‘Our students are supported, encouraged to hone their skills in a safe and nurturing environment, full of opportunity and exceptional tuition, enabling them to become happy and employable musicians.’

Brass
The Royal College of Music’s Brass Faculty is an active and supportive community. Every student is provided with the means to recognise their full ability as a performing musician. You will receive a challenging and carefully structured bespoke programme of study and performance, with particular emphasis on identifying and unlocking your individual potential.
Additionally, promising undergraduates and postgraduates can choose conducting as a second study specialism. Our students can also explore natural horn, natural trumpet, bass trumpet, jazz trumpet, jazz trombone, euphonium, and sackbut as a second or related study.

One-to-one lessons
One-to-one lessons are at the very heart of every RCM student’s learning experience. The RCM’s impressive list of professors includes renowned principal players in major London ensembles, including the BBC Concert Orchestra, English National Opera Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia, London Sinfonietta and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Our world-class professors offer students not only first-rate teaching but also mentorship and networking opportunities.
In addition to your one-to-one lessons, you will attend regular classes and have access to an unparalleled ensemble coaching resource and orchestral playing with distinguished international musicians, including Stefan Dohr, Principal Horn of the Berlin Philharmonic, tuba legend Jens Björn-Larsen and trumpet virtuoso Matthias Höfs, who visit us regularly for masterclasses, one-to-one teaching and ensemble work.
‘I feel honoured to have studied under the guidance of world-class trombonists. I have thoroughly enjoyed studying in such a friendly and encouraging Brass Faculty.‘
Brass at the Royal College of Music
Discover our vibrant Brass Faculty with current students as they share their first-hand experiences of being part of the brass community at the RCM.
Performance opportunities
You will have unparalleled performance opportunities as part of the College’s diverse events calendar, which include hundreds of events each year. It is also possible for RCM musicians to form their own chamber groups in which they can pursue an additional body of repertoire.
All brass students have the chance to play in our orchestras, which include the RCM Philharmonic, the RCM Symphony Orchestra and the RCM Opera Orchestra. Students often have the opportunity to work with some of the greatest conductors in the world. Recent visitors have included Joana Carneiro, Jessica Cottis, Kirill Karabits, Sakari Oramo, Martyn Brabbins, Chloé van Soeterstède, Vasily Petrenko, Rafael Payare and Sir Antonio Pappano.
Sit-in schemes
RCM brass players have joined the BBC Symphony Orchestra for the BBC Proms rehearsals as part of the sit-in scheme for postgraduate students on the Masters programme, which provides students with first-hand professional experience and a vital link between the conservatoire and the profession. Each participating student is assigned a mentor from the orchestra and sits alongside them in rehearsals throughout the year.
In addition to the Proms scheme, other sit-in opportunities have included working alongside the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Philharmonia, Royal Ballet Sinfonia and the English National Opera Orchestra.
Jazz at the RCM
Jazz trumpet, natural horn, natural trumpet, bass trumpet and jazz trombone are available as second or related study options to promising students. As brass players, you will also have the chance to perform in our acclaimed RCM Swing Band and Jazz Orchestra, which in recent years has performed at our annual Festival of Percussion, Ronnie Scott’s, Southbank Centre and at PizzaExpress Jazz Club.

Trumpet students performing Holst's The Planets in the RCM Symphony Orchestra at the BBC Proms 2024

French horn students playing in an orchestra performance

Tuba masterclass with Velvet Brown

Trombone student performing in orchestra rehearsal
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French horn masterclass with Annamia Larsson
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Trumpet students chatting in an orchestra rehearsal

French horn section performing in brass ensemble rehearsal
The Brass Faculty regularly hosts masterclasses with high-profile visitors. Recent visitors have included:
Horn
- Laurence Davies
- Stefan Dohr
- Hervé Joulain
- Alberto Menéndez Escribano
- Frøydis Ree Wekre
- Sarah Willis
- Katy Woolley
Trumpet
- Philip Cobb
- Gareth Small
- Gábor Tarkövi
Trombone
- Brandt Attema
- Håkan Björkman
- Dudley Bright
- Jonas Bylund
- Abbie Conant
- Sasha Romero
- Martin Schippers
Tuba
- Øystein Baadsvik
- Jens Björn-Larsen
- Velvet Brown
- Patrick Harrild
- Oren Marshall
Graduates of the Brass Faculty currently hold the following positions:
- Principal Horn, Philharmonia Orchestra
- Principal Horn, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
- Principal Horn, English National Opera
- Principal Horn, Northern Sinfonia
- Principal Trumpet, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
- Principal Trumpet, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
- Co-Principal Trumpet, BBC Symphony Orchestra
- Principal Trombone, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
- Principal Trombone, BBC Concert Orchestra
- Principal Trombone, Opera North
- Tuba, Ulster Orchestra
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.
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)

Master of Music in Performance (MMus) graduate 2014, horn player and conductor, semi-finalist at the Maestro Solti International Conducting Competition, Principal Conductor of Orchestra Vitae and charity ambassador.

From the Royal College of Music to the BBC Proms: RCM musicians at the 2025 festival
The BBC Proms have recently unveiled their 2025 season, which once again showcases the excellence of Royal College of Music (RCM) students, alumni and professors, who will perform at the world’s biggest classical music festival.

Royal College of Music wins 2025 RIBA London Award
The Royal College of Music (RCM) has been awarded a 2025 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) London Award, celebrating the College’s landmark redevelopment by John Simpson Architects.

Summer at the Royal College of Music: a season of festival spirit
The Royal College of Music (RCM) Summer Season brings a vibrant festival atmosphere, with performances at Aldeburgh Festival, Wigmore Hall and Cadogan Hall, alongside a rich programme of concerts at the College.
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The 2024 Big Give Christmas Challenge: a record-breaking success
Thanks to the great generosity of RCM Supporters, the Royal College of Music achieved record-breaking success in the 2024 Big Give Christmas Challenge

RCM Brass Faculty welcomes renowned musicians as Visiting Professors
Three distinguished musicians join the Royal College of Music (RCM) Brass Faculty as Visiting Professors: Sarah Willis, horn player with the Berlin Philharmonic; Clare Farr, principal bass trombone of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra; and Jens Bjørn-Larsen, tuba player with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Courses available
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Master of Music in Performance, MMus(Perf)
MMusEd Teaching Musician | Royal College of Music
Artist Diploma in Performance, ArtDip
Fellowships available
Mills Williams Junior Fellowship
Constant & Kit Lambert Junior Fellowship
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 Brass Faculty
If you have any general queries about brass at the RCM please contact our Brass Faculty Administration team. If you have any queries about auditions or the admissions process, please contact our Admissions team.
Brass Faculty Administration
General enquiries about the operation of the faculty and consultation lessons