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 closed.
23-year-old Spanish pianist María Linares has performed in consolidated Festivals and venues including CBSO Centre, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Steinway Hall in London and London Festival in the UK; II Iturbi Prize Festival, and Serenates Festival in Spain; Rossini Theatre in Gioia del Colle in Italy; and Vaduz Town Hall in Liechtenstein, among others.
At the age of 12, she performed her first solo piano recital, later followed by playing as a soloist with orchestras such as the Valencian Orchestra, Youth Orchestra of Generalitat Valenciana, Youth Orchestra of Leon and Orchestra of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, in venues such as the Palau de Les Arts, Teatro Principal and Palau de la Música in Valencia, Palau Altea in Alicante, Palau de Congressos in Castellon and the Ciudad de León Auditorium, with conductors Manuel Hernández Silva, Roberto Forés, and Daniel Gil de Tejada.
In addition to being named Music Ambassador for Spain by the Lang Lang Music Foundation, she is being supported by the Munster Trust, Craxton Memorial Trust, The Musicians’ Company, and in 2023 she was given the ‘Myra Hess’ award by Help Musicians UK. Furthermore, she has been the main prize-winner in the most distinguished competitions in her home country, part of them being VIPA 2022, Ciutat de Carlet 2022, XXVI Ruperto Chapí, XXXIV Marisa Montiel or XXVII Jacinto Guerrero. In the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, she has also received the First Prize in competitions such as the Dennis Matthews, Renna Kellaway, and Beryl Chempin Beethoven Competition.
Meanwhile, she has been selected to participate in several Masterclasses with renowned musicians such as Paul Badura-Skoda, Kirill Gerstein, Cyprien Katsaris, Michel Beroff and Claudio Martínez-Mehner. In addition to this, she has received scholarships from Liechtenstein Intensive Weeks, Chetham's International Piano Summer School and WSL Masterclasses.
Maria is currently coursing an Artist Diploma in the Royal College of Music under a full scholarship while being a Constant Kit and Lambert Junior Fellow, studying with Professors Norma Fischer and Danny Driver. Prior to this, she finished her bachelor’s and master’s Degrees with Distinction at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire under full scholarships with Professor Pascal Nemirovski.
Regarding future projects, she is set to release a CD with the label Naxos, performing a set of pieces by the composer Anton Urspruch in January 2026.
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.
Further details for the 2026/27 Mills Williams Junior Fellowship are still to be confirmed.
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 closed.
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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