Guildhall School of Music & Drama

Discover Guildhall

Tour the School

Walk the School with Guildhall students

During my time here, I organised an international conference based around my subject involving delegates from 4 continents

Emily Baines
DMus, ‘Mechanical Musical Instruments as a Source for Historical Performance’

The teaching staff encourage the diversity that Guildhall is known for…there is something for everyone, regardless of style and influence

Oliver Leith
MMus Composition

The research community at Guildhall is a really interesting place to be

Stefania Donini
PhD

I found it very beneficial to take a break from a busy teaching career to think and reflect on my teaching value, principle and strategies

Yushan Li
PGCert Performance Teaching

Whether it is in sit-in rehearsals, side-by-side projects or chamber orchestra sessions, the LSO players offer invaluable guidance and provide a glimpse of the exceptional standards we aspire towards.

Rees Webster
MPerf Oboe (Orchestral Artistry)

Studying at Guildhall is really cool because you are in a setting where the arts are valued by an entire community

Natasha Mbwana
BA Performance & Creative Enterprise

The projects we work on are real - we are in effect constantly getting work experience

Laurie Lumley
BA Video Design for Live Performance

Guildhall is an institution that knows it has to be connected to the outside world - that's the key thing. It's not a bubble. It has roots in the city and in the world.

Jonathan Ferrucci
Artist Diploma Piano

One minute you could be playing in the Guildhall Studio Orchestra with jazz musicians, the next you could be playing in the opera pit, then the next minute you'll be with actors doing the musical and then playing a symphony in the orchestra.

Millie Ashton
BMus Violin

Why do I have to pay an application fee?

Conservatoires and drama schools do not select applicants solely based on academic criteria and exam certificates; we also want to know whether you have the artistic potential to benefit from our training.

This means we often use external expertise to help select students, and this cost is partly (though not completely) covered by the candidate via the application fee, so that the cost is not passed on to current students. This might include:

covering the cost of an audition or selection panel that includes external experts

covering the cost of a professional accompanist for your audition

covering the cost of an external expert to view your portfolio

Although this cost is unavoidable, we try to provide ideas for helping you raise the funds to cover the fee. See gsmd.ac.uk/apply for more information.

We also offer 170 application fee waivers for applicants whose backgrounds are under-represented in higher education who live or study in a partner London borough, or at a partner youth theatre in London, and who meet the eligibility criteria.

In the case of auditions for BA and MA Acting, we audition every applicant to our acting programmes, with three rounds of auditions, and charge a single audition fee for each candidate. Each fee is used to cover the cost of the audition process and the administration behind the organisation of at least 2,500 auditions a year.

Please note that as your application is processed as soon as you pay your application fee, your application fee is non-refundable even if at a later point you withdraw.