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Music Tour

Explore our Music facilities with Guildhall students

Guildhall has a unique buzz and vibe to it…a great sense of community and friendliness

Rebecca Carson
BMus Flute

Rebecca Carson
Guildhall has prepared me for a career in music therapy from searching for jobs to having brilliant work experience from the placements they chose for me

Emma Barber
MA Music Therapy

Emma Barber
Guildhall had a crucial role in my success. The very high quality orchestral projects and masterclasses prepared me for professional life

Joao Seara
BMus Double Bass

Joao Seara
Studying at the Guildhall School has been a life-changing and unforgettable adventure

Rebekah Carpio
MMus Clarinet (Orchestral Artistry)

Rebekah Carpio
The strong collaboration between departments has created a very special and supportive atmosphere

Meili Li
MMus Opera Studies

Meili Li
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

Oliver Leith
Such incredible musicians and inspiring teachers and the opportunity to hear from world-class visiting artists has been invaluable

Vijay Prakash
MMus Jazz Trombone

Vijay Prakash
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’

Emily Baines
In my first year, I was given the opportunity to play with the Britten-Pears Orchestra. We performed a number of concerts and our CD, recorded at one of those concerts, went on to win the BBC Music Magazine Award for Best Opera Recording.

Andrew McCoy
BMus Tenor Trombone

Andrew McCoy
Working in pairs during the MA has helped me developer a deeper understanding of how opera composers work and how to spark their imaginations with a libretto.

Zoe Palmer (writer)
MA Opera Making and Writing

Zoe Palmer (writer)
The relationship between the Barbican, BBC, and Guildhall is absolutely invaluable as it provides opportunities for students that cannot be found elsewhere.

Emiko Edwards
MPerf Piano

Emiko Edwards
I feel that the people here really make the institution. I found Guildhall to be a really supportive environment that gave me room to explore, take risks, and mature as a mucisian, and as a human being.

Francesca Chiejina
MPerf Vocal Studies

Francesca Chiejina
Writing music for theatre has been a highlight of my time at Guildhall, as it has allowed me to explore an art form in which I have a great amount of interest and to work towards a professional finished product.

Alexander Hall
BMus Composition

Alexander Hall
Barbican is a key partner of Guildhall, and we can often get artists who perform there to do a masterclass or project with us, and we often do performances at Barbican events.

Ieva Vaitiekunaite
BMus Electronic Music

Ieva Vaitiekunaite
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)

Rees Webster
I was excited to cover a role in the UK premiere of Andrew Norman's 'A Trip to the Moon' in the Barbican, have a solo recital at LSO St Luke's and also to sing on the stage of Wigmore Hall.

Mirjam Mesak
MPerf Vocal Studies

Mirjam Mesak
I knew about the fantastic tutoring and resources, but the friendly and stimulating environment clinched it for me.

Eden Lonsdale
BMus Composition

Eden Lonsdale
I had the opportunity to play percussion with the Guildhall Studio Orchestra which gave me the chance to learn from, and play alongside, amazing senior players, as well as to perform with the incredible Liane Carroll.

Dave Adsett
BMus Jazz Drums

Dave Adsett
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

Jonathan Ferrucci
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 b e with actors doing the musical and then playing a symphony in the orchestra.

Millie Ashton
BMus Violin

Millie Ashton
The departmental philosophy of returning opera back to something that is essentially produced as part of a company is a really great thing.

Klara Kofen (writer)
MA Opera Making and Writing

Klara Kofen (writer)
The quality of teaching is amazingly high. With the guidance and help that I've been given, I feel my work has got dramatically better over a short space of time.

Lucy Armstrong (composer)
MA Opera Making and Writing

Lucy Armstrong (composer)
I set up a piano trio when I arrived, and we have weekly coaching with members of the Endellion Quartet and the faculty. It has been very rewarding.

Leo Popplewell
MMus Cello

Leo Popplewell
It seemed like this was a place to go and experience a complete world of art and performance and see what happened - a place that really encouraged you to make things that you want to make.

Vittorio Angelone
BMus Percussion

Vittorio Angelone
Home > Music > Performance and collaboration > Collaborative programmes

Who we work with

Much of who we are and what we do is shaped by collaboration. We are always looking for ways to collaborate, and we are proud to have established robust, purposeful partnerships with five key organisations – organisations that contribute significantly to our programmes of study and provide Guildhall students with many exciting opportunities. These unique partnerships will enable you to meet some of the world’s most renowned artists, experience some of London’s finest venues, and receive the very best preparation for your chosen career.

