The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire will be holding its audition process in November for students who wish to apply to study on their critically acclaimed music courses from September 2026.

Speaking to 4BR Edward Jones, Head of Brass, said that they were keen to offer players who are linked to the brass band movement a real opportunity to make their student home in the city over the next few years.

Warm welcome

"Having seen the incredible youthful talent performing at the British Open Championships at Symphony Hall last weekend, we are keen to offer a warm welcome to young musicians who are motivated to develop their talent and learn new skills at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire."

He added: "We offer undergraduate and postgraduate courses for all brass instruments, and students on our brass band pathway are fortunate enough to study with some of the most respected names in banding, led by Director of Brass Band Studies, Ian Porthouse.

Our other tutors include Richard Marshall, Helen Varley, Chris Robertson and Les Neish. We also run a very popular Masters course in Brass Band Conducting, where students have the opportunity to study with Ian and conduct our band on a regular basis."

Rewarding experience

Third-year cornet student Poppy Taylor spoke enthusiastically about her time at the Conservatoire in telling 4BR: "Studying cornet at RBC has been such a rewarding experience, from winning UniBrass 2024 to performing with the Tredegar band and world-class soloists like James Fountain.

The knowledge that the team of tutors has to offer is second to none, and having 4 hours of band rehearsals every week really helps improve your overall technique, stamina, and relationships with other students."

More information:

For more info, and to apply, click here: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/music/departments/brass/brass-band