Guildhall School of Music & Drama

Guildhall School of Music & Drama

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Guildhall School is a vibrant, international community of musicians, actors and production artists.

Ranked as the top conservatoire in the Guardian University Guide music league table and second in the Complete University Guide arts, drama and music league table we deliver world-class professional training in partnership with distinguished artists, companies and ensembles. A global leader in creative and professional practice, we promote innovation, experiment and research, and are also one of t

Operating as usual

Photos from Guildhall School of Music & Drama's post 10/02/2025

We’re excited to be the partner of the London National Open Youth Orchestra(NOYO) Ensemble and hosted their rehearsals at Milton Court earlier this month.

Launched in 2018, the ensemble is all about inclusivity, bringing together young disabled, neurodivergent and non-disabled musicians to rehearse and perform as one. Open to 11–25 year-olds, the ensemble creates a space where all access needs are met, breaking down barriers for talented young musicians.

The ensemble mixes acoustic, electronic and accessible instruments, including the Clarion, which musicians play with their hand, eye or head movements (check out the Clarion in action below!).

Apply for an audition 14 February - 31 March 2025. Want to learn more about NOYO? The London NOYO Ensemble will be hosting Open Rehearsals at Milton Court on Saturday 1 March and Sunday 30 March. Find out more 👇
https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/study-with-guildhall/children-and-young-people/london-noyo-ensemble

Announcing Summer Evening courses for 2025 10/02/2025

We're delighted to announce that our new Summer Evening courses for 2025 are now live ☀️

Covering music, drama, writing and more, we're sure there's something for you. See the full list of courses 👇
https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/about-guildhall/news/announcing-summer-evening-courses-for-2025

📩 Want to get priority booking before anyone else? Sign up to our Short Courses and Summer Schools mailing list before Friday to be the first to hear when booking opens. Public booking opens Monday 17 February.

Sign up now 👇
https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/study-with-guildhall/short-courses-summer-schools/join-the-short-courses-summer-schools-mailing-list

Announcing Summer Evening courses for 2025 Our programme of Summer Evening courses cover topics across music, drama, writing and more.

Photos from Guildhall School of Music & Drama's post 05/02/2025

Get an early look at what’s in store from our first drama production of the year 🤩

Final preparations are underway as Henry VIII opens at Milton Court Theatre next week, and students have been working hard behind the scenes.

📸Images taken by Brook Richardson, third year Stage Management student as part of his graduation project.

Adapted by Hannah Khalil, this fresh production of the Shakespeare classic centres around the untold female perspective in this well-known story of a king’s relentless quest for a male heir.

Directed by Owen Horsley, this production of Henry VIII runs from 10-15 February at Milton Court Theatre. Limited tickets remaining 👇

https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/whats-on/henry-viii

Guildhall Chamber Music Festival 2025 04/02/2025

Presenting our 2025 Chamber Music Festival 🎻

The festival returns with a weekend packed full of inspiring performances from 14-16 March 2025.

Taking place in the superb acoustics of Milton Court Concert Hall, the festival brings together some of our most talented students and world-renowned chamber professors as they perform works ranging from Haydn and Brahms to Beamish, Stravinsky and Takemitsu.

Rising stars Elmore Quartet open the festival and Saturday’s Student Showcase features an abundance of talented groups, from string quartets to brass quartets.

See the full line up 👇

Guildhall Chamber Music Festival 2025 Guildhall Chamber Festival 2025

Music Education Islington: Singlington 2025 03/02/2025

We're excited to announce the return of Music Education Islington (MEI): Singlington 2025 next month!

The annual singing event at Islington's Assembly Hall invites schools and pupils across all year groups in what promises to be a day filled with the joy of music and celebration.

Deadline for schools to sign up: 14 February 2025.

Find out more 👇

Music Education Islington: Singlington 2025 The annual singing event at Islington’s Assembly Hall, Singlington invites participation from all year groups and promises a day filled with the joy of music and collaboration.

Photos from Guildhall School of Music & Drama's post 28/01/2025

Bravo to our Guildhall Cellists who featured in the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) Boulez 100 concert last night at Milton Court Concert Hall 🤩

Six of our cello students shared the stage with the LSO's Principal Cellist, David Cohen for an incredible performance of Pierre Boulez's Messagesquisse.

📸Photos by Mark Allan.

The performance was part of an LSO Chamber Ensemble concert celebrating the music of Boulez in the composer's centenary year.

Cellists included Artist Diploma students Gabriel Francis-Deqhani and Kosta Popovic and Master of Performance students Nathanael Horton, James Conway, Theo Bently Curtin and Seth Collin.

