The Constant & Kit Lambert Junior Fellowship is held for one year and is only available to students on the Artist Diploma (ArtDip) in Performance and Artist Diploma (ArtDip) in Composition programmes.
All fellows are expected to develop musical and communication skills by undertaking further intensive study, working with students internally and doing all they can to raise the profile of the RCM externally. They play a full and active part in the musical life of the RCM as well as functioning as RCM ambassadors. They have full use of the RCM Library with its wealth of material and work in close contact with the Creative Careers Centre, the RCM’s centre for professional skills and publicity services.
Constant and Kit Lambert Fellowship applications for 2025-26 are now open. Please see further information on how to apply below.
An award-winning and versatile pianist, Irena Radić is building a reputation for her engaging programmes. She enjoys sharing a diverse range of music with her audiences, from renowned masterworks to intriguing and lesser-known gems. Recent highlights include a sell-out recital in Bath featuring Rachmaninoff’s 10 Preludes op.23, on the magnificent Steinway selected by the composer for his own concerts across the UK in the 1930s. Irena has performed at venues including the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, St James’s Piccadilly, Bolivar Hall and West Road Concert Hall.
Currently a Musicians’ Company Young Artist, Irena is delighted to have been selected as the Constant & Kit Lambert Junior Fellow for the Royal College of Music, where she is studying for her Artist Diploma. A student of Dina Parakhina, Irena was awarded the Cotes-Burgan scholarship and completed her Master of Performance degree with distinction in 2020. Prior to that she studied with Niel Immelman and received her Bachelor of Music from the RCM with first class honours.
An active chamber musician, Irena has collaborated with musicians including tenor Rory Carver, oboist Katherine Bryer, flautist Sirius Chau, violinist David López Ibáñez, cellist Deni Teo and pianist Martin James Bartlett. In 2023 Irena curated a series of recitals, showcasing the life and music of Madeleine Dring in celebration of her centenary. Other past projects include a world premiere of Tantrum – a new work for Piano and Percussion by Nino Russell, and performances of Bartok’s Sonata for 2 Pianos and Percussion. She is a founding member of Duo Ravellion with guitarist Jonatan Bougt - together they create new arrangements for guitar & piano duo, including Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes Op.34 with kind permission from Irina Shostakovich. Irena has performed in public masterclasses with Bruno Canino, Charles Owen, Cristina Ortiz, Eldar Nebolsin, Jura Margulis, Mikhail Voskresensky and Norma Fisher. On orchestral piano, she has worked with conductors including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Bernard Haitink, Diego Masson, Alexander Polishchuk, Peter Stark, Richard Dickins and Tim Lines.
Irena was a prizewinner at the Bromsgrove International Musicians Competition, the Kendall Taylor Beethoven Competition and the Jaques Samuel JD Piano Festival. Other awards include the Teresa Carreño Piano Prize, Young Musician of the Year at Peterborough and Oundle Music Festivals, the May Edwards Memorial Prize and the Head of Junior Programmes Prize whilst a student of Lynette Stulting at the RCMJD. Irena was a Help Musicians UK Postgraduate Award Holder and a Philharmonia MMSF Piano Fellow, receiving the John Mortimer Award. She has also been generously supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, the Hilda Martindale Educational Trust, the St Marylebone Educational Foundation, the Tsukanov Family Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation, and the Else and Leonard Cross Charitable Trust.
The funding for the junior fellowships includes a substantial sum to be put towards the course fees, usually the full Home fees, plus a bursary in the region of £5,000. These figures should be taken into account when planning your budget.
The programme of study for junior fellows is determined by the structure of the Artist Diploma in Performance and Artist Diploma in Composition courses, which are based on one-to-one provision and practical project work, tailored to your particular career aspirations.
Junior fellowship funds may also be used for tuition in related areas of study, such as masterclasses, coaching, language study, related instruments and costs associated with starting out in the profession.
As a junior fellow working with other RCM students you will be required to:
Applicants should already have successfully completed formal studies at a level equivalent to a postgraduate diploma or degree or be completing these studies in the academic year in which the application is made. Applications will be considered from those with equivalent experience.
Applicants need to be able to demonstrate substantial successful experience in their specialism, the motivation and determination to continue intensive studies, and the desire to develop their skills by working regularly with other musicians within and outside the RCM.
The Constant & Kit Lambert Junior Fellowship is open to UK Students only.
Applications for 2025-26 are now open for the Constant and Kit Lambert Fellowship. The application deadline is Friday 7 February 2025.
Applicants are required to submit a portfolio supported by a letter of application, which should indicate your suitability for the fellowship and your readiness to present yourself as an emerging professional.
Your application should contain:
Find out more about portfolio contents
Applicants interested in this junior fellowship must complete a two-part application process, which consists of:
Plus:
Applicants who have not applied for both components by the closing date will not be considered for this junior fellowship.
Full-time students going into their second year of study may also apply, and will need to specify in their application that they are applying for their second year of the programme.
Please note that the junior fellowships for students on the Artist Diploma in Performance and Artist Diploma in Composition programmes are not renewable, and may be held for one year only.
You should submit your portfolio online using a single combined PDF through the RCM submission portal. The information you upload to the portal does not constitute your entire application, but does form an integral part of it. You should ensure you have provided everything that is required. Incomplete applications may not be considered.
When using the submission portal you will be asked to create a user name and password, and to provide an email address. You should select 'junior fellow' from the list of programmes and the appropriate principal study instrument. There are no restrictions to the file size or type.
If you experience any problems uploading your portfolio please contact Lauren Pountney.
Assistant to the Deputy Director, Artistic Director, and Fellows' Administrator
020 7591 4370
Shortlisting for junior fellowships will take place once the RCM’s audition process is complete. Only students offered a place on the Artist Diploma in Performance will be considered. Please note that this fellowship is open to UK students only.
Should you be invited to interview, you will be required to bring original documentation (visa, passport or leave to remain in the UK) confirming that you have permission to be in the UK.
In your interview you will be required to:
Results will be conveyed as soon as possible after the interviews have taken place.
You will not be expected to perform on the day of the interview.
Interviews will be held at the Royal College of Music in London.
As a Junior Fellow you will be expected to:
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