About Us

The Royal Irish Academy of Music is Ireland’s oldest conservatoire, ranked in the top 50 institutions in the world for the performing arts. We train gifted musicians from all over the world for careers in music performance, composition and pedagogy. Our graduates are innovative and reflective, with skills that enable them to take on the challenge of a life in the creative arts with confidence and zest.

Our teaching staff includes many international prize-winners and principals of professional orchestras in Ireland. It also includes individuals whose names have become synonymous with music education in Ireland. These experienced teachers are passionate about working with talented students to unlock their artistic potential.

Regular visitors include international artists such as:

Sir James Galway, Ann Murray DBE,
guitarist Xuefei Yang and
violinist Daniel Rowland.

Our performing groups are celebrated for the vitality and passion of their performances. These groups are regularly invited to perform at significant venues both in Ireland and overseas.

An Associate College of Trinity

RIAM’s 150 full-time students enjoy the best of both educational worlds. We are an associate college of Trinity College, the University of Dublin, Ireland’s highest-ranking university.

Our students have access to Trinity’s facilities, sports centre and societies and clubs. At the same time, they benefit from intimate conservatoire experience on their campus on Westland Row.

Graduate successes

In recent years students of the RIAM have been finalists and winners of some of the world's most prestigious international competitions. This includes 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 Kohn Foundation Wigmore Hall Song Prize.

On the international stage, former students are currently members of leading orchestras: 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.

Still more RIAM graduates are busy chamber, community and contemporary musicians and teachers, using their flexible skills to forge successful portfolio careers.

RIAM Exams

RIAM Exams, founded in 1894, cater for 42,000 students in 1,700 centres across the island of Ireland. Over 7,000 private music teachers enter their students for these exams. As the national quality mark for music, the RIAM has developed a portfolio of teacher training programmes, sharing the expertise of our faculty with music teachers nationally.

Junior RIAM

1,500 pre-college students attend the RIAM between the ages of 4 and 18.

Students have practical lessons supported by musicianship classes, chamber music and orchestra, choir or band.

RIAM’s Young Scholar Programme supports especially gifted school-age children through bursaries, international exchanges, masterclasses and mentoring.

Philanthropy & Financial Aid

We re-invest more than 10% of our tuition income in financial aid programmes for school-age students. This allows young people from any socio-economic background to access a quality music education.

Through the 1848 Scholar Programme, we offer bursaries at the bachelor, master and doctorate levels. We provide these on the understanding that recipients will give back to the institution through administrative assistance, junior teaching or joining RIAM’s outreach projects.

Location

We are located in the Georgian Quarter of Dublin City, minutes from cultural institutions such as the National Gallery of Ireland, Trinity College, the Abbey Theatre and the Bord Gais Energy Theatre.