural trumpet, bass trumpet, jazz trumpet, jazz trombone, euphonium, and sackbut as a second or related study.

One-to-one lessons
One-to-one lessons are at the very heart of every RCM student’s learning experience. The RCM’s impressive list of professors includes renowned principal players in major London ensembles, including the BBC Concert Orchestra, English National Opera Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia, London Sinfonietta and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Our world-class professors offer students not only first-rate teaching but also mentorship and networking opportunities.
In addition to their one-to-one lessons, our students enjoy regular performance and ensemble classes, chamber coaching, orchestral playing and masterclasses with distinguished international musicians, who have included Stefan Dohr, Berlin Philharmonic Principal Horn, and trumpet virtuoso Gustav Melander.
'I feel honoured to have studied under the guidance of world-class trombonists. I have thoroughly enjoyed studying in such a friendly and encouraging Brass Faculty.'

Trombone section rehearsing in the Royal Festival Hall

Flugelhorn soloist at an RCM Big Band concert

Brass quintet perform in Switzerland

Tubas rehearsing

Trumpets rehearsing

One-to-one lesson with Nigel Black
Performance opportunities
RCM students enjoy a wide variety of performance opportunities as part of the College’s diverse events calendar, which includes hundreds of events each year. It is also possible for RCM musicians to form their own chamber groups in which they can pursue an additional body of repertoire.
All brass students have the chance to play in our orchestras, which include the RCM Philharmonic, the RCM Symphony Orchestra and the RCM Opera Orchestra. Here, students often have the opportunity to work with some of the greatest conductors in the world. Recent visitors have included Joana Carneiro, Sir Roger Norrington, Sakari Oramo, Sir Antonio Pappano, Rafael Payare, Chloé van Soeterstède, Jac van Steen, John Wilson and Thomas Zehetmair.
Sit-in schemes
RCM brass players have joined the BBC Symphony Orchestra for BBC Proms rehearsals, as part of the sit-in scheme for postgraduate students on the Masters programme. Each participating student is assigned a mentor from the BBC Symphony Orchestra and sits alongside them in rehearsals throughout the year.
Other sit-in opportunities have included schemes with the Philharmonia, Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the English National Opera Orchestra.
Jazz at the RCM
Jazz trumpet and jazz trombone are available as second or related study options to promising students. Brass players also have the opportunity to join the RCM Swing Band and Jazz Orchestra, including performing at our annual Festival of Percussion, and further afield.
The Brass Faculty regularly hosts masterclasses with high-profile visitors. Recent visitors have included:
Horn
- Laurence Davies
- Stefan Dohr
- Alberto Menéndez Escribano
- Sarah Willis
- Katy Woolley
Trumpet
- Philip Cobb
- Håkan Hardenberger
- Gustav Melander
- Gareth Small
- Gábor Tarkövi
Trombone
- Martin Schippers
- Brandt Attema
- Håkan Björkman
- Dudley Bright
Tuba
- Øystein Baadsvik
- Patrick Harrild
- Oren Marshall
Graduates of the Brass Faculty currently hold the following positions:
- Principal Horn, Philharmonia Orchestra
- Principal Horn, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
- Principal Horn, English National Opera
- Principal Horn, Northern Sinfonia
- Principal Trumpet, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
- Principal Trumpet, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
- Co-Principal Trumpet, BBC Symphony Orchestra
- Principal Trombone, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
- Principal Trombone, BBC Concert Orchestra
- Principal Trombone, Opera North
- Tuba, Ulster Orchestra
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 mindset 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.
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 Opera Studio
- 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
- The Digital Innovation Lab: a state-of-the-art recording and mixing suite
- The RCM Library has more than 200,000 scores, books and recordings in its lending collection, as well as access to more than 400 music journals
- The RCM Museum holds more than 14,000 instruments, portraits and images, as well as a climate-controlled performance space and dedicated research facility

Amos Miller appointed Head of Brass Faculty
Amos Miller will oversee the Brass Faculty of over 75 students across all study levels, beginning in the Autumn Term in 2023.

Royal College of Music presents vibrant Summer 2023 Events Season
The Royal College of Music (RCM) presents an inspiring events programme and shines a spotlight on women composers throughout the Summer Season

Royal College of Music ranked global No. 1 for performing arts 2023
The Royal College of Music has been ranked as the global No. 1 institution for performing arts in the 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject, holding this position for the second consecutive year.

The Royal College of Music presents the music of America in Spring 2023 Season
The RCM welcomes world-renowned artists as part of a varied season of concerts and events.
.jpg)
Season’s Greetings from the Royal College of Music 2022
The Royal College of Music (RCM) wishes you a festive season full of joy and music with a special performance of Silent Night filmed in RCM’s wonderful new campus.

Awe and Wonder: Great Exhibition Road Festival – The Symphony Orchestra
18 June 2023, 4:00pm
Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall

Debussy and John Adams: Symphonic Reimaginings
23 June 2023, 7:30pm
Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road London SE1 8XX

Classical Coffee Morning at the Royal Albert Hall
25 June 2023, 10:00am
Elgar Room, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AP
Courses available
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Master of Music in Performance, MMus(Perf)
Artist Diploma in Performance, ArtDip
Fellowships available
Mills Williams Junior Fellowship
Constant & Kit Lambert Junior Fellowship
Please note that the audition and application process for Fellowships is not the same as it is for our courses. Please refer to the individual Fellowship pages for more details.
Contact the Brass Faculty
If you have any general queries about brass at the RCM please contact our Brass Faculty Administration team. If you have any queries about auditions or the admissions process, please contact our Admissions team.
Brass Faculty Administration
General enquiries about the operation of the faculty and consultation lessons