BMus (Composition)

Application deadline

5th December 2025
Course duration

4 years
Course accreditation

Trinity Accredited Course
Course fee

€3,000 per annum
Course fee (non-EU/EEA)

€22,500 per annum
Course director

Dr. Kevin O'Connell

Course Introduction

Welcome to the RIAM composition school. The RIAM is an active and encouraging environment for composers who wish to extend their creative horizons and to have the opportunity to work with some of the finest performing talent in Ireland. Our training aims to lay a thorough technical foundation from which composers can build their own approaches and find their own voices.

We place a particular emphasis on acquiring technological proficiency, an essential for every composer in today’s world. Our state-of the-art computer studio and internationally renowned staff share not only their technical expertise but exciting creative approaches to using technology.

The composition department hosts regular seminars with leading guest composers, widening the creative discussion far beyond the RIAM. With our new performance spaces and facilities located in the heart of Dublin, we believe that exciting new horizons are opening for RIAM composition studies.

Course Outline

The course is structured in four pillars:

Principal Study
Performing in Context
Academics
Holistic

If you wish to focus your principal study in two areas (such as composition and violin, for instance), we will divide up your principal study hours to accommodate this dual pathway, and we will also adjust assessments to fit your best milestones.

Performing Opportunities

RIAM's Composition Performance Spotlight Weeks 2024-2025 provides a diverse and enriching series of performance opportunities for composers, emphasising innovation, collaboration, and experiential learning.

The programme features various projects that encourage composers to explore different facets of music creation and performance. Under the guidance of experts like Karen Power, participants will engage in inclusive ensemble co-creation, fostering a collaborative spirit and culminating in performances.

Izumi Kimura, Lina Andonovska, and Cora Venus Lunny lead an improvisation project, allowing students to integrate improvisation into their compositions, enhancing their creative flexibility. Egbert Jan Louwerse's sessions on performance as composition emphasise freeing artistic expression from self-imposed constraints, encouraging experimental and spontaneous creation. Additionally, the schedule includes a workshop on writing choral music for young voices with Seán Doherty and the Dublin Youth Choir, providing insights into the specific challenges and rewards of this genre.

A highlight is the Alvin Lucier Project led by faculty member Jonathan Nangle, where students will delve into the experimental composer's work and create their sound installations. This initiative promotes an understanding of acoustic phenomena and auditory perception.

Overall, RIAM's approach to performance opportunities for composers is comprehensive and forward-thinking, blending theoretical knowledge with practical application, and ensuring students gain valuable experience that prepares them for diverse professional careers in music.

Why Choose Us

Dublin is a bustling and vibrant capital city of Ireland, now the only English-speaking country in the EU.

As an associate college of Trinity College, the University of Dublin, RIAM students graduate with a degree from one of the top universities in the world. RIAM students have access to Trinity’s gym, sports clubs, and societies. You can have the university experience, but with classes in the intimate setting of a conservatoire

Entry Requirements

The closing date for applications is 5th of December 2025.

Auditions are held in January.

You will be asked to perform two contrasting pieces after which there will be a short interview.

You will also take a written theory test and an aural test. You don’t need to have studied grades to apply, but we do recommend Grade 6 RIAM Local Centre/ABRSM theory level as a minimum standard.

Normally applicants receive their result within one month of the audition/interview.

Full details about entry requirements can be found at the following link: Undergraduate Entry Requirements