Music Lovers: Royal Irish Academy of Music launches adult division

The Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) is launching its new Adult Division, extending their many offers to adult musicians of all levels.

Since its establishment in 1848, the RIAM has taught and assessed over one million young musicians in Ireland in three divisions: Third-Level, Junior, and Exam. Now, for the first time in its 175-year history, the RIAM is offering instrumental and singing lessons, performance opportunities, music appreciation, and professional development to any adult musician. The launch comes just in time for the September opening of the new RIAM campus on Westland Row.

In small group settings, adult learners can join classes that unite like-minded musicians for a variety of different disciplines during eight- to 12-week sessions, which will run twice per year and culminate in a celebratory concert. In addition, each term of the Adult Division will feature a music appreciation series on Friday mornings, with guest performances from the Academy’s most promising third-level pianists.

Professional musicians and teachers can attend a range of short Continuing Professional Development courses, which aim to upskill performance and teaching. These courses include RIAM Key Skills for piano teachers, the Kodaly Method and conducting for choral practitioners, and historical performance for professional string players.

On the launch of this new programme, RIAM Director Deborah Kelleher said: “This is a truly exciting development for the RIAM that opens our doors to the only age group left for us to teach. The new Adult Division aligns perfectly with our core value of inclusion, of delivering a broad range of professional, non-professional, and access programmes in the belief that music benefits all and making the RIAM accessible to anyone who loves music.”

The RIAM Adult Division will officially welcome its first group of adult learners in September 2022.

By Lauren Castleman.