Composition

The Junior Conservatoire of Music has been teaching young musicians for more than 50 years here in the centre of Glasgow. Now, we have more than 300 young people travel from across Scotland and the north of England every Saturday to access this renowned training programme and to work with our expert teachers.

This Composition programme is an intensive, year-long course in which you will learn from one-to-one lessons, ensemble work, composing and musicianship classes. Our aim is to help you develop into the best musician possible and, for one day a week, immerse you in conservatoire life.

You will benefit from learning within a conservatoire environment and have the opportunity to take part in Bridge Week, an interdisciplinary celebration where students from across the Junior Conservatoire come together to devise and perform new work within one of the Royal Conservatoire’s professional venues. As the national conservatoire of Scotland, we have strong partnerships with the professional industry and you may benefit from performing opportunities or masterclasses with undergraduate and postgraduate students or visiting artists.

By studying on this Junior Conservatoire programme, you will:

• learn from expert staff from the Royal Conservatoire
• work with students from other disciplines across the Junior Conservatoire
• develop your performance skills and have many opportunities to perform publicly on stage
• take part in prize competitions
• learn across a broad curriculum including world music, composition, conducting and jazz

Entry to the programme is by audition only and we don’t have a minimum grade requirement – we look for the potential and dedication of every applicant.

The programme runs from September to June each year, and you can apply to join at any point of your secondary school education.

Every student within the Junior Conservatoire of Music is given their own individual timetable to ensure you receive the right tuition for your development.

Expect your Saturdays to be busy – most students begin their lessons at 9am, with a busy timetable taking them through to the afternoon when there may be live performances scheduled

Working with your tutor, you will create and write your own compositions to be performed by your peers and professional musicians at the annual Celebration of Young Composers. This annual event is part of the Royal Conservatoire’s critically-acclaimed new music festival, PLUG.

Through one-to-one tuition and group lessons, you’ll learn how to work across the performing arts community and develop your creativity.

We want to ensure everyone has an opportunity to apply for the Junior Conservatoire Composition programme so we will audition every student who applies on time.

• The option to have a further 30–45 minute one-to-one lesson in a second study
• Take part in our annual Composers Sunday event and hear your music played by live orchestras and musicians
• Participate in a wide variety of ensembles and orchestras, such as Big Band, Chamber Groups, String Ensembles, Sinfonia, Symphony Orchestra and Wind Orchestra
• Receive your own personalised timetable, allowing for individual needs across one-to-one tuition, group lessons, choir, ensemble work and performing opportunities
• Compete in internal and external music prizes and competitions, such as, the Junior Conservatoire Gilbert Innes Prizes, Traditional Music Prize, BBC Young Musician of the Year, Inspire Young Composers’, Rotary Club and local Music Festivals
• Develop your aural skills in one of the Junior Conservatoire choirs
• Attend weekly Practical Musicianship classes which support and develop subject areas, such as theory, musicianship, composition, history of music and analysis skills
• Work towards ABRSM Grade 5 theory/NYCoS ‘Going for Gold’ qualifications
• Have the opportunity to work towards and sit ABRSM Grade 8 theory exam (optional)
• Receive support with preparation towards SQA instrumental music exams
• Receive formative feedback reports twice a year, in addition to weekly feedback from one-to-one lessons, to ensure you are achieving the most out of your studies

The Junior Conservatoire of Music has a wide and varied range of professional educators who work on a weekly basis with our students. The staff are all experts in their field and include musicians from each of the national orchestras.

Staff include:

• Hedley Benson (Brass)
• Pamella Dow (Pre-Junior Conservatoire and Percussion)
• Bernard Docherty (Strings)
• Andrea Gajic (Strings)
• Djordje Gajic (Accordion)
• Karen Geoghegan (Practical Musicianship)
• Sharron Griffiths (Pedal Harp)
• Claire Haslin (Piano)
• Margaret Izatt (Voice)
• Andrew Nunn (Choirs)
• Betsy Taylor (Strings)
• Audrey McPherson (Composition)
• Stephen West (Woodwind)

We want to make the performing arts as accessible to everyone as possible. Anyone who faces financial barriers to participate in the Junior Conservatoire can apply for a bursary or scholarship. As soon as you have been made an offer, you will be sent a link to the bursary and scholarship application form.

These funds are currently supported by the generosity of individuals and charitable trusts and foundations including:

• James McAvoy Drama Scholarship
• Agnes Allan Bursary
• Cambuslang Rotary Club Bursary
• ABRSM Junior Scholarship UK
• Wolfson Foundation Scholarship
• Stevenson Scholarship
• Miss Nancy Williamson Bursary
• William R MacFarlane Scholarship
• Savoy Scholarship
• John McIntyre Memorial Scholarship

Entry to Junior Conservatoire is by audition only, and progression through the levels is not automatic – students will be assessed each year if they would like to continue with their studies.

We do not ask for any minimum grade – instead the panel will be looking for applicants of great potential who demonstrate they have the commitment and ability to work hard and become the best performer they can be.

We want your audition to be an enjoyable experience and encourage you to take this opportunity to find out more about the Junior Conservatoire.

The audition will be split into three parts: a portfolio of material sent in advance,  a performance audition and an informal interview with a panel of teachers from the Junior Conservatoire.

The portfolio

Please send a short portfolio of compositions (no less than two pieces written for contrasting instrumentation) to the Junior Conservatoire – juniorsmusic@rcs.ac.uk – ahead of your audition date.

The audition

You should come prepared to perform one piece on an instrument of your choice – you should select a piece that you think best demonstrates your current playing ability. We will also ask you to sight-read and there will be a selection of rhythm and pitch tests, appropriate to the standard of your principal instrument, in order to ascertain your current level of general musicianship.

The interview

The interview is a chance for you to ask us questions also, so please use the opportunity to ask anything that you’d like to know about the Junior Conservatoire. We’ll ask you questions around your musical experience, your practices and what you hope to get from being a part of the Junior Conservatoire.

Time will be provided in order to discuss your portfolio of compositions.

We want to ensure everyone has an opportunity to apply for the Junior Conservatoire Composition programme so we will audition every student who applies on time.

When to apply

All applications should be completed online and there is an audition fee of £40. If you need financial support to pay for the audition fee please contact us at juniors@rcs.ac.uk 

Audition dates

All auditions for the Junior Conservatoire Composition programme will take place between 24 February and 3 April 2020. We will notify applicants of their audition date/time a minimum of two weeks’ in advance.

Open Day

Please see our Junior Conservatoire Open Day page for more information on our upcoming open days.

Question?

If you have any questions about the Junior Conservatoire or the application process, please don’t hesitate to contact us at juniorsmusic@rcs.ac.uk or 0141 270 8271.

Term dates 2020/21

Enrolment week: Saturday 29 August 2020

Term 1: Saturday 5 September – Saturday 5 December 2020

Mid-term break: Saturday 10 October and Saturday 17 October 2020

Term 2: Saturday 9 January – Saturday 20 March 2021

Mid-term break: Saturday 6 February 2021

Term 3: Saturday 24 April – Saturday 12 June 2021