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Explore our Music facilities with Guildhall students

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
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
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

All of our work at Guildhall is shaped by collaboration. We collaborate internally across disciplines and departments, and with many external organisations. We are especially proud to have established core partnerships with five organisations which contribute significantly to our programmes of study. Through these unique partnerships you will 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 is an international arts and learning centre that pushes the boundaries of all major art forms including dance, film, music, theatre and visual arts. 

Situated next to Guildhall School, it houses a concert hall, two theatres, two galleries, three cinemas, a glasshouse conservatory and a library. The unique creative alliance between the Barbican and Guildhall School will provide you with exceptional learning opportunities, including masterclasses, projects with the Barbican’s international Associate Orchestras, 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 the chance to perform at the Barbican. 

In 2009, Barbican Guildhall Creative Learning was formed to pioneer new models for creative and cultural learning. Every year we work to provide more than 22,000 people of all ages with creative skills for life through a range of innovative programmes. The Barbican’s popular Young Barbican scheme offers all Guildhall students discounted access to unmissable art and entertainment as well as exclusive events and creative opportunities. 

London Symphony Orchestra

Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading orchestras, the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is Resident Orchestra at the Barbican, with a roster of soloists and conductors who are second to none. 

An integral partner of Guildhall School for many years, the LSO 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, and provides many performance opportunities for Guildhall students. In 2017, the LSO’s Music Director Sir Simon Rattle became Artist in Association at Guildhall School. 

BBC Symphony Orchestra

The BBC Symphony Orchestra is one of the UK’s finest orchestras, performing extensively as an 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; performances are often broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and receive high critical praise.

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 and its exciting commissions of new works. The Royal Opera House and Guildhall collaborate on two areas of study in contemporary opera making: the 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.

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 responding to the needs of the next generation of performers. AAM, who are an Associate Ensemble at the Barbican and perform part of their season at Milton Court, offer side-by-side performances, masterclasses, access to rehearsals, and a wealth of online resources – invaluable learning opportunities for students who require fluency in multiple performing styles.

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.

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. Guildhall School remains a part of the Erasmus+ network until the end of 2020, after which alternative arrangements for exchanges with institutions in and beyond Europe will be made.