Postgraduate Awards Audition Day
Everything you need to know to plan your day
This guide will tell you all you need to know about what to prepare for your Postgraduate Awards audition, how to get there and what to expect.
Audition dates for each discipline are as follows:
- Tuesday 2 April — Brass
- Wednesday 3 April — Piano and Répetiteurs
- Thursday 4 April — Voice
- Friday 5 April – Lower Strings
- Monday 8 April – Harp and Guitar
- Tuesday 9 April — Jazz and Pop
- Wednesday 10 April — Historical Performance and Percussion
- Thursday 11 April — Woodwind
- Friday 12 April – Upper Strings
Please refer to your schedule for the timing of your performance.
If you need to contact a member of the Help Musicians team on the day please call 07803 207982.
We look forward to meeting you.
Getting there
Locations
Tuesday 2, Wednesday 3, Monday 8 & Tuesday 9 April
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Silk Street
London
EC2Y 8DT
Audition Room: Lecture Recital Room
Map
Find Guildhall School of Music & Drama on the map
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The closest stations to Guildhall are Moorgate and Liverpool Street.
Thursday 4, Friday 5, Thursday 11, Friday 12 April
Royal Academy of Music
Marylebone Road
London
NW1 5HT
Audition Room: York Gate 352
Map
Find the Royal Academy of Music on the map
The closest stations to Royal Academy of Music are Baker Street and Regent’s Park on the Underground and Marylebone Station on the Overground.
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Wednesday 10 April
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance
King Charles Court*
Old Royal Naval College
Greenwich
London
SE10 9JF
*NOT the Laban Building or Laurie Grove
Audition Rooms:
Percussion – Wolfson Percussion Rooms
Historical Performance – Mackerras Room (G46)
Map
Find Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Kings Charles Court on the map.
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The closest station to Trinity Laban is Cutty Sark station.
The easiest way to reach the Faculty of Music is by Docklands Light Railway, alighting at Cutty Sark station. The DLR and London Underground connect at Bank, Tower Gateway, Canary Wharf/Heron Quays, and Stratford.
If travelling from Central London by train, travel from Cannon Street to Greenwich. There are frequent trains and the journey time is approximately 12 minutes. On arrival at the station, turn left on the road towards town. The Faculty of Music is approximately a 15-minute walk away.
Transport
For more information on travelling via train, tube or, bus and to plan your journey by public transport visit Transport for London.
Travel Expenses
You can claim up to £75 if you are travelling outside of London and up to £120 if you are travelling from Scotland or Northern Ireland. If you are travelling with a group (3 or more members) from outside of London for a Jazz audition, you can claim up to £175.
An expense claim form will be emailed to you and you can also pick one up on the day. Please make sure to email a copy of your receipt as well as the expenses claim form to panels@helpmusicians.org.uk.
Venue Accessibility
Royal Academy of Music
The audition room is located on the 3rd floor of York Gate. The primary lift is undergoing repairs and will not be available during the audition period. Step-free access is available via a side entrance and the Academy staff can provide support on the day. Please let us know if you require step free access so support can be arranged.
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Step free access is limited around the building however our staff team are on hand to provide support.
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance
The Wolfson Percussion Rooms are located on the 2nd floor of the West Wing, in the South West Pavilion. They are fully accessible, there is a lift to the second floor.
If you have any concerns about accessibility, please get in touch with us on panels@helpmusicians.org.uk.
Your performance
You will be asked to perform two contrasting pieces of up to 10 minutes of music. Please see the requirements for your discipline here. We are able to provide an accompanist for brass, upper strings, lower strings, woodwind and voice disciplines.
This will be followed by a few questions from the panel. The questions could be about your application, your year ahead, or future plans, therefore please come prepared to talk about your application.
Special notice: Help Musicians’ donors, panellists and stewards will attend the audition days. Please be aware that there may be additional people present during your performance. We will always ensure the room is not overcrowded and that there are no more than 10 people in the performance room at any given time.
Equipment and backline available:
Jazz auditions
- Drum kit
- Bass amp
- Guitar amp
- Microphones
- Piano
Please bring breakables (i.e. drum sticks/cymbals) Music stands will be provided. Please send your tech spec to panels@helpmusicians.org.uk.
Harp auditions
Guildhall’s Harp Department will provide harps for your audition and warmup therefore you do not need to bring your own instrument.
Tops tips for preparing for the day
We know that in-person auditions can be a nerve-wracking prospect, so we have created a list of top tips to consider when preparing for your audition.
Time your programme in advance and make sure you are sticking to the given time limit of ten minutes. The panel will prefer you to have planned your programme to fit the time allowed, therefore if your programme is currently longer than this, you may want to find a suitable cut to ensure you stick to time.
Follow the audition requirements. For example: We ask you to perform two contrasting pieces during your panel performance. Please indicate if you require the services of our in-house accompanist if you have not already. Likewise, if you requested our in-house accompanist and no longer need their services, or if you are unsure on whether you requested their services or not, please let us know as soon as possible.
Play your programme through. You may even want to wear your outfit to make sure you are completely comfortable with what you are hoping to wear. Wear clothes you are comfortable in but do make sure you are dressed for the stage. For example, don’t wear shoes you are unable to walk in or a jacket that restricts your movement.
Drink lots of water to keep hydrated, not just on the day of your audition but the days leading up to it.
Eating carbohydrates the evening before and in the morning of your audition will give you the energy you need to get you through your performance. Preparing for a performance can feel like preparing for a big sporting event.
Don’t rush and allow extra time to travel to the venue
Arrive 20 minutes early to give yourself plenty of time to warm up. When you get there, please make your way to the sign in desk so we can register your attendance. If you are a student at Guildhall or the Academy and have booked your own warm up room please do sign in and make yourself known to us.
Note down the team’s mobile number. If you are running late, call or text us to let us know on 07803 207982. If you are suddenly unable to attend your audition, let us know as soon as possible.
Introduce yourself and greet the panel on arrival into the audition room. If you have made any changes to your programme tell the panel before you start.
Any other questions?
If you have any questions in the lead up to your audition day, email panels@helpmusicians.org.uk.