Music

Artistic excellence and high quality performance lie at the heart of the Guildhall School's success.

A music college should be chosen for its artistic standards, the pedigree of its international teachers and visiting artists and its access to world class performance spaces. Only with these ingredients in place can a student acquire the knowledge and experience they need to compete in a fast changing professional landscape.

Strong collaborative links to many internationally renowned artists, ensembles, and chamber groups mean that the School can offer once in a lifetime performance, composition and mentoring opportunities. Recent visiting artists include Sir Simon Rattle, Sir Colin Davis, John Adams, Dame Kiri te Kanawa, Sir Thomas Allen, Sir George Martin
and Murray Perahia. Our resident quartets include the Belcea and Takács.

Centre for Orchestra led jointly by the Guildhall School, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Barbican Centre, is a major new initiative in orchestral training, education and support for young professional musicians which will create a forum in London for orchestral development in the 21st century. As well as providing the highest quality orchestral training available, it also offers access to a network of international composers, conductors and soloists which will benefit those students who aspire to careers as soloists and composers. Use of the performance venues at LSO St Luke's and the Barbican Hall are also a feature of the new programme.


choir and harpist

The landscape of music is being transformed. The challenges for aspiring young players have never been greater. For many years the Guildhall School has met each of these new challenges with cutting edge developments:

  • Building has recently begun on Milton Court which will include a new concert hall and two theatres, due to open in 2012
  • The renowned opera programme won the Queen's Anniversary Prize in 2007
  • The School's Guildhall Connect programme won the Queen's Anniversary Prize in 2005
  • Research has an ever-growing significance and the work on pedagogic training, performance and historical context offer a rich vein of resource throughout the School
  • The Centre for Creative and Professional Practice (Guildhall Connect) has recently been established
  • Integrated cross-School resources link drama and music to provide strong cross-disciplinary teaching and performance
  • The School continues its commitment to historical performance, jazz and music therapy alongside its traditional activities.

Read about our undergraduate programmes

Read about our postgraduate programmes