Barbican Centre

The Barbican Centre is Europe’s largest multi-arts and conference centre. It pushes the boundaries of all major art forms including dance, film, music, theatre and visual arts and is situated immediately next door to Guildhall School within the iconic Barbican Estate. The Barbican and the School enjoy a unique educational and cultural partnership. Built over many years, this partnership will provide you with exceptional learning opportunities. These include masterclasses and projects with the Barbican's visiting orchestras and ensembles, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic (International Orchestra Partner), Australian Chamber Orchestra (International Associate Ensemble at Milton Court) and Jazz at Lincoln Center (International Associate Ensemble), and joint projects with the Barbican Cinema and Barbican Art Gallery. There is also the chance to perform in Barbican venues such as the Theatre, Pit Theatre and Concert Hall.

Additionally, the Barbican and the School collaborate on a major learning and participation programme called Creative Learning. Through Creative Learning, Guildhall students learn to use their skills in community settings across East London and beyond.

London Symphony Orchestra

Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading orchestras, the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is Resident Orchestra at the Barbican. It attracts outstanding players from all over the world, and has a roster of soloists and conductors who are second to none.

An integral partner of Guildhall School for many years, the LSO now helps to deliver the Orchestral Artistry specialism within the Guildhall Artist Masters programme, an exciting course of study for instrumentalists seeking a career in orchestral playing (see page xx). It also provides a range of performance opportunities for other Guildhall music students, including the highly-regarded concert series ‘LSO Platforms: Guildhall Artists’, which sees Guildhall musicians take part in rush-hour concerts on the Barbican stage before LSO performances.

In 2017, the LSO’s new Music Director Sir Simon Rattle became Artist in Association with Guildhall School, further cementing this partnership.

BBC Symphony Orchestra

The BBC Symphony Orchestra is one of the UK’s finest orchestras, performing extensively as Associate Orchestra of the Barbican and forming the backbone of the BBC Proms. Guildhall musicians play a significant role in the Orchestra’s Total Immersion series, which celebrates the work of contemporary composers. Guildhall performances in Total Immersion are often broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and receive high critical praise.

Other recent collaborations with the Orchestra include Guildhall singers forming the chorus for a performance of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony, our actors joining the ensemble for Grieg’s complete Peer Gynt, and our composers writing for an ensemble including BBCSO players.

Royal Opera House

The Royal Opera House is home to the Royal Opera, one of the world’s leading opera companies, renowned for its outstanding performances of traditional opera but also for commissioning new works.

The collaboration between the Royal Opera House and Guildhall has led to two areas of study in contemporary opera making: a new MA in Opera Making and Writing and a studentship which appoints one doctoral student as Composer-in-Residence at the Opera House for a period of three years. These innovative developments combine the expertise of a conservatoire with that of an opera house, helping to support emerging composers and librettists in the creation of new operatic work.

Academy of Ancient Music

Through our partnership with the Academy of Ancient Music (AAM), one of the world’s leading period instrument ensembles, we are creating a centre of excellence in historical performance. The AAM, who are an Associate Ensemble at the Barbican and perform part of their season in Milton Court, offer masterclasses, workshops, mock auditions, Q&A sessions and exclusive access to open rehearsals – unique learning opportunities for students in this particular discipline.

We also work with a number of other organisations on projects and performances throughout the year, for example the London Contemporary Dance School, École des Écoles, and Wigmore Hall.

Creative Learning

We believe that everyone has a right to access culturally enriching experiences, which is why we will encourage you to use your craft to benefit others, not just yourself. Through Creative Learning, our joint learning and participation programme with the Barbican, we support a wide range of initiatives taking the arts into communities in East London, and welcome audiences into the School from those communities. Every undergraduate music student at Guildhall School is trained to work in participatory settings, such as hospitals, prisons, schools and other community groups. It’s all about the power and duty of the arts to transform lives. This ethos has been embedded in the School for over 30 years, giving depth and scope to our social engagement programmes.

We are interested in breaking traditional boundaries between the arts, which is why all undergraduates at Guildhall work together on a cross-arts collaborative project in their first year, led by Creative Learning. Designed to meet the needs of the 21st century artist, Creative Learning will also help you explore enterprise and innovation, providing opportunities for ‘lab’ work and residencies aimed at nurturing and showcasing emerging artistic talent. Creative Learning helps to deliver the BA in Performance & Creative Enterprise degree.

International exchange partners

If you are interested in studying abroad as part of your programme, we offer student exchange agreements with an array of internationally-renowned European conservatoires and Musikhochschulen through the Erasmus scheme.

Erasmus

Contact: erasmus@gsmd.ac.uk

The School participates in the European ERASMUS Exchange Programme in association with the British Council, an exchange programme with an array of internationally renowned European conservatoires. Exchanges are available to music students through an application/audition process. If successful, the student will be able to study abroad, for a period of 3-5 months, as a formative learning experience. A grant is also awarded to help supplement living costs during the exchange period.

Where can I go?

The Guildhall School currently has exchange agreements with a number of conservatoires in the following countries: Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Please see our Study Abroad page, visit www.doremifasocrates.org or visit www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus for more information.

Read more about studying abroad as part of a Guildhall School degree programme