Online Music School
Virtual Ingenium Music Academy
Join us for the ultimate online music summer school experience including interactive & exclusive music instruction with world-class professionals and being part of our Ingenium Family.
Virtual Ingenium combines the excellence of intense music tuition with the community spirit of the Ingenium Academy. Now in our eleventh year, we are bringing our experience from over a decade of world-class music making into our virtual environment.
Following a successful summer online in 2020, we are back online in summer 2021 to inspire and motivate young musicians worldwide.
Choose from six exceptional music programmes
Experience online one-to-one lessons with top musicians including names from the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Opera House & Royal College of Music
Learn and make music with like-minded young musicians all around the world
Take part in interactive online workshops and Q&A sessions with experienced professionals
Choose your programme
All programmes are open to students aged 13 to 21.
Learn online from the best
Our faculty are among the world’s leading classical music performers and educators. The Ingenium team are carefully selected not only for their experience, musicianship and expertise, but also for their energy and enthusiasm for working with young musicians and their talent for teaching.
Each programme includes:
- 3 hours per day of tuition, face-to-face & interactive, with our esteemed tutors
- 2 x one-to-one lessons with a professional musician and experienced teacher
- Additional daily social activities
- A rich and diverse schedule of online workshops
- Rehearsals and group tuition
- Q&A sessions and masterclasses with respected professionals
- Access to our Ingenium Community, with time for online social interaction and discussion topics, social events and activities
- A safe and stimulating learning environment
- A focus on good physical and mental health, mindfulness and wellbeing.
Through participating in Virtual Ingenium, students will:
- Improve their musical ability, technique, aural skills and knowledge
- Receive high quality feedback from their teachers
- Be inspired by top artists in a unique, elite environment
- Meet like-minded young musicians all around the world
- Perform as part of the Ingenium Academy Virtual Ensembles (or have your composition performed), and receive a video memento of the performance.
See detailed course outlines below:
Piano Programme
Develop and improve all aspects of your playing with world-class tutors
Our online Piano Programme is for passionate and talented pianists who wish to develop and improve all aspects of their playing, gain healthier practice habits, improve musicianship and listening skills, build performance confidence, and join a global community of young musicians.
Group lessons
Every day will include 3 hours of face-to-face interactive sessions with our esteemed piano tutors. As a group, piano students will also learn repertoire to be performed as a virtual piano performance at the end of the programme.
Group classes will discover topics such as:
- Warm ups and practice strategies
- Sightreading – in small groups divided by level
- Technique – in small groups divided by level
- Performance skills and anxiety
- Q & A sessions with top artists
- Musical meaning and context
- Exercises, scales and etudes
- Aural skills and music theory
- Jazz piano
- Improvisation and communication
- Audition technique and preparation
- Conducting
- Alexander Technique
- Solo masterclasses and performance classes
Please note group sessions will not take place on Sundays.
Individual tuition
Over the six days, every piano student will receive 2 x 45 minute one-to-one online piano lessons. Our teachers are established, successful pianists who have busy concert and recording careers as soloists and chamber musicians, as well as playing in the pit of the Royal Opera House and with orchestras such as the London Sinfonietta. You will be able to look in depth at aspects of your playing that you most wish to improve, develop your technique and master repertoire.
Ingenium Classroom
As part of the course, you will also have access to our Virtual Ingenium classroom where you will find your daily timetable, music downloads, class resources, extra videos and resources to help you study in your own time, and details about Virtual Ingenium community events.
Ingenium Community
As a part of the Ingenium Community you will belong to a family of like minded young musicians. There will be scheduled times for online social interaction and discussion topics, plus social events and activities to take part in such as swing dancing, quizzes and BBQs! Sessions will also include a focus on good physical and mental health, mindfulness and wellbeing.
Dates: Sunday 1 - Saturday 7 August 2021
Fee: £385.00
"The course was a lot more than I expected. I learned a lot about aspects of being a musician that I never thought of, and made a lot of friends. Ingenium was the best online teaching I have experienced by far."
