Music

Music students and staff come from all over the world to study and teach in the unique environment at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. We’re in a major international city with two of the world’s finest concert halls (Town Hall and Symphony Hall) and a world class orchestra (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra).

Alongside the specialist training that we provide, you’ll benefit from the city's constant stream of visiting international soloists – many of whom give masterclasses at the Conservatoire.

Departments and Tutors

During your time at the Conservatoire, you will study within a particular department, determined by your principal study area, and on a particular course.

Our Departments and Tutors

Courses

Take a look through our range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, including Stage Management, Music Technology and Orchestral Performance.

View courses

How to apply

To apply for any of our Music undergraduate or postgraduate taught courses you will need to use UCAS Conservatoires. We've put together a short guide to help you through the UCAS process.

How to apply

[00:00:01] Speaker 1 When you start your time here at RBC (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire), you'll be surrounded by people who have similar aspirations to you and or want to just make great music together. So this leads to really great friendships that will last a lifetime, but can also lead to the forming of chamber ensembles with your mates and networking opportunities that you can call upon all throughout your career. Being part of the arts, design and media faculty here at BCU gives you the chance to play on video game soundtracks, film soundtracks and even art exhibitions. I was lucky enough to get my first professional seat in an orchestra called The Chinese Orchestra at the end of my second year, and RBC managed to tailor my course to allow me to go around the world and perform as a professional trumpet player. As School rep for the Conservatoire, this has  given me the opportunity to have meetings with senior staff and other students to discuss how we make the curriculum more inclusive and even how we program concerts to make sure it's as diverse as possible.

[00:01:04] Speaker 2 So I'm a music tech student. Wherever your interest lies, there is a specific room designed for that purpose. Whether that be recording, mixing, mastering or editing. We have several studios with incredible control rooms, with SSL mixing desks and live rooms with a variety of very nice mics. My confidence has risen to levels I didn't know I could reach. I think one of the greatest experiences of being a RBC has been the opportunity to join the Folk Ensemble. Once a week we meet up and we get the opportunity to tour across the UK. It's also a great place to meet people and feel integrated in the RBC community. Primarily, we play folk music, but we take influence from music all around the world and it's all fused with elements of rock, metal and jazz. The course is designed in a way that means that we get a lot of 1 to 1 time with professionals in the industry. The insights I've been given have been so amazing.

[00:02:08] Speaker 3 I have spent most of my final year looking at music education. I've focussed my major project on looking at strategies behind music education in schools and school projects, as well as delivering a music workshop in schools, in a care home and in hospitals. As the course has gone on, I've been given more chances to learn about how I best learn because of the independent study. The University facilities are right on the doorstep of the Conservatoire, and the Curzon Library is only a five minute walk away. The library is great for sheet music and it's also great for any research books we need for our projects. Every student has access to the support services at BCU and the mental health team have been a great support to me throughout my time at university. I've been president of BCUSU's LGBTQ+ Society for the last two years, where we work on improving the student experience for LGBTQ+ students and offering a safe space on campus. My time at university has helped me grow as a musician and as an individual. I'm excited to build my career using the skills that I've learned. 

BMus Music

Bradley, Thomas and Maisy, students on our BMus Music degree, share their experiences of what it is like to study at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Blog

Check out our blog, online home for our community of musicians, actors, applied theatre performers and stage managers.

Read more

Facilities

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s £57 million teaching and performance facility offers unrivalled opportunities for our students.

Our facilities

Our graduates

Take a look at what some of our Music graduates have been doing since they graduated from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

Our graduates

International students

Our international student population has risen and diversified greatly over the last 10 years, with students and staff coming from all over the world to study and teach in the unique environment we offer.

International students

Opportunities to perform

The range of experience you get from playing in orchestras and ensembles will help you to develop the knowledge and flexibility required for the demands of professional music-making.

Performance opportunities

Postgraduate study

Postgraduate study will give you an opportunity to broaden your experience while focusing on your professional development, to prepare you for a career in the music profession

Postgraduate

Research

Much of our research work, beyond the major Funded Projects, tends to cluster into informal groupings.

More about our research

Juniors

The Junior Conservatoire provides specialist musical tuition for talented young musicians.

Tuition for Young Musicians

Consultation lessons

Book a consultation lesson with one of our many specialist instrumental and vocal tutors.

Book a consultation lesson

A Creative Capital

Located in the heart of Birmingham and the UK’s second largest city, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is surrounded by a rich culture and flourishing music scene. Discover everything that the city has to offer including festivals, music venues, events and museums.

Birmingham Skyline at sunset
 

ConservatoireOpen Days

Join us on campus at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for an insight into life as a Conservatoire student.

Register your interest

More information

Accommodation

Find your home from home at BCU. We offer eight halls of residence options, ranging from on-campus to inner-city living. You can take a virtual tour of each accommodation option to find the one for you.

More about accommodation

Admissions

Read our admission FAQs to get your application questions answered. If your question isn’t covered, we have all the details of how to get in touch.

More about admissions

Student Support

From disability and mental health support to CV and job interview training, BCU ensures you have all you need during your time here – and beyond – to succeed and flourish in your studies and career.

More about student support

Social Media

Follow our social media channels and discover more about life at BCU, including what the University and city will offer you if you study here.

More about social media

Open Days

When possible, the best way to explore what's on offer is to come and see us in person, and we host a number of Open Days throughout the year. Come and be taught by our trailblazing academics and study in our innovative £400m facilities.

Open days