Composition (16+)

There is no deadline to apply, however booking is first come, first serve – so we recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Please see Entry Requirements tab for further information about the supporting materials which are required for application.

Payment of the balance of the tuition fee is payable once applicants have been notified that they have been successful in their application to the course and completed their booking.

This intensive and demanding course will give you an opportunity to develop your individual compositional technique and voice in a questioning and supportive way.

Each day will consist of a mixture of group discussions, group rehearsals, composer talks and seminars, individual lessons and writing (and re-writing!) time.

Daily rehearsals and workshops will allow you to gradually change your work during the course leading to an informal concert that will be professionally recorded and made available to you.

This course is for dynamic and imaginative composers, focusing on the thoughts, ideas and desires that you put in your music. It will help you to think on your own, to create in your own distinctive way and communicate with performers, other composers and audience.

Students who would benefit from this intensive and highly practical course may be composers who are:

• preparing to audition for courses in music conservatoires
• currently studying at a conservatoire or university
• wishing to enhance their compositional skills and experiences
• wishing to enhance their musical experience by working with the composition team and musicians at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Please note this course is not suitable for composers who wish to focus on writing for film.

We do not focus on any one style of music (and film music is not a style of composition in itself), so we encourage participants to draw on a number of different techniques and approaches to create a new piece for the ensemble that week, with the hope that they will expand their ways of working and learn more about writing for live instruments.

Applicants should have a relatively advanced understanding of notational skills and preferably access to music composition software such as Sibelius or Finale in order to fully benefit from this summer school.

Students will be required to submit scores and recordings (electronically if possible) for consideration by the Course Leader in advance of being accepted to the summer school.

Younger students may be accepted to the summer school at the discretion of the course leader.

Recordings can be uploaded to your online application form ideally as a Sibelius or Finale file however a private YouTube link or mp3 is also acceptable.

Please remember to title your file or video as: Your Name – Course Name

During the summer school students will be expected to compose a work for the following instrumentation:

Flute (doubling piccolo)
Clarinet (doubling bass clarinet)
Violin
Cello
Piano
Percussion – 1 player playing 1 tuned instrument (marimba, vibraphone or xylophone) plus three other percussion instruments

Participants should begin developing this work prior to the start of the course and can submit some sketches to the course leader if they so wish before the course start date. The work will then be developed throughout the summer school week and recorded on the final day by the ensemble.

You should arrive for the course with a reasonable amount of plain paper, manuscript and pens.  You may find bringing a laptop with composition software as a useful addition.

The course runs Monday 5 August – Friday 9 August, from 10am to 5pm. There will be a short sharing of the work students have been engaging with on the Friday afternoon for invited family and friends.

Summer Accommodation

We are pleased to welcome students from across the world to our Summer Schools. Our course fees do not include accommodation or food, and these should be organised by the student. Our campus is located in Glasgow city centre, and you can find the addresses below.

We recommend Base Glasgow, as purpose-built accommodation for Conservatoire students, with Rehearsal Rooms, Practice spaces and Dance Studios. Base Glasgow is perfectly suited for our summer school students; both safe and secure, with 24/7 staff presence and only 3 mins walk from our main Renfrew Street building, keeping travel costs to a minimum.

Classic En-Suite rooms come with a 3/4 bed, en-suite bathroom, ample storage, mirror, study desk and chair. The shared area includes a spacious lounge and kitchen area.

Please note that Short Courses staff are not affiliated with BASE or on site outwith the summer school teaching hours, and therefore cannot take responsibility for students outside of these hours.

For more information about booking accommodation at BASE Glasgow you can contact them directly via website BASE – Student Accommodation in Glasgow or email baseglasgow@herestudents.com.

Alternatively, there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and b’n’b options available. We are located close to transport links should you wish to stay outside the city centre. If you are travelling to Glasgow for a course, we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance that covers course fees, travel, accommodation, and cancellations due to COVID-19 – as RCS will not refund in this circumstance. You can view the Cancellations and Refund policy for full information.

For students under 18 years old, we strongly advise travelling with a responsible adult should any emergency situations arise during class. Students are only monitored by staff during class times.

Renfrew Street Campus: 100 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G2 3DB
Wallace Studios Campus: 210 Garscube Road, Glasgow, G4 9RR