Huge well done to everyone involved!👏

24/01/2025

Meet Oscar, a Design Realisation student whose love of props started with iconic films like Star Wars.

Now in third year, Oscar talks to us about creating art deco props for opera productions and embracing all that London has to offer.

Want to experience life at Guildhall? Applications to study BA Production Arts with us in 2025 close on Wednesday 29 January. Find out more 👇
https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/study-with-guildhall/production-arts/ba-production-arts

Music composed by Electronic & Produced Music student, Alban Nolan.

Henry VIII 21/01/2025

🎭 Experience Henry VIII like never before! In less than three weeks, our first drama of 2025 opens.

Adapted by Hannah Khalil, this fresh take on Shakespeare's iconic play reimagines the powerful themes of love, lineage and authority from the perspective of the women whose lives are shaped by the unpredictable forces of monarchy.

Henry VIII, directed by Owen Horsley runs from 10-15 February at Milton Court Theatre, with limited tickets remaining for all performances.

Get tickets 👇

Henry VIII Discover Henry VIII as you’ve never seen it before - Hannah Khalil's bold reimagining that centres the untold female perspective in this well-known tale of a king’s relentless quest for a male heir.

20/01/2025

Ever wondered what an Opera Overture would sound like by a Guitar Quartet? 🤔

On Friday, alumni Mela Guitar Quartet, performed Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmila (Overture) on BBC Radio 3 In Tune, as well as pieces by Debussy and Hisaishi, arranged by George Tarlton. They also chatted with the host Sara Mohr-Pietsch about their upcoming new album ‘Overtures and Dances”.

Listen back 👇
https://bbc.in/3Wi05Cf

Want to hear more from the quartet? Join us on Wednesday 22 January for our Guitar Alumni Concert, where they’ll be performing select works from their new album.

Find out more 👇
https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/whats-on/guitar-alumni-concert

Photos from Guildhall School of Music & Drama's post 16/01/2025

It was an absolute pleasure to welcome GRAMMY-Award winning bass-baritone Gerald Finley to the School earlier this week 🤩

Gerald led our Vocal Arts students in an open masterclass at Milton Court Concert Hall, with students performing music by Ireland, Britten, Bachelet, Finzi and Browne.

Alumni Careers: “My car caught fire on the way to Guildhall!” 15/01/2025

"My car caught fire on the way to Guildhall!"

Following an eventful start to life at the School, saxophonist Guildhall School Alumni Mark Brown went on to have an illustrious career as a musician. We caught up with him as part of our alumni careers series to hear more about his career since graduating.

Having studied postgraduate jazz course with us in 1999 and since built a diverse career. He's best known as a member of The Horne Section, and has worked with top artists including Liam Gallagher, toured as part of Robbie Williams' band and even starred in a recent Channel 4 sitcom.

Read the full interview ⤵️

Alumni Careers: “My car caught fire on the way to Guildhall!” We caught up with alumnus Mark Brown (Jazz 1999) to hear about life after Guildhall and the advice he’d share with today’s graduates.

14/01/2025

Huge congratulations to Music Education Islington's Jazz, Pop and Improvised Music Lead Nikki Yeoh on the new Jazz FM show 👏

Hear Nikki's first show on Satruday from 10pm, we can't wait to tune it 🥰

The newest member of our Jazz FM family. 🫶

Award-winning pianist and educator Nikki Yeoh will be on Jazz FM on Saturday nights from 10pm. Listen to her first show this weekend! 🎹

Upcoming Masterclasses 10/01/2025

Our Spring masterclass series continues on Tuesday with a visit from Grammy-award winning bass-baritone Gerald Finley 🎶

We can’t wait to welcome him and a whole host of renowned musicians to work with our students this season, including:

▪️Top pianists Gabriel Kwok, Akiko Ebi, Imogen Cooper and Martin Sturfält
▪️ hr-Sinfonieorchester - Frankfurt Radio Symphony bassoonist Theo Plath • Bassoon
▪️ Berliner Philharmoniker oboist Jonathan Kelly
▪️ Celebrated saxophonist Snake Davis
▪️Jamiroquai percussionist Sola Akingbola

All masterclasses are free, with no tickets needed.

View the full line up ⤵️
https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/whats-on?event_category=11

Upcoming Masterclasses Our Spring masterclass series continues on Tuesday with a visit from Grammy-award winning bass-baritone Gerald Finley.

Music Open Days 09/01/2025

Want to know what it’s like to study with us? Join us for one of our upcoming Open Days this month and discover life as a Guildhall student.