Byron, Virtual Ingenium Piano Student, USA
Conducting Programme
Gain experience and expert tuition in conducting and musicianship
Our online Conducting Programme is a unique experience for young conductors to gain experience and expert tuition in conducting, improve musicianship and listening skills, build confidence, and join a global community of young musicians.
Students will work on conducting technique, master scores and repertoire, develop aural and musicianship skills, and learn about conducting and the life of a musician through interviews and discussions with world-class industry professionals.
Group coaching
Every day will include 3 hours of face-to-face interactive sessions with Tim Redmond. Tim is a regular guest conductor with the London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and is Professor of Conducting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
Conducting students will also have the opportunity to study the orchestral and choral repertoire and lay click track conducting videos for our virtual orchestra and choir performances at the end of the online summer school.
Group classes will discover topics such as:
- Warm ups and practice strategies
- Score reading and preparation
- Posture and technique
- Performance skills and anxiety
- Q & A sessions with top artists
- Musical meaning and context
- Rhythm development
- Aural skills and music theory
- Composition and arranging
- Improvisation and communication
- Audition technique and preparation
- Alexander Technique
Please note group sessions will not take place on Sundays
Individual mentoring and tuition
Over the six days, every conducting student will receive one-to-one online conducting lessons and mentoring with Tim Redmond. The conducting class will be a small, intimate class where you will be very much part of a group that works together and shares the work and ideas of each individual. This one-to-one time will be important for you to be able to look in depth at aspects of your conducting that you most wish to improve and develop your technique.
Ingenium Classroom
As part of the course, you will also have access to our Virtual Ingenium classroom where you will find your daily timetable, music downloads, class resources, extra videos and resources to help you study in your own time and details about Virtual Ingenium community events.
Ingenium Community
As a part of the Ingenium Community you will belong to a family of like minded young musicians. There will be scheduled times for online social interaction and discussion topics, plus social events and activities to take part in such as swing dancing, quizzes and BBQs! Sessions will also include a focus on good physical and mental health, mindfulness and wellbeing.
Dates: Sunday 18 - Saturday 24 July 2021
Fee: £415.00
"The program was so interesting! I feel that my conducting skills were taken to the next level. The course was beyond my expectations and so informative! It was better than anything else I had experienced online."
Cristabella, Virtual Ingenium Conducting Student, USA
Composition Programme
Develop composition techniques, improve your musicianship and listening skills, and join a global community of young musicians
Our online Composition Programme is for passionate and talented composers with a passion for writing and discovering new music, who want to develop technique, improve musicianship and listening skills, and join a global community of young musicians.
Under the guidance of some of the UK’s foremost composers, musicians and specialist teachers, students will work on individual pieces in their preferred style, and broaden their appreciation and understanding of different genres and techniques of composition. They will develop aural and musicianship skills, and learn about the life of a musician through interviews and discussions with world-class industry professionals.
Group coaching
Every day will include 3 hours of face-to-face interactive sessions with our esteemed tutors and workshop leaders. Students will work on their own compositions, which will be workshopped, performed and recorded at the end of the programme.
Group classes will discover topics such as:
- Compositional technique
- Harmony
- Orchestration and writing for different instruments
- Developing musical material, themes and ideas
- Improvisation and communication
- Q & A sessions with top artists
- Musical meaning and context
- Aural skills and music theory
- Conducting
- Alexander Technique
Please note group sessions will not take place on Sundays
Individual tuition
Over the six days, every composer will also receive one-to-one online composition lessons with a leading professional. Our tutors are experienced professional composers, whose music has been performed internationally by the finest organisations including the BBC Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and Opera North.
Ingenium Classroom
As part of the course, you will also have access to our Virtual Ingenium classroom where you will find your daily timetable, music downloads, class resources, extra videos and resources to help you study in your own time, and details about Virtual Ingenium community events.
