A male student playing the piano, with a dark background behind him.

Keyboard

Latest from the Keyboard FacultyCourses availableContact the Keyboard Faculty

‘We pride ourselves in being a nurturing faculty, encouraging you to achieve your personal goals and develop the skills to be successful in today’s music profession.’

Professor Vanessa Latarche, Head of Keyboard

The Keyboard Faculty provides opportunities for you to experience tuition and masterclasses in a variety of subjects. Our programmes encourage you to fulfil your own potential and enable you to specialise in a variety of areas such as solo piano, contemporary piano, collaborative piano and organ, as well as fortepiano and harpsichord. 

The Royal College of Music boasts a wealth of high quality instruments. Pianists receive individual lessons on Steinway, Fazioli and Bechstein grand pianos, and our impressive Blüthner Practice Suite holds 12 Blüthner pianos available for practice. Organists have access to the RCM’s selection of mechanical action instruments, including our custom-built Flentrop Orgelbouw organ, as well as opportunities to play and have lessons on external organs, such as at the Royal Albert Hall.

One-to-one lessons

One-to-one lessons are at the very heart of every RCM student’s learning experience. High quality performance, radiating artistry, technique, integrity and depth of stylistic understanding is only possible with the input of teaching staff of the highest level. Our distinguished and experienced professors will help you achieve your personal goals in a supportive environment, where you can develop the skills to be successful in today’s music profession.

Meet the professors

The Keyboard Faculty offers collaborative piano and contemporary piano as principal study specialisms to postgraduate students. The RCM’s thriving Historical Performance Faculty provides keyboard students with access to masterclasses and dedicated tuition in fortepiano and harpsichord. 

Pianists enjoy being part of a faculty that achieves unrivalled success in international competitions and provides a range of performance opportunities from solo recitals in London and beyond to concerto performances with RCM orchestras.

Organists enjoy regular study trips abroad to France, Germany and the Netherlands. Training built into the core of the BMus programme includes preparation for the diplomas of the Royal College of Organists.

All keyboard students at the RCM have the opportunity to learn from the biggest names in the industry through our regular programme of masterclasses.

A black student, wearing smart attire, performing on the piano, with Lang Lang moving his arms behind her as he is teaching her, with a wooden panel behind them.

Public masterclass with Lang Lang

A male student playing the piano in an orchestra, with an orchestra being conducted in the background.

RCM pianist Misha Kaploukhii performing with the RCM Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall

A male student looking at music sheets sitting at a piano, with a women with glasses talking to him, pointing at the music sheets.

One-to-one piano lesson with Professor Vanessa Latarche

Two pianist students, sitting at two pianos, with a full orchestra and choir behind them, on stage in a performance space.

Pianists rehearsing in an orchestral rehearsal

A male student performing on a keyboard, with a man wearing a dark top observing him.

One-to one piano lesson with Ian Jones

A women wearing a smart blouse with short brown hair, leaning on a piano, talking to a student, wearing smart black attire, looking and listening to her as he sits at the piano, standing on stage.

Public masterclass with Dame Imogen Cooper

A group of students, wearing formal attire, playing in pairs on two separate pianos on stage.

Performing at the annual Keyboard Festival

A man wearing glasses and a light blue jacket, talking to the audience, with a female student wearing smart black attire, looking and listening to him, standing on a well lit stage.

Public masterclass with William Grant Nabore

Student practising on the organ in the West Parry Room, with a man teaching the student.

An organ lesson in the West Parry Room

Performance opportunities

Soloists have the opportunity to perform concertos with RCM orchestras, which are regularly joined by world-renowned conductors. Performances have included Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no 5 conducted by Sakari Oramo; Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano; Liszt’s Piano Concerto no 2 conducted by Adrian Partington; and Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto no 3 conducted by Andrew Gourlay at the Royal Festival Hall.

Many organ students hold scholarships while studying, for example, at Westminster Abbey, Royal Hospital Chelsea, Chapel Royal Hampton Court, Southwark Cathedral, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Farm Street Church and other significant churches in and around London.

Students are encouraged to form their own chamber groups, which can benefit from unlimited coaching. You can also receive invaluable preparation for international competitions.

The RCM runs an annual Keyboard Festival, which represents a fantastic opportunity for a wide range of keyboard students to perform, often in front of a worldwide audience thanks to the RCM’s live streaming capabilities. 

The great number of students and instruments in the Keyboard Faculty allows us to stage unusual performances, such as a ground-breaking performance of John Cage’s HPSCHD for seven harpsichords.

‘The quality of teaching, especially the one-to-one lessons, is first class and I feel that I have really developed as a person and as a musician during my studies.’

