The Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) in Dublin, Ireland, is one of Europe’s oldest music conservatoires, specialising in classical music and the Irish harp. It is located in a Georgian building on Westland Row in Dublin. An institution which offers tuition from age 4 up to doctorate level, the RIAM has taught music performers and composers who have gone on to acclaim on the world stage. It is an associate college of the University of Dublin, Trinity College.

Part-time tuition

The RIAM has 1,500 part-time students who are assessed annually and make up some of the pool of students who apply for RIAM’s full-time courses. Recent initiatives such as junior chamber music and junior improvisation courses have sought to offer such students (and outside students) the opportunity to develop a more rounded musical education. In 2016, the RIAM launched the “Young Scholar Programme” to support the development of the especially committed school-age children, through international exchanges, masterclasses and mentoring.

Full-time study

As an associate college of Trinity College, the University of Dublin, all RIAM degrees (at bachelor, master’s and doctorate level) are awarded by Trinity College, and students have access to the facilities of this institution. 150 full-time students study at the RIAM and also act as cultural ambassadors for the RIAM and for Ireland, forging good professional careers and participating in international concerts and competitions. This student body is made of representatives from over 17 countries. These full-time programmes are focused on classical music performance, composition and education, and have been running for a quarter of a century. Graduates of the RIAM’s full-time programmes have been accepted for further study at the most prestigious music institutions around the world from the Juilliard School in New York to the Royal Academy of Music in London. In recent years students of the Academy have been finalists and winners of some of the world’s most prestigious international competitions including the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition, the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, the China International Vocal Competition, the Cologne International Piano Competition, the Dublin International Piano Competition and the BBC Musician of the Year. On the international stage, former students are currently members of such leading orchestras as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as opera houses from the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden to La Scala, Milan.

The Cathal Gannon Early Music Room was opened in May 2003; it contains a harpsichord and clavichord made by Cathal Gannon, a Broadwood grand piano restored by him, a square piano and information about Mr Gannon in addition to other historically significant keyboard instruments. In 2016, the RIAM founded Ireland’s first Historical Performance Department in collaboration with foundation partners, the Irish Baroque Orchestra.