Strings

As a student in the Strings Department at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire you will be part of a dynamic and exceptionally supportive student and staff fraternity. Strings Staff include internationally renowned performers and pedagogues.

We foster creativity and individuality through our bold and varied performance programme offering a wide-ranging agenda of solo, chamber music and orchestral performance opportunities, many internal and external recital possibilities and frequent from international artists and visiting tutors.

Bowed

Baroque lessons and orchestral projects are an integral part of the performance programme, with several students opting to focus primarily on early music.

Bowed

Plucked

The Plucked Strings Department offers expert tuition and guidance to develop your performance skills in harp, guitar and lute.

Plucked

Guitar

Our aim in the Guitar Department is to equip all our students with the necessary skills to enter a music profession upon graduation.

Guitar

Auditions

Find out more about the audition process and requirements for the department.

Auditions

Our staff

Around 50 full-time members of staff (including support staff) and nearly 200 visiting specialist tutors work at the Conservatoire.

Our staff

Our tutors

We also have a variety of tutors who provide specialist teaching and advice within the Strings department.

Our tutors

BVMA partnership

The British Violin Making Association (BVMA) and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (RBC) will be working together over the coming years to provide opportunities for players and makers to connect.

BVMA partnership

Staff spotlight

Nick Trygstad is Head of Strings at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

For over 18 years, Nick was Principal Cello of Manchester’s Hallé Orchestra. Alongside his performing Nick has also taught at the RNCM for over 15 years, and it is his love of teaching and learning that attracted him to RBC.

Read Nick's profile

String duo coaching

String Duo Coaching is one of our most vital and treasured areas of teaching in the Strings Department. Throughout your UG and PG degree you are allocated to a different staff pianist each year with an evolving number of hours throughout your course. This staff pianist rehearses with you, plays for master classes, performance classes and on occasion even external concerts, and of course for your end of year recital.

In addition, Daniel Tong (Head of Piano Chamber Music) creates huge numbers of Student Duos each year, pairing up like-minded student pianists with their string counterparts, an enriching and inspiring part of your studentship at RBC. There are also frequent “Art of Duo” classes where student duos have the opportunity to perform in a masterclass and receive coaching from a visiting artist and specialist in duo performance. Many students form duos where they go on to play in international competitions, external concerts and much more.

Music courses

We offer a wide range of music performance degree courses and programmes at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire at undergraduate, postgraduate and short course level.

Music courses

Open Days

When possible, the best way to explore what's on offer is to come and see us in person, and we host a number of Open Days throughout the year. Come and be taught by our trailblazing academics and study in our innovative facilities.

Open Days

Performances

We give our students lots of opportunities to develop their performance skills in front of a public audience.

Come along to an RBC performance to see our current students in action, alongside some of the biggest names in classical and contemporary music.

See upcoming performances