The lively Percussion Department offers a broad vision of percussion, with tutors trained both in the UK and abroad providing an international outlook, and excellent facilities. Specialist training is provided in every area: from classical to commercial, theatrical to popular.
Developing your skills
Outstanding in its diversity, our syllabus combines a wide range of solo, ensemble and orchestral repertoire with access to jazz techniques, and World Music options such as gamelan, African drumming and samba. Providing a chance for you to broaden your horizons and integrate different playing styles, these options offer invaluable experience of unusual styles and instruments and will help to prepare you for the complex demands of the modern percussion world.
Performance opportunities
The department’s size is carefully balanced to ensure ample performance opportunities for every student, while maintaining a healthy percussion ensemble. This flexible group undertakes two or three concerts each year, performing pieces that range from three to 12 players.
As a percussion student, you’ll have regular performing opportunities within the Conservatoire orchestras, bands and ensembles, and you can also undertake various external engagements. Sufficiently advanced students can also take advantage of professional training schemes with the CBSO and Philharmonia Orchestra.
Our dedicated Percussion Suite houses a large collection of instruments available for student use. Conservatoire percussion graduates can be heard performing in London’s West End, and with professional orchestras such as the LSO, CBSO and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
In collaboration with the Percussive Arts Society, the Conservatoire hosted its first Day of Percussion in 2006, welcoming several international artists including David Friedman. Further events have welcomed Gustavo Gimeno, Lorenzo Ferrandiz and Dave Sanchez among others.