Ingenium Community
As a part of the Ingenium Community you will belong to a family of like minded young musicians. There will be scheduled times for online social interaction and discussion topics, plus social events and activities to take part in such as swing dancing, quizzes and BBQs! Sessions will also include a focus on good physical and mental health, mindfulness and wellbeing.
Dates: Sunday 25 - Saturday 31 July
Fees: £415.00
"The lessons always gave me new ideas for my compositions, they made me approach composition in a new, more in depth way and they answered a lot of my questions. I learned a lot of new composing techniques."
Bruno, Virtual Ingenium Composition Student, Italy
Vocal Programme
Improve your singing technique, learn choral repertoire, gain healthier practice habits, improve musicianship and listening skills and build confidence
Our online Vocal Programme is for passionate and talented singers who want to improve their voice and singing technique, learn choral repertoire, gain healthier practice habits, improve musicianship and listening skills, build performance confidence, and join a global community of young musicians.
Students will work on solo and ensemble technique, master choral repertoire, develop aural and musicianship skills, and learn about the life of a musician through interviews and discussions with world-class industry professionals.
Group coaching
Every day will include 3 hours of face-to-face interactive sessions with our esteemed choral conductors, vocal workshop leaders and teachers. Vocal students will learn choral repertoire to be performed as a virtual choir at the end of the programme.
Ensemble classes will discover topics such as:
- Warm ups and practice strategies
- Vocal health, posture and technique
- Performance skills and anxiety
- Q & A sessions with top artists
- Musical meaning and context
- Exercises, scales and etudes
- Aural skills and music theory
- Composition, song writing and arranging
- Improvisation and communication
- Audition technique and preparation
- Conducting
- Alexander Technique
- Solo masterclasses and performance classes
Please note group sessions will not take place on Sundays
Individual tuition
Over the six days, every vocal student will receive 2 x 45 minute one-to-one online singing lessons with a leading professional. Our teachers are recruited from the finest organisations in the UK including the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Guildhall School of Music and Drama and The Swingle Singers. You will be able to look in depth at aspects of your singing that you most wish to improve, develop your technique and master repertoire.
Ingenium Classroom
As part of the course, you will also have access to our Virtual Ingenium classroom where you will find your daily timetable, music downloads, class resources, extra videos and resources to help you study in your own time and details about Virtual Ingenium community events.
Ingenium Community
As a part of the Ingenium Community you will belong to a family of like-minded young musicians. The online summer school will include time for online social interaction, discussion topics and social events and activities to take part in such as swing dancing, quizzes and BBQs.
Dates: Sunday 18 - Saturday 24 July 2021
Fee: £385.00
"I thought each session was unique and they enabled me to learn new skills and also focus on certain areas. I loved meeting amazing people from around the world, with great teachers and a wonderful singing teacher who helped improve my singing technique and helped me develop my voice."
Isabella, Virtual Ingenium Vocal Student, UK
Orchestral Programme
Learn orchestral repertoire, improve instrumental technique, gain healthier practice habits, improve musicianship and build your confidence alongside new friends
Our online Orchestral Programme is for passionate and talented classical instrumentalists who want to learn orchestral repertoire, improve instrumental technique, gain healthier practice habits, improve musicianship and listening skills, build performance confidence, and join a global community of young musicians.
Students will work on solo and ensemble technique, master orchestral repertoire, develop aural and musicianship skills, and learn about the life of a musician through interviews and discussions with world-class industry professionals.
Group coaching
Every day will include 3 hours of face-to-face interactive sessions with our esteemed orchestral conductors, workshop leaders and teachers. Orchestral students will learn orchestral repertoire to be performed as a virtual orchestra at the end of the programme.
Ensemble classes will discover topics such as:
- Warm ups and practice strategies
- Instrumental technique
- Performance skills and anxiety
- Q & A sessions with top artists
- Musical meaning and context
- Exercises, scales and etudes
- Aural skills and music theory
- Composition and arranging
- Improvisation and communication
- Audition technique and preparation
- Conducting
- Alexander Technique
- Solo masterclasses with guest artists
Please note group sessions will not take place on Sundays
Individual tuition
Over the six days, every orchestral student will receive 2 x 45 minute one-to-one online lessons with a leading professional instrumentalist. Our tutors are recruited from the finest orchestras in the UK including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic. You will be able to look in depth at aspects of your playing that you most wish to improve, develop your technique and master repertoire.