George Harliono, Bachelor of Music (Hons)

Recent visiting artists

Our students enjoy regular masterclasses with the most renowned international visiting artists, including:

  • Emanuel Ax
  • Boris Berman
  • Olivier Cazal
  • Angela Hewitt
  • Stephen Hough
  • Stanislav Ioudenitch
  • Lang Lang
  • Adolf Pla
  • Martin Schmeding
  • Yuri Shadrin
  • Sir András Schiff
  • Susanna Stranders
  • Mitsuko Uchida
  • Mikhail Voskresensky
  • Mira Yevtich
  • Dina Yoffe

Recent successes

The RCM’s keyboard students regularly achieve the highest professional success, winning international competition prizes and finding places on highly regarded schemes. Recent examples include:

  • Franz Liszt International Piano Competition
  • Leeds International Piano Competition
  • Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
  • Hong Kong International Piano Competition
  • The online Piano Cleveland Virt(ual)oso Competition
  • BBC Young Musician of the Year
  • Jaques Samuel Intercollegiate Piano Competition
  • Beethoven Intercollegiate Piano Competition
  • Hastings International Piano Competition

RCM Collaborative pianists regularly win accompanist prizes, including in the Kathleen Ferrier Awards.

Our pianists have also enjoyed positions as BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists and City Music Foundation Artists, and in the Young Concert Artists and Young Classical Artist Trust programmes.

Graduate destinations

RCM graduate pianists are performing concertos with major orchestras world-wide, and giving solo recitals at the world’s leading festivals. 

Piano alumni are chosen to take part in the Park Lane Group Series at the Southbank Centre each year. A number of our pianists have signed exclusive album contracts with record labels including Decca and Sony BMG.

RCM graduate organists hold key full-time posts at churches and cathedrals, including St Paul’s Cathedral.

Celebrated alumni

Piano

  • Malcolm Binns
  • Barry Douglas
  • Megumi Fujita
  • Peter Jablonski
  • Andrei Korobeinikov
  • Sofya Gulyak
  • Piers Lane
  • John Lenehan
  • John Lill
  • Howard Shelley
  • Kathryn Stott
  • Melvyn Tan

Collaborative piano

  • Katya Apekisheva
  • Alisdair Beatson
  • Ian Brown
  • Julius Drake
  • Malcolm Martineau
  • Gary Matthewman
  • Ian Tindale
  • Roger Vignoles

Harpsichord

  • Jane Chapman
  • Sophie Yates

Organ

  • Nicholas Danby
  • Peter Hurford
  • Nicholas Kynaston
  • Wayne Marshall
  • Jane Parker-Smith
  • Thomas Trotter
  • Jane Watts
  • Dame Gillian Weir

Postgraduate Collaborative Piano

Principal study in Collaborative Piano (available at postgraduate level only) is designed to explore and develop all aspects of a pianist's skills as a collaborative artist with a focus on the vocal and instrumental duo repertoire. Students enjoy regular group classes with internationally renowned pianist Roger Vignoles as well as a generous allocation of time each week with their one-to-one professor.

In addition, students will receive tuition to develop the many skills required of a collaborative artist, including:

  • Chamber music
  • Conducting
  • Vocal coaching
  • Orchestral piano
  • Ballet piano
  • Musical Theatre piano
  • Harpsichord and continuo
  • Répétiteur

Students of Collaborative Piano enjoy close links with instrumental faculties at the RCM as well as the RCM Opera Studio. Our Collaborative Piano students play for song classes and projects, weekly language classes and have the opportunity to play for opera scenes. Externally, students have been involved in projects with the Leeds Lieder and Oxford Song festivals as well as observing rehearsals and receiving guidance from pianists at the Royal Ballet and at the Royal Opera House.

Student and alumni successes include prizes in the following national and international competitions:

Yuanfan Yang: 2020 Royal Over-Seas League Competition

Marie Otaka: 2020 28th ’Gianluca Campochiaro’ International Music Competition: Chamber Music Category

Avishka Edirisinghe: 2020 Association of English Singers and Speakers, Courtney Kenny Award, Pianist’s Prize

Hamish Brown: 2019 Wigmore Hall International Song Competition Britten Pears Young Artist Prize, 2019 National Mozart Singing Competition

Ella O’Neill: 2019 Kathleen Ferrier Competition, Accompanists’ Prize

Ana Manastireanu: 2019 Maureen Lehane Vocal Award, Accompanist Prize

Ian Tindale: 2019 International Vocal Competition ‘s-Hertogenbosch, 2017 Wigmore Hall/Kohn Foundation International Song Competition, 2016 Kathleen Ferrier Competition, 2015 Royal Overseas League Competition, 2013 Maggie Teyte Competition, 2013 Association of English Singers and Speakers, 2012 Gerald Moore Award

João Pontes de Araujo: 2018 Concours Musical International de Montréal, 2017 Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards

Gamal Khamis: 2017 Kathleen Ferrier Competition, 2017 Royal Overseas League Competition

The RCM boasts a number of renowned alumni and former teaching staff, celebrated for their song accompaniment and collaborative work, including Benjamin Britten, Geoffrey Parsons, Julius Drake, Malcolm Martineau, Kathryn Stott, Katya Apekisheva and Alasdair Beatson.

