Program Overview
The Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Performance is a post-Masters program designed for advanced performers to refine their skills through one-to-one tuition in their specialization. Through professional performance engagements, career development modules, and external projects or collaborations, this program prepares students for success in the competitive world of professional music. Upon completion, graduates may pursue a range of careers, including solo performer, orchestral musician, chamber musician, opera singer, and music educator.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Performance is a post-Masters level program designed for advanced postgraduate performers who already hold a Masters degree and are beginning to accept professional engagements. The program aims to help students raise their performance standards to the next level through highly specialized one-to-one tuition in the department most relevant to their specialism. Students can choose from seven specialisms: Instrumental Performance, Vocal Performance, Collaborative Piano, Organ Performance, Chamber Music Performance, Opera Repetiteurship, or Choral Conducting. The program emphasizes practical and performance-focused learning, allowing students to take on performance engagements both within and outside Royal Birmingham Conservatoire as part of their course. Assessment focuses on students' work in professional contexts, via a Professional Performance Portfolio module and a choice of External Engagement and Professional Project modules. The program also includes a Career Management and Self-Promotion module designed to help students develop essential non-performance skills for their professional careers.
Outline:
The program is structured around three core modules:
- Professional Performance Portfolio (60 credits): This module focuses on developing students' performance skills through practical, professional engagements. Students will undertake two performance assessments in a professional context within the Conservatoire, typically in terms two and three for full-time students and one assessment in each year for part-time students. These assessments mimic real-life situations, such as giving a public recital, preparing and delivering an orchestral audition, or leading a rehearsal or coaching session in a professional setting.
- Career Management and Self-Promotion (20 credits): This module equips students with essential skills for managing their careers as self-employed musicians, including self-promotion, online presence development, marketing, and networking. Students will be required to build a portfolio of evidence of professional activity to inspire confidence in promoters.
- External Engagement or Professional Project (40 credits): Students can choose to undertake either an External Engagement module or a Professional Project module. The External Engagement module requires students to seek out and perform in an external professional context, developing their ability to work autonomously and secure professional engagements. The primary assessment methods include:
- Professional Performance Portfolio: This module is assessed through two performance assessments in a professional context within the Conservatoire.
- External Engagement: This module is assessed through a critical reflection on the process of planning, promoting, and fulfilling an external professional engagement.
- Professional Project: This module is assessed through a critical reflection on the process of planning and executing a self-defined project.
- Career Management and Self-Promotion: This module is assessed through the development of an online presence and a portfolio of evidence of professional activity.
Teaching:
The program features a combination of teaching methods, including:
- One-to-one tuition: Students receive expert one-to-one tuition in their Principal Study area, with internationally renowned tutors.
- Coaching: Chamber musicians receive both individual tuition and regular coaching for their ensemble.
- Workshops: The program includes regular workshops for the whole cohort, covering topics such as career management, self-promotion, and professional development.
- Performance classes: Students have the opportunity to organize weekly performance classes for their cohort.
- Ensembles: Students have access to the Conservatoire's full range of ensembles, departmental workshops, performance classes, and masterclasses.
Careers:
The Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Performance is designed to support and advance students' careers as professional musicians or performers. The program provides students with the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to succeed in the competitive world of professional music. Potential career paths include:
- Solo performer: Students can pursue careers as solo instrumentalists, vocalists, or organists.
- Chamber musician: Students can form or join chamber music ensembles.
- Orchestral musician: Students can audition for positions in orchestras.
- Opera singer: Students can pursue careers as opera singers.
- Opera repetiteur: Students can work as opera repetiteurs, coaching singers and preparing them for performances.
- Choral conductor: Students can pursue careers as choral conductors.
- Music educator: Students can work as music educators in schools, universities, or private studios.
Other:
The program emphasizes the importance of self-motivation and initiative, encouraging students to take advantage of opportunities for professional development beyond their formal studies. The program aims to help students develop the confidence and skills to shape their own careers in the 21st century. The program also highlights the Conservatoire's strong links with professional organizations, such as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO), Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG), Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham Bach Choir, Ex Cathedra, Opera North, Welsh National Opera, and Orchestra of the Swan. These links provide students with opportunities for performance, networking, and professional development.