Ingenium Classroom
As part of the course, you will also have access to our Virtual Ingenium classroom where you will find your daily timetable, music downloads, class resources, extra videos and resources to help you study in your own time and details about Virtual Ingenium community events.
Ingenium Community
As a part of the Ingenium Community you will belong to a family of like-minded young musicians. The online summer school will include time for online social interaction, discussion topics, social events and activities to take part in such as swing dancing, quizzes and BBQs.
Dates: Sunday 25 - Saturday 31 July 2021
Fee: £385.00
"I wasn’t sure how the orchestra would work out online but it was a great success! I learnt loads! It was motivating, interacitve and inspiring with valuable ideas and tips. I really got an insight into what it’s like to be a full time orchestral musician from these wonderful sessions!"
Éimear, Virtual Ingenium Orchestral Student, Ireland
Saxophone Programme
Expand your repertoire, improve your technique, gain healthier practice habits, develop your musicianship and meet other passionate young saxophonists around the world
Our online Saxophone Programme is for passionate and talented saxophonists who want to expand their repertoire, improve technique, gain healthier practice habits, improve musicianship and listening skills, build performance confidence and join a global community of young musicians.
Students will work on solo and ensemble technique, master saxophone repertoire and techniques, develop aural and musicianship skills, and learn about the life of a musician through interviews and discussions with world-class industry professionals.
Group coaching
Every day will include 3 hours of face-to-face interactive sessions with our esteemed tutors and workshop leaders. Students will also learn ensemble repertoire to be performed as a virtual saxophone choir at the end of the programme.
Ensemble classes will discover topics such as:
- Warm ups and practice strategies
- Extended techniques
- Performance skills and anxiety
- Classical & Jazz technique, performance and improvisation
- Q & A sessions with top artists
- Musical meaning and context
- Exercises, scales and etudes
- Aural skills and music theory
- Composition and arranging
- Conducting
- Alexander Technique
- Solo masterclasses and performance classes
Please note group sessions will not take place on Sundays
Individual tuition
Over the six days, every saxophone student will receive 2 x 45 minute one-to-one online saxophones lessons with a leading professional. Our tutors are recruited from the finest organisations in the UK including the National Youth Wind Ensemble of Great Britain and Birmingham Conservatoire. As performers they regularly perform with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and have starred at top jazz venues such as Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. You will be able to look in depth at aspects of your playing that you most wish to improve, develop your technique and master repertoire.
Ingenium Classroom
As part of the course, you will also have access to our Virtual Ingenium classroom where you will find your daily timetable, music downloads, class resources, extra videos and resources to help you study in your own time, and details about Virtual Ingenium community events.
Ingenium Community
As a part of the Ingenium Community you will belong to a family of like minded young musicians. There will be scheduled times for online social interaction and discussion topics, plus social events and activities to take part in such as swing dancing, quizzes and BBQs! Sessions will also include a focus on good physical and mental health, mindfulness and wellbeing.
Dates: Sunday 1 - Saturday 7 August 2021
Fee: £385.00
"It exceeded my expectations. It was welcoming, friendly and unique with accessible teaching. The best thing was that we work on all the aspects a musician needs to work on."
Mariana, Virtual Ingenium Saxophone Student, Portugal
Financial Aid
The Ingenium Trust is our partner charity, offering support to students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds who do not have the means to meet the summer school fees. Bursaries are means-tested and are awarded on musical merit to students from lower income families. If you would like to be considered for a bursary this summer, or would like any help or advice with fundraising then please do not hesitate to contact us at info@ingeniumacademy.com to receive an application form and further information.
"Virtual Ingenium was a lot more well-organized compared to my other online learning
experiences. Fantastic, friendly, international and strongly recommended."