Audition requirements

Postgraduate Contemporary Piano

Principal study in Contemporary Piano provides you with the opportunity to expand your repertoire interests. As a complement to your principal study, you will take part in workshops on subjects such as minimalism and post minimalism, prepared piano, aleatoric music and improvisation.

You will work alongside staff and student composers in preparing pieces for concert performance. Students of contemporary piano have the chance to develop orchestral piano playing, duo and ensemble playing, as well as solo performance.

Audition requirements

Career development

The RCM’s Creative Careers Centre, which is recognised internationally for its innovative approach to supporting young musicians, provides an unparalleled service to current students and recent alumni. The dedicated team partners with leading consultants, reputable arts organisations and local communities, delivering unique career-building opportunities and a direct route to the music industry. 

The work of the Creative Careers Centre allows students to discover their professional identity, gain hands-on experience and new skills, develop an entrepreneurial mind-set and build a fulfilling professional portfolio. 

Extensive performance and teaching opportunities are available, as well as valuable guidance on CV and biography writing, concert programming, communication skills, project management, marketing and publicity, online promotion, financial matters and how to develop a business idea.

Find out more about the Creative Careers Centre 

Facilities

The Royal College of Music is proud to offer its students fantastic practice and performance facilities with resources to support teaching and learning. We continually improve our facilities to ensure RCM students have the best opportunities.

Explore our facilities with a video tour of the RCM

Key facilities at the RCM include:

  • The Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall - our primary performance venue for orchestras and large ensembles.
  • Our 400-seat Britten Theatre, home to the RCM’s thriving International Opera School.
  • A new Performance Hall, offering an alternative space for ensembles, with a retractable stage, Fazioli grand piano and variable acoustics.
  • Intimate spaces for solo and chamber performance in our Performance Studio and Parry Rooms.
  • Sound-proofed Amadeus Music Pods for private practice.
  • A purpose-built percussion suite – you can watch a video tour on YouTube.
  • Over 160 pianos, including 60 grand pianos and 20 early keyboards, as well as organ rooms.
  • A Blüthner Practice Suite which holds ten Blüthner Model A upright pianos.
  • Instrument surgeries including luthier services.
  • RCM Studios: a commercial-grade facility, enabling live broadcasts around the world.
  • Digital Innovation Lab: advanced recording and mixing suite.
  • RCM Library with more than 200,000 scores, books and recordings in its lending collection, as well as access to more than 400 music journals.
  • Recently refurbished RCM Museum, holding more than 14,000 instruments, portraits and images, as well as a climate-controlled performance space and the associated Wolfson Centre in Music & Material Culture | Royal College of Music (rcm.ac.uk)

Find out more about RCM facilities

Courses available

Undergraduate

Bachelor of Music, BMus(Hons)

Postgraduate

Master of Performance, MPerf

Master of Music in Performance, MMus(Perf)

Artist Diploma in Performance, ArtDip

Audition requirements

Fellowships available

Mills Williams Junior Fellowship

Constant & Kit Lambert Junior Fellowship

Lord & Lady Lurgan Collaborative Piano Fellowship

Gilbert & Eileen Edgar and Anthony Saltmarsh Collaborative Piano Fellowship

Adami Award for Collaborative Piano Fellows

Please note that the audition and application process for Fellowships is not the same as it is for our courses. Please refer to the individual Fellowship pages for more details.

Contact the Keyboard Faculty

If you have any general queries about keyboard at the RCM please contact our Keyboard Faculty Administration team. If you have any queries about auditions or the admissions process, please contact our Admissions team.

Keyboard Faculty Administration

General enquiries about the operation of the faculty and consultation lessons

keyboard@rcm.ac.uk

Admissions

Admissions and general audition enquiries

+44 (0)20 7591 4362

admissions@rcm.ac.uk

A male pianist, wearing a black shirt, making a note on his notepad next to his music sheet, with an orchestra rehearsal in the background, in a well-lit room.

Performance opportunities
A group of female students, holding music sheets, smiling and chatting while walking in a well-lit corridor at the RCM.

Life at the RCM
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