Skip navigation
Instrumental Performance MMus (Full-Time) at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire - UCAS

Course options

Course summary

Advance your skills as a performer with a postgraduate course in Instrumental Performance at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. Whether you're a recent graduate or returning to study after a break, our postgraduate courses in Instrumental Performance provide you with advanced-level training in your principal study area, preparing you for a solo, chamber or orchestral career, alongside excellent opportunities to develop other skills relevant to a future career in the music profession. These courses are open to students pursuing orchestral instruments, keyboard instruments and other solo instruments such as recorder, guitar and saxophone. In addition, there is a Chamber Music route for bowed string and guitar ensembles. The Instrumental Performance pathway includes a specialism in Global Traditional Music Performance for performers interested in any form of folk music from around the world. We also welcome applications from instrumentalists and singers who are developing fusions of folk music with other genres, as well as students wishing to focus on song-writing. It is common for students working in this area to apply without standard formal qualifications. If you are interested in auditioning for this, please contact Joe Broughton. We also offer a 'Multi-Instrument' specialism for woodwind players who do not wish to follow the traditional orchestral route, but would prefer to pursue a career as a multi-instrumentalist in musical theatre. All principal study woodwinds instruments welcome but aimed primarily at saxophone, flute and clarinet players, this course will train multi-instrumentalists to a professional level. If you are interested in auditioning for this, please contact Jenni Phillips, Head of Woodwind. You'll receive specialist tuition from leading UK and internationally renowned performers and teachers. In addition, you'll enjoy regular performance opportunities, both within Departments and in concerts, as well as having the chance to participate in masterclasses led by distinguished guest artists. You'll have full access to our superb £57 million facilities, including our Concert Hall, 150-seat Recital Hall, our black box performance space known as The Lab, and more than 70 practice rooms, ensemble rooms and workshops; all acoustically designed to provide a music-making environment that is world class. We also offer the opportunity to study for an MMus via our 12-month route. To be eligible for this route, applicants must be able to show evidence of an extremely high level of achievement in the Principal Study area and a strong academic record at undergraduate level (or equivalent). If you are interested in the 12-month route, please email an initial enquiry about your potential eligibility to [email protected] as it is not possible to apply for this route via UCAS.

Course details

Principal study options

During the application and audition process, you must select which instrument(s) you wish to specialise in for the duration of your course. On this course, you can choose from the following options:

Main specialism

Only one specialism is studied. It may be possible to study a further instrument, but this will not contribute towards the qualification.

Alternative single specialism

You may audition for two specialisms, with the intention of studying one instrument as a single specialism. Your audition will determine which instrument is taken as a main specialism.

Instrument/specialisms

For all courses, you must select at least one specialism from the 'primary' list. For those studying primary/secondary pathways, two instruments may be selected – one from the 'primary' list and one from the 'secondary' list. Joint pathway students may select any two instruments from either list.

Primary instrument/specialism

  • Bassoon
  • Bassoon (Historical Performance)
  • Cello
  • Cello (Historical Performance)
  • Clarinet
  • Clarinet (Theatre doubling)

Secondary instrument/specialisms

  • Bassoon
  • Bassoon (Historical Performance)
  • Cello
  • Cello (Historical Performance)
  • Clarinet
  • Clarinet (Theatre doubling)

How to apply

This course is not open to application until the 10th July 2025.

*If you are an international applicant, or you are applying for a postgraduate course, or are choosing certain assessment locations, the 'on time' deadline may be later in the year - please contact the conservatoire directly.

Application codes

Course code:
800F
Institution code:
B34
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Honours degree, ideally but not necessarily in Music. Non-UK students should hold a Bachelor's degree or a similar degree-equivalent diploma, ideally but not necessarily in Music MMus Intensive applicants must be at Level 7 standard in their Principal Study Area and be well-suited to the intensive period of study. If you do not have a degree qualification, we may consider your application if you can demonstrate a significant amount of professional experience and achieve a high scoring audition IELTS overall score of a minimum of 6.0 with no sub-test below 5.5

Additional entry requirements

Audition

Interview


Assessment locations

In the event of a successful assessment, applicants may be invited for a further interview prior to being made an offer.

Remote assessment recordings may be accepted in the event that you cannot attend an assessment in person.

Single specialism assessment

LocationOn-time FeeLate Fee
China Mainland££
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire£80£80
Virtual Audition£80£80

*Fee not collected by UCAS

Joint principal specialism assessment

LocationOn-time FeeLate Fee
China Mainland££
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire£120£120
Virtual Audition£120£120

*Fee not collected by UCAS


Fees and funding

Tuition fees

EU £28460 Year 1
England £12880 Year 1
Northern Ireland £12880 Year 1
Scotland £12880 Year 1
Wales £12880 Year 1
International £28460 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Instrumental Performance MMus (Full-Time) at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire - UCAS