The Mills Williams Junior Fellowship is held for one year and is only available to students on the Artist Diploma (ArtDip) in Performance and Artist Diploma (ArtDip) in Composition programmes.
All fellows are expected to develop musical and communication skills by undertaking further intensive study, working with students internally and doing all they can to raise the profile of the RCM externally. They play a full and active part in the musical life of the RCM as well as functioning as RCM ambassadors. They have full use of the RCM Library with its wealth of material and work in close contact with the Creative Careers Centre, the RCM’s centre for professional skills and publicity services.
Mills Williams Junior Fellowship applications for 2025-26 are now open. Please see further information on how to apply below.
İlayda Deniz Oğuz, born in 2000, has been enjoying a diverse career as a solo pianist, collaborative pianist, and a composer. Since her first concerto debut in 2014 with Bilkent Symphony Orchestra in Turkey, she has performed with Presidential Symphony Orchestra in 2017 in Turkey, conducted by Orhun Orhon, and Agora Youth Symphony Orchestra in 2020, conducted by Nisan Ak. She has performed in masterclasses given by Dmitri Alexeev, Robert Levin, Dina Yoffe, Norma Fisher, Sofya Gulyak, Dina Parakhina, Ian Jones, Boris Berman, Stanislav Ioudenitch, Björn Lehmann, Markus Groh, and Hüseyin Sermet.
Also with a keen interest in historical performance, Oğuz frequently performs as a fortepianist. She has taken masterclasses in fortepiano with Robert Levin, Bart van Oort, Carole Cerasi, and Riccardo Cecchetti, and in clavichord with Terence Charlston and Robert Woolley.
Oğuz has collaborated with many contemporary composers, and she performed with the established Cikada Ensemble for new music under the baton of Christian Eggen, giving the premiere performance of 'Liquid Spaces' by the Turkish composer Berkant Genckal.
Oğuz has also established herself as a composer and enjoyed having her works performed by many prominent new music ensembles. Her song 'Anlatamıyorum' for solo mezzo-soprano and orchestra, which Oğuz composed when she was fourteen years old, was performed by Izmir State Symphony Orchestra in the finalist concert of the 9th National N. Eczacibasi Composition Competition in Turkey. Her solo viola work 'Yugen' was performed by Oslo Sinfonietta violist Bendik Foss in Sentralen, Oslo. She has had composition masterclasses with Francesco Filidei, Mauro Lanza, Mark Andre, Ulrich Kreppein, Samir Odeh-Tamimi, Hanna Eimermacher, and Eivind Buene. In 2023, she won the Composer Award at the Royal College of Music Contemporary Music Competition, with her piece ‘Yakamoz’ for bass clarinet and violoncello. In 2024, her piece 'ben o yılların macerasından geldim... (I came from the adventure of those years)' for orchestra earned her an honourable mention in the 1st International Ihsan Dogramaci Competition Composition.
Oğuz is currently pursuing her Artist Diploma degree at the Royal College of Music, London, with piano professors Dina Parakhina, Dmitri Alexeev, and composition professor Dai Fujikura.
The funding for the junior fellowships includes £11,350 to be put towards the course fees, plus a bursary of £8,000. These figures should be taken into account when planning your budget.
The programme of study for junior fellows is determined by the structure of the Artist Diploma in Performance and Artist Diploma in Composition courses, which are based on one-to-one provision and practical project work, tailored to your particular career aspirations.
Junior fellowship funds may also be used for tuition in related areas of study, such as masterclasses, coaching, language study, related instruments and costs associated with starting out in the profession.
As a junior fellow working with other RCM students you will be required to:
Applicants should already have successfully completed formal studies at a level equivalent to a postgraduate diploma or degree or be completing these studies in the academic year in which the application is made. Applications will be considered from those with equivalent experience.
Applicants need to be able to demonstrate substantial successful experience in their specialism, the motivation and determination to continue intensive studies, and the desire to develop their skills by working regularly with other musicians within and outside the RCM.
The Mills Williams Junior Fellowship is open to UK students only.
Applications for 2025-26 are now open for the Mills Williams Junior Fellowship. The application deadline is Friday 7 February 2025.
Applicants are required to submit a portfolio supported by a letter of application, which should indicate your suitability for the fellowship and your readiness to present yourself as an emerging professional.
Your application should contain:
Find out more about portfolio contents
Applicants interested in this junior fellowship must complete a two-part application process, which consists of:
Plus:
Applicants who have not applied for both components by the closing date will not be considered for this junior fellowship.
Full-time students going into their second year of study may also apply, and will need to specify in their application that they are applying for their second year of the programme.
Please note that the junior fellowships for students on the Artist Diploma in Performance and Artist Diploma in Composition programmes are not renewable, and may be held for one year only.
You should submit your portfolio online using a single combined PDF through the RCM submission portal. The information you upload to the portal does not constitute your entire application, but does form an integral part of it. You should ensure you have provided everything that is required. Incomplete applications may not be considered.
When using the submission portal you will be asked to create a user name and password, and to provide an email address. You should select 'junior fellow' from the list of programmes and the appropriate principal study instrument. There are no restrictions to the file size or type.
If you experience any problems uploading your portfolio please contact Lauren Pountney.
Assistant to the Deputy Director, Artistic Director, and Fellows' Administrator
020 7591 4370
Interviews will be held on Friday 22 March 2024.
Please note that interviews will be held at the office of the Mills Williams Trustees.
Bishop and Sewell
59-60 Russell Square,
London WC1B 4HP
Shortlisting for junior fellowships will take place once the RCM’s audition process is complete. Only students offered a place on the Artist Diploma in Performance will be considered.
Should you be invited to interview, you will be required to bring original documentation (visa, passport or leave to remain in the UK) confirming that you have permission to be in the UK.
In your interview you will be required to:
Results will be conveyed as soon as possible after the interviews have taken place.
You will not be expected to perform on the day of the interview.
As a Junior Fellow you will be expected to:
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