UK students:
Full Time: £12,075 in 2024/25 Part Time: Year 1 - 60 credits: £2013 Year 2 - 60 credits: £2013
International students:
Full Time: £26,195 in 2024/25
Entry Requirements:
- Academic and other requirements:
- A postgraduate qualification (preferably Masters level), normally (but not necessarily) specialising in performance and/or substantial, verifiable public performance experience at a professional level.
- APD auditions for September 2023 entry:
- There will be two rounds of auditions. Applicants must pass the pre-screening round in order to proceed to live auditions.
- Live auditions will be scheduled in the main audition period in November.
- Pre-Screening Materials:
- All applicants are required to submit pre-screening materials for consideration by the audition panel.
- A full list of public performances given over the past 24 months, clearly indicating dates, venues and repertoire performed.
- A current biography (of the kind that would appear in a concert/operatic production programme).
- Video recordings, the specific details of which are outlined below. Individual works may be provided as separate recordings but multi-movement works should be recorded in one take.
- Instrumental Performance:
- Instrumentalists should prepare a programme of 40 minutes. Your programme should include a major work and incorporate a variety of periods and styles.
- Vocal Performance:
- Singers should prepare a programme of 40 minutes. Your programme should include music from works in at least three European languages, including English.
- Organ Performance:
- Organists should prepare a programme of 40 minutes. Your programme should include a major work and incorporate a variety of periods and styles.
- Collaborative Piano Performance:
- Collaborative pianists should prepare a programme of 40 minutes. Your programme may include a solo work of no more than 5 minutes, and the remainder should include either vocal repertoire, for example, German Lied, French mélodie or English song; or instrumental repertoire, for example a movement from a major duo-sonata or larger chamber work (strings and/or wind). Alternatively, a combination of the above may be presented.
- Chamber Music Performance (established ensembles only):
- Ensembles should prepare a programme of 40 minutes. Your programme should include three or four pieces/movements comprising a variety of periods and styles.
- Opera Repetiteurship:
- Repetiteurs should prepare a short operatic extract lasting between 10-15 minutes. Candidates must play and sing in the vocal lines. The extract must contain at least two characters and be in a language other than English.
- Choral Conducting:
- Choral Conductors are required to submit a Portfolio comprising the following items:
- Sample video recordings (where possible) that feature you as conductor in rehearsal (amounting to a maximum of 30 minutes)
- Videos may feature an ensemble of any size to include chamber-sized groups of a minimum of four musicians.
- The camera should ideally be focused on you as conductor, and if possible on your musicians too.
- A list of concerts performed/rehearsal engagements undertaken in the last two years with repertoire covered
- A programming task: please include sample programmes for a) a lunchtime concert (50 minutes) and b) an evening concert (2 x 40 minute halves)
- B. conductors are asked to programme a cappella or with piano or organ accompaniment only.
- Programme note samples (for two different works drawn from the above sample programmes)
- Concert reviews (if any)
- Live auditions:
- Live auditions will comprise an audition and an interview with a panel, to include the Course Director, Head of Professional Development and Head of Department.
- Vocal Performance: You will also be asked to read short texts in French/German and/or Italian, and to undertake some sight-reading which will be given to you on the day of the audition.
- Opera Repetiteurship: Approximately one week before the audition, you will be given an operatic excerpt (which may include accompanied recitative) to prepare in advance. In the audition, this should also be both played and sung.
- Choral Conducting: In addition to the interview, conductors will be asked to undertake musicianship tests which will be sent to you in advance. These will include:
- Unaccompanied sight singing in your preferred voice part (to be advised in advance)
- A short passage of four-part score reading in G and F clefs on the piano
- You will also be given a few bars of four-part harmony to read which will be played four times with two or three significant mistakes for you to recognise.
- You will also be asked fundamental questions about score preparation and your conducting decisions based on a score which will be sent to you to prepare in advance, approximately one week before the interview. Where possible, you may be asked to conduct it (or a section of it) to the piano and/or sing a phrase or phrases to illustrate your points.
- English language requirements:
- IELTS 6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands or its equivalent.
Language Proficiency Requirements:
- IELTS 6.0 overall with 5.5 minimum in all bands or its equivalent.
