Audition Requirements

Please see Filling In Your Application For UK Conservatoires via UCAS for further assistance with this process.

These details are for students applying to start their studies at the Academy in September 2025.

If you have any questions please contact the Admissions Team (admissions@ram.ac.uk) or the department administrator (strings@ram.ac.uk).

2 October, 6pm UK time:
Deadline for all candidates for London or Video auditions to submit their UCAS Conservatoires application.

Then:

25 October, midday UK time:

• London in-person candidates: deadline for you to submit your application profile in the Acceptd portal, with your referee contact details, and any written requirements required for your course choice (postgraduates only, see below).
  London in-person auditions for your Principal Study are not pre-screened.
• Video candidates: deadline for you to submit your application profile in the Acceptd portal, details are on our video auditions page.
  You will need to create a profile in the Acceptd portal, into which you put your referee contact details and upload:
  - your audition recording
  - the list of all the works in your programme
  - any written requirements for your course choice (postgraduates only, see below) and
  - your spoken English introduction.
  You may be asked to have an online interview with the Head of the Strings department.

1 November, midday UK time:

• New York candidates: deadline for you to submit your UCAS Conservatoires application and also your application profile in the Acceptd portal, details are on our video auditions page.
  You will need to create a profile in the Acceptd portal, into which you put your referee contact details and upload:
  - your pre-screening audition recording (repertoire as listed below)
  - the list of all the works in your programme
  - any written requirements for your course choice (postgraduates only, see below) and
  - your spoken English introduction.
  
  Please see "International Auditions" on the Your Application page.

Video and New York candidates:

• The performance element of your video submission must be in one take i.e. not edited and with no breaks between items. However, individual items (pieces/movements) can be recorded separately if the possibility of recording the audition in one take is affected by circumstances beyond your control - such as availability of an accompanist.
  All recordings must be recent/current.
  All accompanied works should have the appropriate accompaniment in your recording. This can be a “minus one” track, you do not need to hire an accompanist for your audition recording.

String Audition Requirements

Candidates are encouraged to be innovative and inclusive in their approach to the repertoire they perform; the panel welcomes hearing pieces by under-represented composers.

• There is no requirement to perform from memory in your audition. However please do not place the music stand in a way that blocks our view of your playing.
  

Undergraduate applicants

Violin, Viola and Cello: First movement (with cadenza) of a Classical concerto, suggested composers include Haydn, Mozart, Hoffmeister and Stamitz. Other composers’ works, if chosen, should be of this period. In addition, a contrasting piece of your own choice.

Double Bass: One solo piece and two orchestral excerpts of your own choice.

You may be asked to have a subsequent interview with one of the undergraduate academic staff, during which you can discuss your study plans. As part of the interview you may be asked some questions about a short extract of music, and be asked to take some aural skills assessments consisting of a sight-singing test and some of the following:

• singing the middle notes in a chord
• identification of intervals
• sight reading of rhythms
• sight reading of two simultaneous different rhythms, to be sung and clapped.
  

Sorry, we cannot issue specimen tests.

Postgraduate applicants

Violin, Viola and Cello: First movement of a major post-1800 concerto, and a contrasting piece of your own choice.

Double Bass: One solo piece and two orchestral excerpts of your own choice.

You may be asked to have a subsequent interview with one of the postgraduate programme tutors where you can discuss your study plans.

Written Requirements

Applicants for the Master of Music (MMus), Professional Diploma (ProfDip) and Advanced Diploma (Performance) courses need to submit written requirements, please view these on the entry requirements page of the website. There are no written requirements for the Master of Arts (MA) or PGCert. All Master of Music candidates are automatically considered for Master of Arts, so if you are also interested in MA study you should only apply for MMus because there will only be one audition.

You are not tied to the course choice in your application, the length and pathway can be discussed and adjusted as appropriate.

Application Fee

We assess everyone who applies on time and pays their application and assessment fee. Information on the assessment fee and waivers can be found in the Your Application pages of our website, please click on the link below.

Your Application website pages