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Scholarships at the Royal Academy of Music to launch, supported by Sony Music UK’s Social Justice Fund
We are proud to announce two scholarships to study at the Royal Academy of Music, funded by the UK arm of Sony Music Group’s Global Social Justice Fund, created in June 2020 to support social justice, equal rights, and anti-racist initiatives around the world.
Sony Music UK has partnered with leading pianist, composer & producer Alexis Ffrench – who is signed to Sony Music Masterworks and attended the Academy as a student – to launch the scholarship positions, which are for Black UK or international undergraduate students.
“It is an honour to create scholarships supporting and nurturing the talent of Black students at the Royal Academy of Music in partnership with Sony Music UK,” said Ffrench. “I was fortunate to study at this prestigious, world-leading conservatoire and experienced first-hand the benefits of its teaching, resources, and community.
“I am proud to lend my name to these new scholarships and I hope that together we can reimagine new and inclusive pathways and possibilities for 21st century musicianship, where all voices may be heard through this positive action for change”.
Sony Music Group’s Global Social Justice Fund was created in June 2020 to support anti-racist initiatives around the world and is part of the global Sony Music Group commitment to support communities and help address structural inequality for lasting change. Social Justice Fund beneficiaries are chosen by a diverse advisory board representing labels and divisions across Sony Music UK.
The Royal Academy of Music moves music forward by inspiring successive generations of musicians to connect, collaborate and create. It is the meeting point between traditions of the past and the talent of the future, seeking out and supporting musicians today whose music will change the world tomorrow.
Applications are open for all courses for the academic year starting September 2022 – suitable candidates will be considered for a scholarship once they have been offered a place. To remove potential barriers to the application process, everyone who applies is offered an audition in the form of a performance video, with no pre-screening. No formal music grades need to have been achieved, changing the pre-conceived notions of what it means to be an artist of limitless potential in the 21st century.
For more information on life at the Royal Academy of Music, the application process, finances and career development, applicants are encouraged to visit the Academy’s website and sign up for one of their virtual open days.