🎻 Bowed Strings Open Day - 17 January, 10am
👩‍🏫 PGCert Performance Teaching Virtual Open Evening - 20 January, 8pm
🎸 Guitar Open Day - 22 January, 2pm

Book your place and see future Music Open Days 👇

Music Open Days Attend one of our Music Open Days to find out more about the opportunities available at the School, and discuss the training with teaching staff, current students or recent graduates.

Guildhall School staff, alumni and supporters honoured in the New Year Honours List 2025 08/01/2025

Huge congratulations to our staff, alumni and supporters who were recognised in the New Year Honours List 2025 🎉

✨ Professor John Harle OBE
✨ Sarah Lancashire CBE (Acting, 1986)
✨ Myleene Klass MBE (Junior Guildhall)
✨ Alison Kay BEM (Music 1986)
✨ Professor Geoffrey Crossick MBE
✨ Peter Young MBE

Read more ⤵️

Guildhall School staff, alumni and supporters honoured in the New Year Honours List 2025 Congratulations to the following staff, alumni and supporters of Guildhall School who were recognised in the New Year Honours List 2025.

Photos from Guildhall School of Music & Drama's post 07/01/2025

"If you're passionate about drama or music, Junior Guildhall is an incredible place to grow..." 🤗

Applications for Junior Guildhall are now open for September 2025 entry.

For ages 4-18, our courses and programmes provide children and young people with world leading music and drama training.

Find out more and apply 👇
https://www.gsmd.ac.uk/junior-guildhall-apply

Guildhall Production Studio rounds off a successful 2024 with ‘Christmas at Waddesdon’ 18/12/2024

Since launching in October, Guildhall Production Studio have gone from strength to strength. Now they're rounding off the year with Christmas at Waddesdon🎄

Collaborating with renowned theatre designer, Tom Piper MBE, our Electronic & Produced Music students and staff have crafted a spectacular soundscape to accompany Piper's enchanting Sleeping Beauty installation at Waddesdon Manor, which can be seen until 5 January 2025.

Find out more about Guildhall Production Studio's work in 2024 👇

Guildhall Production Studio rounds off a successful 2024 with ‘Christmas at Waddesdon’ Guildhall Production Studio, part of Guildhall School of Music & Drama, has collaborated with renowned theatre designer Tom Piper MBE on this year’s Christmas experience at Waddesdon Manor.

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Our Story

The Guildhall School is a vibrant, international community of young musicians, actors and production artists in the heart of the City of London.

Ranked as one of the top ten performing arts institutions in the world (QS World University Rankings 2019), and recently awarded top conservatoire in the Complete University Guide Music League Table 2020, the School is a global leader of creative and professional practice which promotes innovation, experiment and research.

Of the 1000 students across our programmes, 40 per cent come from outside Britain, representing more than 70 nationalities and bringing a truly global outlook and relevance to what we do. We welcome diversity, and encourage applications from anyone with talent, regardless of background; our scholarship fund provides over £2 million to support students each year.

The School is also the UK’s leading provider of specialist music training at the under-18 level with nearly 2,500 students in Junior Guildhall and the Centre for Young Musicians.

Videos (show all)

London Stories: Oscar, BA Production Arts (Design Realisation)
Ever wondered what an Opera Overture would sound like by a Guitar Quartet? 🤔On Friday, alumni Mela Guitar Quartet, perfo...
“It made me come out of myself, and that’s exactly what they do here at Guildhall” 💛Inspired by movement and dance from ...
We did it! 🎉 Thanks to your incredible generosity, we’ve surpassed our Big Give Christmas Challenge goal, raising an ama...
Turn dreams into reality for Guildhall students like Amy by supporting our Big Give Christmas Challenge ✨ Donate now: ht...
London Stories: Shea
“The community outside of Guildhall is even as vibrant as the one inside it.”Interested in training to be an actor, or w...
“We’ve seen a lot of them that I would have expected to be slightly less confident, really growing in confidence and hav...
Straight from the printers and feeling HOT TO GO! 🔥 Introducing our new look 2025 Prospectus featuring illustrations fro...
One month away... 🎶Join us for OrchestRAVE on Saturday 20 July to celebrate the 15th anniverary of UKF Drum & Bass with ...
Ready for The Road Ahead? 🛣️We’re excited to present a series of eight newly commissioned short films, written by profes...
Fresh of the back of their stunning performances in Jane Eyre, our final year Acting students are turning their attentio...

Location

Address

Silk Street, Barbican
London
EC2Y8DT

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 10pm
Tuesday 7am - 10pm
Wednesday 7am - 10pm
Thursday 7am - 10pm
Friday 7am - 10pm
Saturday 8am - 9pm
Sunday 9am - 9pm