Undergraduate/Postgraduate Academic Calendar 2026–27

The Academic Calendar outlines key teaching periods, holiday breaks, assessment periods and major performance projects throughout the academic year. Alongside weekly teaching, students participate in a range of performance, interdisciplinary, research and collaborative activities that form an important part of the RIAM experience.

The information below highlights the principal academic activities. For faculty-specific schedules and the complete weekly calendar, please download the Academic Calendar PDF.

RIAM Academic Calendar 2026-2027

pdf

Academic Year Overview

Performance Spotlight Weeks

Concerts & Events

Faculty Overview

CATEGORY	DESCRIPTION
Teaching & Learning	Teaching weeks, lectures, tutorials, orientation and scheduled learning activities.
Holiday & Break	College closures, vacation periods and public holidays.
Exams & Assessments / Submission Deadlines	Written examinations, recital assessments and coursework deadlines.
Performance Spotlight Week / Performances / Themed Weeks	Concerts, masterclasses, festivals and performance activity.
RIAM Term Dates (At RIAM, the academic year is divided into three terms)	Michaelmas Term (Autumn) The first term of the academic year, running from September to December. Hilary Term (Spring) The second term of the academic year, running from January to April. Trinity Term (Summer) The final term of the academic year, running from April to June.
Faculty Overview	Information on faculty actives and updates

Academic Year Overview & Structure

Performance Spotlight Weeks (PSWs) are a distinctive feature of learning at RIAM. These intensive project weeks bring together students from across disciplines to collaborate with visiting artists, explore new repertoire, engage in creative practice and develop performance experience beyond their principal study programme.

Orientation Week: Week beginning 7 September 2026

Term 1 (Michaelmas) Begins: Monday 14 September 2026

October Break & Performance Spotlight Weeks: Weeks beginning 19 October and 26 October 2026

Mid-Year Assessment Period Begins: Week beginning 30 November 2026

Performance Spotlight Week 2: Week beginning 7 December 2026

Christmas Break Begins: Week beginning 14 December 2026

←Michaelmas Term ends Sunday 20 December 2026/Semester 1 ends

Performance Spotlight Weeks 3a & 3b: Weeks beginning 4 January and 11 January 2027

Term 2 (Hilary) Begins: Monday 18 January 2027

Performance Spotlight Week 4: Week beginning 22 February 2027

Spring Break: Week beginning 1 March 2027

St Patrick's Day: Wednesday 17 March 2027

Easter Break: Weeks beginning 29 March and 5 April 2027

Term 3 Begins: Tuesday April 6th 2027

ChamberFest Performance Spotlight Weeks: Weeks beginning 26 April and 3 May 2027

End-of-Year Assessment & Examination Period: April–June 2027

Term 1 (Michaelmas Term)

Orientation Week
Week beginning 7 September 2026

Teaching Period
Monday 14 September – Friday 16 October 2026

October Break & Performance Spotlight Weeks
Week beginning 19 October 2026 (PSW 1a)
Week beginning 26 October 2026 (PSW 1b)

Teaching Resumes
Monday 2 November – Friday 11 December 2026

Mid-Year Assessment Period
30 November – 17 December 2026

Christmas Project Period
Week beginning 7 December 2026 (PSW 2)
Week beginning 14 December 2026 (Christmas Break begins)

Term 2 (Hilary Term)

January Performance Spotlight Period
Week beginning 4 January 2027 (PSW 3a)
Week beginning 11 January 2027 (PSW 3b)

Teaching Period
Monday 18 January – Friday 19 February 2027

Performance Spotlight Week
Week beginning 22 February 2027 (PSW 4)

Spring Break
Week beginning 1 March 2027

Teaching Resumes
Monday 8 March – Friday 26 March 2027

Easter Break
Weeks beginning 29 March and 5 April 2027

Term 3

Teaching Period
Monday 12 April – Friday 23 April 2027

Assessment & Examination Period
12 April – 9 June 2027

ChamberFest Performance Spotlight Weeks
Week beginning 26 April 2027 (PSW 5 – ChamberFest)
Week beginning 3 May 2027 (PSW 6 – ChamberFest)

Capstone & Recital Examinations
May 2027

Doctoral Examinations
Through week beginning 7 June 202

August

Week of 24th August - College reopens

October

Week beginning 19 October 2026
Holiday Week and Performance Spotlight Week 1a.

