Conservatoire applications

[Violasrule]

Is anyone else looking to apply for a 2025 Conservatoire place? We have just started the process and it’s a steep learning curve!

We’re aware that for some of the more prestigious colleges it’s useful to have an idea of which tutor you would like before you attend the audition. Has anyone else come across this?

Re reserve places.
Last year, we were told by Guildhall admissions that DS could hold his offer with them AND an offer through UCAS Cons.
I can’t see why that wouldn’t be the same with reserve offers.
GH we’re happy for offers to be held right up until registration day.

Worth a chat with admissions if in doubt.

Thank you to all of you (sorry for not tagging I’m at work and might miss someone)

thank you for the kind wishes along with other info about other places

Yes absolutely she knows that getting an audition isn’t guaranteed so that is an achievement

she’s a soprano - ultimate dream is to be an opera singer

all the best to others still waiting and/or deciding x

Oh it is hard for female singers. My dh was on the opera course at Birmingham and many of his fellow students were older. Their voices needed to mature.

@Nomorecoconutboosts sorry to hear that. Very disappointing when it’s what she wants. Take it easy fir a couple of days 🤗

That’s really interesting. My DS mentioned at audition that he was interested in produced music as well as violin, and the Head of Strings basically shut him down, saying he wouldn’t have time for anything but violin. So it is useful to hear your DS experience. Mine has an offer, but felt pretty well put off by his experience. Maybe worth considering again

My DS actually wanted to apply for the produced music course in addition to the performers course.
The admissions person was super helpful, advising that the produced music course doesn’t offer scholarships (he’d been offered a scholarship for performers at this point), so his best advice was to take up his string offer and take the produced music option as 2nd study from year 2 (everyone has to pass first year before being allowed to take a second study).

Sorry, keep forgetting about this thread. Ds1 got an email from Liverpool today. He has got 10 days to send them recordings of 3 songs, maximum 4 minutes long, played on his main instrument.

He's really not sure what to send them and he's having a bit of a panic.

3 songs is new. Last year it was two. he should choose something he is confident with, feels shows him off and also his style of music.

Gosh, so if you’re on the reserve list then a place might not become available until registration day? When other offers will have been taken and it’s too late to change. So potentially places left unfilled?

seems rather unfair on reserve applicants, or am I not understanding?

Oh, that;s very good advice - thank you!

I’m honestly not sure how reserve places work, and I can only say what we were told by Guildhall - that it’s possible to hold an offer from them until August (presumably because some people may also apply to Oxbridge and need to wait for A level results?)

I’m guessing that conservatoires have a carefully considered system of how many places and reserves they offer, that takes into account all possible variables.
Also, I’d assume that very few applicants actually would choose to hold more than one offer until the very last minute, so while it’s oossible in theory, I suspect it doesn’t often happen.

https://www.ram.ac.uk/understanding-your-result

This is what RAM says about reserve places.

https://www.rncm.ac.uk/study-here/make-an-application/your-offer/understanding-your-offer/

Seems each conservatoire has their own timescale for converting reserve offers to confirmed.

Thanks, I get it now, it’s simpler with the UCAS ones and looks like Guildhall not being on UCAS is an unnecessary complication but as you say I’m sure that people don’t hold multiple offers and you need to plan. Hoping we’re not in the reserve list pool but ready for all potential outcomes!

@Nomorecoconutboosts has your DD looked at any youth opera projects? E.g Opera North, Glyndebourne, or national youth choir to further develop or even a national musical theatre project like NYMT? I understand it’s rare for someone so young to be offered a place to do vocal studies so in don’t think she is alone.

@Mumoftheweek
thank you for the suggestions re youth opera. There’s so much I don’t know and she’s relatively recently in the last 2-3 years really developed this passion. I’ll mention to her.

Nomorecoconuts if you are based in the north east you could try the Samling academy for young artists.

Bad luck but she is very young to get in for voice - they usually want their voices to settle a bit. Not opera and she's not old enough yet but she could look at the Sixteen's young singer scheme next time. I think Voces 8 have a summer scheme too

Rcm offer in ucas!

So dd (violin) has now received responses from everywhere. TL gave her an offer on the spot (they were very enthusiastic and seemed to love her) and she received a personal email directly from the head of strings at RWCMD to give her an offer before it came through on UCAS. So as you can imagine she had quite the confidence boost. Then came guildhall, ram and rcm who all barely gave her the time of day in auditions, and have all rejected her. She doesnt mind too much since TL and RWCMD are actually her top choices, but what’s upset her is what a relative said. Her uncle told her that if she doesn’t go to RAM or the likes, she’ll never get anywhere as a musician… He was trying to be helpful but also telling her TL and RWCMD are a waste of time because they’re a much lower calibre upset her as you can imagine. So that’s that, but what has actually concerned me is, maybe her uncle is right. Since the two ‘worse’ colleges loved her but the three ‘elite’ colleges treated her like she was kidding herself being there, doesn’t that say something? I don’t want her to regret going to TL or rwcmd and wish she tried again next year for an ‘elite’ college…
Im so sorry for the length of this but I really just need some advice. Please be honest, if TL and Rwcmd are sub-par standards then we’d really like to know. Thank you all xx

All based on level of funding donors etc I think. Historical reputations etc
She should go where she liked the best which were her two top choices and where she has received a place! What does her uncle do that he is so ‘knowledgeable ‘ about these things?! As far as I can make out the Guildhall seems to offer the most opportunities for professional development and that’s where I’d choose if my choice. My dc does not want to go there. Anyway they all seem to do a masters so can change college then if they want to.
Don’t forget these colleges also have a stream of junior dept students already to fill their spaces and then they need to accept a lot of international students for their larger fees.

Wow, that is one unsupportive uncle. She must feel like she dropped her ice cream. While there is truth in the importance of a schools’s reputation for her future career, she has to be happy where she is studying in order to get the most out of her time there. It is dismissive to say she is wasting her time, and disrespectful to all those who study at those institutions. My DS was offered a scholarship at TL, and while ultimately I don’t think he will take it, he really liked how he felt and how he was treated during the audition. Good luck with your DD - she will do just fine. And congratulations to you both

And a friend hid her undergrad at TL - she is very successful!

It's personal I think. As I keep saying, mine turned down "elite" institutions (RAM & RCM). He's thriving at RNCM. He liked RWCMD but felt it too brass bandy for his instrument, no bad feelings about the place of the quality of it.

@annabelleee Please, please don't listen to your dd's uncle . It has to be her decision. As you know, my ds has just finished his first time at TL. He is a violist, he was offered a substantial scholarship plus a choral scholarship. He is so incredibly happy there. He loves the head of strings who is v blunt, extremely picky so the fact that he offered your dad a place there and then is amazing. Ds has had so many opportunities in his first term that he had to turn down a couple of things as he couldn't fit it all in!
Yes, TL doesn't have the rep of the other "elite" conservatoires but she has to go where she feels she will be happy and supported. It sounds like TL love her. Also TL are currently going through a massive rebrand. Pm me anytime but I really hope she considers TL. X

I can name numerous musicians from Birmingham Conservatoire who are all very successful musicians including dh who decided he was much happier teaching than performing.

One of his pupils at a local high school went to Birmingham and is now a very in demand percussioninst in the musical theatre world. A classmate of dh's sings with Welsh National Opera. Another friend has a portfolio career as a flautist and teacher in touring shows, Royal Shakespeare Company, Leicester Curve plus with a classical wind quartet. I could go on and on.