Lorenza, Italy
Violin student
Session Times
Final session times will be decided based on the locations of the students attending.
We make every effort to ensure that all students can attend the vast majority of group sessions live. Should a student not be able to attend a session due to time zone constraints, or other commitments, the session will be recorded and available in our online learning portal.
If you have any questions about this, please get in touch
"This course was very motivating during uncertain times and I really learnt loads to bring on my playing."
Éimear, Ireland
Oboe & Violin student
"I feel that what should take a month evolved in a week. The best thing about Virtual Ingenium is that we work on all the aspects that a musician needs to work on, not just playing our instrument."
Mariana, Portugal
Saxophone student
"I have new knowledge I’ve learnt through the week. It’ll be really useful for me in the future as a musician, pianist and to become a better student."
Kenneth, Hong Kong
Piano student
"I think the teaching method at Ingenium was very effective for a virtual platform. The teachers were extremely experienced. The atmosphere was friendly and culturally diverse."
Ivana, Dominican Republic
Vocal student
Course dates
Tuition will run from Monday to Saturday each week. Sunday is a welcome and orientation day. Programmes in 2021 will take place as follows:
Week One: 18 July - 24 July 2021
Vocal Programme
Conducting Programme
Week Two: 25 July - 31 July 2021
Orchestral Programme
Composition Programme
Week Three: 1 - 7 August 2021
Piano Programme
Saxophone Programme
Students are welcome to attend multiple programmes, but please note that it is not possible to attend two running during the same week. If you are unable to attend all of your desired programmes because of a clash, please get in touch and let us know.
Session schedules
- Daily group sessions will be run live (meeting as a group, over video-conferencing).
- One-to-one lessons will be scheduled individually, according to each student's time zone.
- Exact timetables will be published nearer to the start of the course, accommodating as best we can for the time zones of those enrolled.
- All group sessions will be recorded for students who are unable to attend a scheduled class due to their time zone, or prefer to study in their own time.
What will I need?
To take part, you will need access to the following:
- Computer, tablet or device with a webcam.
- Sufficient internet download and upload speed to take part in video conferencing.
Virtual Ingenium Enrolment Form
Please complete the form below to sign up for Virtual Ingenium.
Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until each programme is full.
Students are not required to submit an audition for Virtual Ingenium*. At the end of the form, you will be prompted to make a payment for the full course fee. Upon receipt of payment, your enrolment will be confirmed. If we receive your application after the last place has been filled, we will notify you and you will receive a full refund.
*If we receive your enrolment form but are concerned that the course is not right for you, we will get in touch to discuss your application. If we cannot accommodate you on the course, you will receive a full refund of your fee.
Student feedback from Virtual Ingenium Summer 2020
"I learned so much about my voice. My teacher was able to give me very helpful tips and techniques on areas that I needed help with, such as keeping grounded while singing, tongue tension and head position & posture.
I was super happy with just how organised and well planned the whole program was! I loved having a set schedule and the social zooms. They made it feel as close as it can be to being in person!
Everyone is just so welcoming and inclusive. I felt 100% comfortable the entire time."
Molly - Vocal student, USA
"I learned a lot of new composing techniques that will be very useful for my future compositions. The lessons always gave me new ideas for my compositions, they made me approach the subjects discussed in a new, more in depth way and they answered a lot of my questions about composition."
Bruno - Composition student, Italy
"I especially enjoyed learning new things like circular breathing, altissimo and learning a little more about jazz. The course was welcoming, friendly, unique and accessible teaching. It exceeded my expectations.
I feel that what should take a month evolved in a week. The best thing about Virtual Ingenium is that we work on all the aspects that a musician needs to work on, not just playing our instrument."
Mariana - Saxophone student, Portugal
"I learnt the value of knowing a composer's background. It’ll help you understand why they wrote the piece and give you a better idea of how to interpret it. I have had many online music lessons but Virtual Ingenium was the most interactive. I felt comfortable asking questions, everyone was so nice and welcoming"
Alexander - Viola student, UK