Week beginning 26 October 2026
Holiday Week and Performance Spotlight Week

October Bank Holiday: Monday 26th October 2026

Christmas Break

Holiday Week beginning 14 December 2026

Holiday Week beginning 21 December 2026

Holiday Week beginning 28 December 2026

24th December Christmas Period - College closed 24 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 inclusive

February

St. Brigid's Day Bank Holiday: Monday, 1 February 2027

Spring Break

Holiday Week beginning 1 March 2027

March

March Bank Holiday: Wednesday: 17th March 2027, St Patricks Day

Easter Break

RIAM closed - Good Friday, March 26th 2027

Holiday Week beginning 29 March 2027

Easter Monday: Monday, 29 March 2027, RIAM closed

May

May Day Bank Holiday: Monday 3rd May 2027

June

June Bank Holiday: Monday, 7 June 2027

July

Friday 23rd - RIAM closes for the summer holidays

August

August Bank Holiday: Monday, 2 August 2027

Assessment activity takes place throughout the year, with major examination periods during December and from April to June.

Mid-Year Assessments

30 November – 17 December 2026

Academic assessments
Mid-year faculty examinations
Vocal and Keyboard assessments
Postgraduate review examinations

End-of-Year Assessments

12 April – 9 June 2027

Academic assessments
Capstone projects and presentations
End-of-year recital examinations
Chamber music recitals
Doctoral and postgraduate examinations

Students will receive detailed assessment schedules and examination timetables from their programme teams during the academic year.

Performance Spotlight Weeks

Week beginning 19 October 2026

Highlights include:

Group Performance with Live Electronics led by composer Jonathan Nangle
Artist Duos collaborative performance project
Café Zimmermann and the Bach Keyboard Concerti, featuring students from Historically Informed Performance Strings and Keyboard

Week beginning 26 October 2026

Highlights include:

Co-Creative Inclusive Ensembles: The Karen Power Project
RIAM Philharmonia collaborative project activity with the Irish Baroque Orchestra

Week beginning 7 December 2026

Highlights include:

Co-Creative Inclusive Ensembles: The Karen Power Project
RIAM Philharmonia repertoire and orchestral project work
RIAM Opera rehearsal and performance preparation activities

Week beginning 4 January 2027

Highlights include:

Miles Davis Project with Toby Street
RIAM Opera Tech Week
Intensive cross-disciplinary creative project activity across programmes

Week beginning 11 January 2027

Highlights include:

The Diabelli Codex collaborative performance project
RIAM Opera performances and Musical Theatre Showcase
RIAM Chamber Orchestra Creative Cabaret
Advanced project work involving students across performance disciplines

Week beginning 22 February 2027

Highlights include:

Solo Artist with Live Electronics
Artist Duos
RIAM Philharmonia conducting and repertoire projects
Music & Translation Conference
Iain Burnside's Open Your Eyes project

Week beginning 26 April 2027

A two-week celebration of chamber music and collaborative performance featuring:

ChamberFest performances
Chamber music recital activity
Faculty and student showcases
Composition showcases
Vocal ensemble projects
Opera Scenes presentations
Collaborative performance events across the institution

Concert Series, Events & Competitions

Students have opportunities throughout the year to engage with a wide range of concerts, creative projects, competitions and research activity, including:

Wigmore Series – 6 September 2026; 4 November 2026; 6 December 2026; 25 January 2027; 9 February 2027; 9–10 March 2027
Dublin Piano Series
Young Artist Series
RIAM Chamber Orchestra projects
RIAM Junior Competitions
RIAM Tertiary Competition
Irene Sandford Award – Preliminary and Final Rounds: Tuesday, 24 November 2026
TCD Foundation Scholarship Examinations -Week of 4 January 2027
Maura Dowdall Competition – Semi-Finals: Wednesday, 20 January 2027
Maura Dowdall Competition – Final Round: Wednesday, 17 February 2027
Lucien & Maura Teissier Competition – Preliminary Round: Monday, 15 March 2027; Final Round: Thursday, 18 March 2027
Maeve Broderick Prize – Strings: Monday 22, Tuesday 23 & Thursday 25 March 2027
Amplify Research Day (Thursday 11th March 2027)

Faculty Overview

The Academy's Tertiary programme is organised across six faculties: Academics, Keyboard, Strings, Wind, Brass & Percussion, Vocal, and Composition. Throughout the academic year, each faculty will communicate directly with its students regarding lessons, performance activities, rehearsals, masterclasses, and other faculty-specific events. Students should regularly check their RIAM email and Moodle for the latest information, schedules, and announcements. Additional details and updates relating to the academic calendar, performance opportunities, and Academy activities will also be published on https://moodle.riam.ie/ or emailed as they become available.

One-to-One Lessons

Individual one-to-one lessons continue throughout the academic year unless otherwise advised by the relevant programme or faculty member. For queries relating to the academic calendar, please contact the RIAM Tertiary Office.