Support for Performers

We know what it’s like: that looming pressure to find your path and make an impression once you’re at college, and doubly so once you leave. Here are some of the ways we can help musicians in your shoes:

INSTRUMENT PURCHASE

Our renowned RPS Instrument Purchase Grants provide funding - grants, not loans - for young musicians in their first year at music college to help them buy an instrument suitable for their professional training. Applications are made via your music college and usually open round the start of each new calendar year.
 

STUDY ABROAD

Our longstanding RPS Julius Isserlis Scholarship provides funding to help young instrumentalists fulfil their dreams of studying overseas.
 

INSTRUMENTAL PRIZES

  • The RPS Emily Anderson Violin Prize is for outstanding young violinists and annually offers one individual a cash prize to help them further their studies or career.
  • Annually the RPS Henderson Chamber Ensemble Award presents a significant cash prize to an outstanding young chamber group to help further their progress.
  • The RPS Philip Jones Brass Prize is for an outstanding individual brass player or brass ensemble of up to 5 players, offering a cash prize to help further their studies or career.
  • Since 2022, we have taken on management of the longstanding Gerald Moore Award presented biennially to exceptional piano accompanists.
     

RPS CONDUCTORS

The RPS is the home of the UK’s foremost initiative addressing inequality in conducting, helping exceptional underrepresented talents to progress and find their rightful place on the professional podium. As these courses are contingent on funding, there isn’t a regular period for applications, but we advertise these prominently on social media and on our website.
 

RPS AMBACHE FUND

Working with pioneering musician Diana Ambache, the RPS is pleased to offer grants to encourage UK-based performers, ensembles, venues and festivals to put exceptional yet overlooked music by historic women composers at the heart of their programming, and take pride in telling audiences about such composers worth discovering, through the RPS Ambache Fund.


RPS THEA MUSGRAVE PERFORMANCE GRANTS

We are newly piloting a set of RPS Thea Musgrave Performance Grants in 2025 to encourage performers, ensembles, festivals and venues to put the music of composer Thea Musgrave at the heart of their UK programming, and distinctively promote it to captivate audiences.

 

We are also pleased to to play a part in supporting the organisers of the triennial Philip Jones International Brass Ensemble Competition (PJIBEC).

We also have an association with the Eric Thompson Trust which offers different funding opportunities for professional organists.