Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Learning and Participation

15/10/2026

In our 10th anniversary year the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire LEAP ensemble continues to provide inspirational moments for children and young people across the U.K.

There’s nothing more powerful and impactful than 30 musicians flashmobbing the classrooms of one of our new RBC Primary Schools of Music, with all the teachers and pupils unaware it was going to happen. The reaction of over 650 children and introductions to all the instruments of the orchestra, operatic voices and rhythm section was fantastic, one Yr6 pupil asked ‘When you get home do you barge through your front door singing opera?’

A unique element of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire opportunities for their students, many members of the RBC LEAP ensemble are in their first year of training to be professional musicians with the broadest portfolio of work. Their confidence and ability to connect in the classrooms grew throughout the day.

The RBC Primary School of Music programme aims to create sustainable musical cultures in primary music education by delivering quality face to face CPD for non music specialist teachers. For more information please get in touch. [email protected] or click here: www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/learning

30/09/2026

Today we welcomed students from Birmingham secondary schools to explore the music of Chevalier de Saint-Georges with Royal Birmingham Conservatoire students alongside I Musicanti . The workshop was led by Prof Chris Di**le who gave us insights into the life and music of Saint-Georges. The students were also treated to an inspirational talk from the amazing Leon Bosch.

13/09/2026

RBC Youth Jazz Orchestra is for young jazz musicians aged 14-18 from across the midlands. Next performance is on 28th September at the Eastside Jazz Club at RBC.

03/07/2026

Kodály Inspired Learning Visit

Staff and students of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire received some high level, fun and engaging Kodály Inspired learning sessions, with Lucinda Geoghegan, Director of Education for the The British Kodály Academy and Creative Learning Director NYCOS Creative Learning National Youth Choir of Scotland. Lucinda led several sessions focusing on using Kodály Inspired pedagogy for Conservatoire musician’s training and lots of fun educational activities to use in education and community settings. Lucinda was really pleased to visit our very own Primary School of Music, where she got to play some musical games with some Year 2 children! The visit was organised by the new RBC Kodály Inspired learning programme lead who is facilitating and delivering a range of Kodály Inspired learning sessions across all RBC and Junior RBC departments. Supported by the Joseph Weingarten Trust, the visit ended the first year of the RBC programme to embed Kodály learning into UG and PG course provision.

30/06/2026

One of the optional modules we run for 3rd Year undergraduates is called ‘Music for Social Purpose’. This year we gave them a huge challenge! We commissioned them to devise a show for primary school children in collaboration with Richard Shephard Music Foundation for a Make Music Day in York. They absolutely smashed it with an amazing interactive show based on the theme of the ocean.

So proud of them for pulling off such a fantastic event!

08/06/2026

Community Piano Day - FREE to attend

Dear Piano Tutors and piano players!

This Sunday is our Royal Birmingham Conservatoire International Piano Festival Community Piano day! It's FREE to attend and will include world class performances and the opportunity to participate in sessions with a range of piano teachers and workshop leaders.

Please share this opportunity as wide as possible with your students and other piano teaching and enthusiast friends.

BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL PIANO FESTIVAL (June 14th-18th 2026) incorporating Birmingham International Piano Competition and RBC Community Piano Day (June 14th). Festival Ticket £35 Sunday 14 June - Community Piano Day Admission free - booking required 11am - Bradshaw Hall Celebrity Opening Recital, ...

22/05/2026

Celebrating our amazing LEAP Ensemble https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/music/departments/learning-and-participation/rbc-leap-ensemble 10th Anniversary year, we commissioned the amazing from Beat Goes On, and to write a fantastic new song called '10 years'. We cannot wait to share the learning resources with children and perform the song together later in the year. A sneak preview of the song will feature in our Leicestershire Music children's concert in June at De Montfort Hall! Filmed by the brilliant jam-av media production

08/05/2026

Last week over 450 young people from the new multi academy trust in Bristol took to the stage of alongside over 25 RBC students and staff led by RBC L&P to perform a world premiere of ‘CONNECT’, a five movement orchestral and vocal score highlighting the power of music to bring people together. The concert and event showcased the amazing talent within the trust and provided an inspirational and unforgettable experience for young people from diverse backgrounds across Bristol, building on our shared philosophy of using music to reach out to ALL young people as a basic right of education. We cannot wait to work with more schools across the trust in future years and plans are already being discussed.

24/03/2026

A brilliant first rehearsal in Bristol with RBC LEAP Ensemble students and amazing young musicians and singers from across Bristol cathedrals schools trust! One of our world premieres of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire LEAP Ensembles 10 new commissions called ‘Connect’ for their 10th anniversary year. All about the power of music to bring people together.

23/03/2026

Yesterday our RBC Young Singers met for a workshop on Improvisation with the wonderful Wendy Nieper. By the end of the day every single Young Singer had done a solo improvisation.

Thank you to the Linbury Trust and Sir Keith Bradshaw for continuing to support these amazing sessions with Young People.

Swipe to the end to hear part of a 15 minute open vocal improvisation!