Royal Birmingham Conservatoire: a world-class music school with stages for all

Birmingham has produced musicians loved around the world, and Royal Birmingham Conservatoire is where many of the next generation are learning their craft. Part of Birmingham City University, it offers music and acting courses, alongside a Junior Conservatoire for young musicians.

The conservatoire moved into its home on Jennens Road in September 2017. The £57 million building features 9,000 square metres of what the university calls "purpose-designed teaching, rehearsal and state of the art performance space". That same month, on 24 September 2017, Queen Elizabeth II granted the institution its royal title.

It has a distinctive place in British music education. It is the only one of the UK's nine conservatoires that sits within a university faculty, and the university says it has about 50 full-time staff and nearly 200 visiting specialist tutors, roughly one staff member for every two students.

For audiences, the building is a treasure trove of venues. The Bradshaw Hall seats around 500, the Recital Hall 150, the Organ Studio 100 and the Eastside Jazz Club 80, and there is an Experimental Music Lab too. The Recital Hall has adjustable acoustics and a multi-channel sound system for performances with live electronics, and the university says it was the first UK concert venue with a permanent system of this kind. The Arena Foyer, a tall room with unusually resonant acoustics, can welcome around 100 people.

Jazz is a real strength. It is a named department with its own degree courses, and the Eastside Jazz Club gives students a club-style stage right inside the building.

The conservatoire's alumni list shows the range of talent it nurtures, from singer Laura Mvula and singer Rhydian Roberts to composer Brian Ferneyhough, composer and conductor Albert Ketèlbey and actress Nicola Coughlan.

Its events calendar is open to everyone, making it a great way to hear gifted young performers in excellent venues. Prospective students can also find out more at the next open day on Thursday 3 December 2026.

Concert listings and open day details are on the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire website.