Course contact details
Main Contact
Email:admissions@rcs.ac.uk
Phone:0141 332 4101
Fax: 0141 332 8901
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
100 Renfrew Street
Glasgow
G2 3DB
Collaborative Piano (Taught)
- Master of Arts
- 1 Years
- Full-Time
- 20 September 2027
- Postgraduate
- Main Site
- Course scheme
- UCAS Conservatoires
Course summary
The deadline for all applicants, including international, to apply to this programme is the 1st October 2026
Collaborative Piano is a varied and challenging postgraduate programme which will prepare you for a demanding profession.
Alongside a team of highly experienced professional pianists and chamber musicians, you will engage in a range of collaborative opportunities to prepare you for this demanding profession working with students and lecturers from all departments at RCS.
Developing core skills form the foundation of the Collaborative Piano programme. In addition to the extensive development of standard duo repertoire, additional supporting skills are also cultivated in regular group classes including; sight-reading, orchestral reductions, transposition, figured bass, playing for choirs, vocal and instrumental coaching. and languages.
Collaborative Pianists also enjoy extensive performing opportunities, whether in concerts, competitions or playing for students. The programme provides a wide range of choices for assessment, including studio recordings, commissions of new collaborative works, independent projects and full-length recitals.
Students who have graduated in this course have gone on to have professional careers as collaborative pianists and work for a wide range of institutions and organisations throughout the world. Graduates also work in the fields of music education, arts management and administration, and music in the community.
Course details
Principal study options
During the application and audition process, you must select which instrument(s) you wish to specialise in for the duration of your course. On this course, you can choose from the following options:
Instrument/specialisms
For all courses, you must select at least one specialism from the 'primary' list. For those studying primary/secondary pathways, two instruments may be selected – one from the 'primary' list and one from the 'secondary' list. Joint pathway students may select any two instruments from either list.
Primary instrument/specialism
- Collaborative Piano
Modules
Course Modules
MMus & MA Stage 1
Principal Study 1 – 80 Credits (H5)
-
Individual lessons in Collaborative Piano
-
2-3 negotiated performance assessments
Supporting Studies 1 – 30/20/10 Credits
- Negotiated departmental activities, such as performance classes, ensembles, rehearsals and masterclasses
Practice Research – 10 Credits
- Research project
Options – 0/10/20 Credits
- Range of optional classes drawn from School of Music, School of Stage and Screen and School of Dance
MA Stage 2
Negotiated Study – 60 Credits
- Individual composition, performance or academic project
https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/mmus-ma-collaborative-piano/#programme-structure
Assessment method
Please see our course webpage for more information.
How to apply
If you are an international applicant, or you are applying for a postgraduate course, or are choosing certain assessment locations, the 'on time' deadline may be later in the year - please contact the conservatoire directly.
Apply by
1 October 2026
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- 831F
- Institution code:
- R58
- Campus name:
- Main Site
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
Entry requirements
Typical qualification requirements
Bachelor Degree
Candidates for both the MMus and MA are normally expected to hold a good honours (at least 2:2) degree, or its overseas equivalent, in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme.
In addition to the general entry requirements, candidates will preferably already have public performance experience of working with singers and instrumentalists. Knowledge of a specialist area of relevant repertoire (e.g. vocal, string, wind) is also desirable.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Typical qualification requirements
Bachelor Degree 2:2
Candidates for both the MMus and MA are normally expected to hold a good honours (at least 2:2) degree, or its overseas equivalent, in a subject area relevant to the demands of the programme.
In addition to the general entry requirements, candidates will preferably already have public performance experience of working with singers and instrumentalists. Knowledge of a specialist area of relevant repertoire (e.g. vocal, string, wind) is also desirable.
Additional entry requirements
- Audition
- Repertoire details will be provided two weeks prior to the audition or recording submission date. This will include one movement from a Classical sonata for violin, as well as one German and one French song for soprano. In-person auditions will feature a sight-reading test, whilst recorded auditions will include a quick preparation test, which will be received and completed on the submission day. You do not need to supply any recordings at the point of application. Specific information on what to prepare will be sent to the applicant after the application closing date (1 October 2026). For Glasgow in-person auditions, RCS will provide applicants with a singer and an instrumentalist. For recorded submissions, applicants must source their own singer and instrumentalist. Please refer to our course webpage, under the 'how to apply' section, for more information: https://www.rcs.ac.uk/courses/mmus-ma-collaborative-piano/
- Interview
- An interview will form part of the audition process.
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | Applicants who first language is not English will be required to provide evidence of proficiency in English. An IELTS score of 6.0 in each component (with no component below 5.5) is required. |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 80 | Overall score of 80, with minimum scores of: Reading – 18, Listening – 17, Speaking – 20, Writing – 17 |
| PTE Academic | 59 | Overall score of 59 with a minimum of 59 in all components (reading, listening, speaking, writing) |
| Cambridge English Advanced | Overall score of 169 with a minimum of 162 in all components | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | Overall score of 169 with a minimum of 162 in all components |
https://www.rcs.ac.uk/study/international-students/english-requirements/
Assessment locations
In the event of a successful assessment, applicants may be invited for a further interview prior to being made an offer.
Remote assessment recordings may be accepted in the event that you cannot attend an assessment in person.
Single specialism assessment
| Location | On-time Fee |
|---|---|
| Recording | Not available at this location |
| RCS (Glasgow) | Not available at this location |
Joint principal specialism assessment
| Location | On-time Fee |
|---|---|
| Recording | Not Applicable |
| RCS (Glasgow) | Not Applicable |
Additional Information
All applicants must complete an Acceptd profile and application regardless of which location you choose, this is part of the audition process (https://app.getacceptd.com/rcs) and needs to be completed once your UCAS application is submitted. All live in-person auditions will be scheduled through Acceptd. If you don't have Acceptd, we won't be able to audition you. Applicants submitting recordings via Acceptd, may be asked to a follow-up online interview with the department you are applying for.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
Per year tuition fees
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|
* This is a provisional fee and subject to change.
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Additional fee information
Please note, all new students are required to pay associated programme cost related fees at the start of their studies.
For more information on fees, funding and scholarship, please see our website.
Sponsorship information
Music Scholarships
Within the School of Music, the majority of scholarship awards are made following an audition and offer of a place at the RCS. Scholarships are made based on ability and potential with some for financial need. Many School of Music scholarships are made for the duration of the programme. There is no separate scholarship application for the School of Music as everyone is automatically considered.
Related courses
At Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
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