Music Performance - Joint Principal Study

The Joint Principal Study (JPS) pathway is a specialist four-year pathway that enables students with exceptional potential in two disciplines to pursue these in parallel at degree level. It is strongly practical and vocational in purpose, with most of your study time devoted to activities in the two principal study areas, but this is substantially complemented by a core curriculum in professional skills development, research skills, and development of critical and reflective thinking.

The programme’s structure and content are designed to allow you to develop the full range of your creative and technical abilities and to equip you with the professional skills and knowledge that will enable you to pursue your musical interests and aspirations to the highest level. The programme offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a creative and supportive environment dedicated to the study and practice of music in a multidisciplinary setting that includes dance, drama, film and production programmes alongside music. Our aim for our graduates is to prepare you for both postgraduate study and professional employment as performers, teachers, and in other careers as part of the portfolio career common within the contemporary music profession.

JPS is a demanding programme and students taking this study additional credits (140 credits per year instead of the usual 120). To continue each year on the JPS pathway, students must normally achieve a specified minimum grade for each Principal Study module; failure to achieve this level in both Principal Studies will normally result in the student being required to pursue the better Principal Study as a ‘single study’ (i.e. transfer to the Performance/ Composition/ Jazz route).

The JPS pathway includes Conducting as a principal study. Conducting is not routinely offered as a Joint Principal Study option at undergraduate level. Applicants with a strong interest in conducting are encouraged to contact us before applying, as opportunities are limited and highly competitive.

Successful candidates would typically already demonstrate:

• Significant prior experience as a conductor

• A high level of musical maturity and technical skill in their principal study

• A clear understanding of the repertoire and rehearsal processes involved

Please note that capacity for undergraduate conducting is extremely limited, and applications will only be considered in exceptional cases.

Overseas Applicants
We will be holding auditions at venues across the world, but audition requirements AND application deadline dates will change depending on your principal study and where you are applying to. We will be operating a pre-screening process for some instrumental departments. Full information on our locations, dates and requirements can be found on our website. Please check this prior to applying.

All international applicants and those that are submitting a recording must also include a spoken introduction recording that is separate from your instrumental performance. This must be submitted to your Acceptd application by the relevant application deadline for where you are auditioning.
All recorded submissions should contain a spoken introduction in English. Please tell us:

• Your name

• A bit about your musical background and training you’ve had till now

• Your musical ambitions

• Your reasons for applying to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

• This video should be no longer than 3 minutes long and separate to your performance video

Our overseas auditions will consist of one panel member and will also be recorded for review by the relevant department.
• Please note for live overseas auditions, we cannot guarantee that a member of our teaching staff for your specific discipline will be on the panel.
• All applicants will need to provide their own instruments (except piano).
• All applicants will need to provide their own accompanist for overseas auditions.