The Mills Williams Junior Fellowship is held for one year and is only available to students on the Artist Diploma (ArtDip) in Performance and Artist Diploma (ArtDip) in Composition programmes.
All fellows are expected to develop musical and communication skills by undertaking further intensive study, working with students internally and doing all they can to raise the profile of the RCM externally. They play a full and active part in the musical life of the RCM as well as functioning as RCM ambassadors. They have full use of the RCM Library with its wealth of material and work in close contact with the Creative Careers Centre, the RCM’s centre for professional skills and publicity services.
Applications for 2023-24 are now open. The application deadline is 3 February 2023.
Lithuanian pianist Gabrielė Sutkutė has already established herself as a musician of strong temperament and “excellent precision and musicality” (Rasa Murauskaitė from 7 days of Art). She has given many concerts and performed in numerous festivals throughout Europe and appeared in famous halls such as Wigmore Hall, the Steinway Hall UK, the Musikhuset Aarhus, Jacqueline du Pré Music Building and Lithuanian National Philharmonic Hall.
In addition to being a soloist, Gabrielė frequently performs with chamber ensembles and symphony orchestras. In 2018, she had a trio performance alongside distinguished cellist Adrian Brendel in the RAM Summer Piano Festival and was also invited to play with the renowned Kaunas String Quartet in Lithuania. In 2020, she performed Rachmaninov’s 2nd Piano Concerto with Grammy-nominated Kaunas Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Markus Huber. In 2019 she performed the concerto again with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Modestas Pitrėnas, at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic.
Gabrielė is a winner of nineteen international piano competitions where she also received numerous special awards. In 2022, she was awarded 2nd Prize and the Audience Prize at the Birmingham International Piano Competition. For her musical achievements she received Lithuanian Republic Presidents’ certificate of appreciation six times. She is also an artist at Talent Unlimited and holds the Philharmonia MMSF Piano Fellowship Award, Help Musicians Postgraduate Performance Award, the Craxton Memorial Trust Award and The Kathleen Trust Award. Recently, she was selected as the winner for the prestigious Mills Williams Junior Fellowship 2022/23 and the Jacob Barnes Award 2021.
Gabrielė has had masterclasses with professors and pianists such as Stephen Kovacevich, Igor Levit, Imogen Cooper, Steven Osborne, Olga Kern and many more acclaimed musicians. From 2016-22, she studied with Professor Christopher Elton and received a Bachelor of Music (First Class Honours) and Master of Arts with Distinction from the Royal Academy of Music. For her the outstanding performance her Postgraduate Final Recital, Gabrielė also received a Postgraduate Diploma (DipRAM).
Gabrielė is delighted to be the RCM 2022/23 Mills Williams Junior Fellow. Her teachers are Professor Vanessa Latarche and Sofya Gulyak.
The funding for the junior fellowships includes £11,350 to be put towards the course fees, plus a bursary of £8,000. These figures should be taken into account when planning your budget.
The programme of study for junior fellows is determined by the structure of the Artist Diploma in Performance and Artist Diploma in Composition courses, which are based on one-to-one provision and practical project work, tailored to your particular career aspirations.
Junior fellowship funds may also be used for tuition in related areas of study, such as masterclasses, coaching, language study, related instruments and costs associated with starting out in the profession.
As a junior fellow working with other RCM students you will be required to:
Applicants should already have successfully completed formal studies at a level equivalent to a postgraduate diploma or degree or be completing these studies in the academic year in which the application is made. Applications will be considered from those with equivalent experience.
Applicants need to be able to demonstrate substantial successful experience in their specialism, the motivation and determination to continue intensive studies, and the desire to develop their skills by working regularly with other musicians within and outside the RCM.
If you are not a UK resident, you must obtain permission to be in the UK from the UK Border Agency in order to hold a fellowship. Students on the Artist Diploma programme at the Royal College of Music are eligible for Student Visas.
Find out more about visa applications
These conditions are set by the UK Government and can change. Please ensure you visit their website for the most up-to-date information.
Applications for 2023-24 are now open for the Mills Williams Junior Fellowship. The application deadline is 3 February 2023.
Applicants are required to submit a portfolio supported by a letter of application, which should indicate your suitability for the fellowship and your readiness to present yourself as an emerging professional.
Your application should contain:
Find out more about portfolio contents
Applicants interested in this junior fellowship must complete a two-part application process, which consists of:
Plus:
Applicants who have not applied for both components by the closing date will not be considered for this junior fellowship.
Full-time students going into their second year of study may also apply, and will need to specify in their application that they are applying for their second year of the programme.
Please note that the junior fellowships for students on the Artist Diploma in Performance and Artist Diploma in Composition programmes are not renewable, and may be held for one year only.
You should submit your portfolio online through the RCM submission portal. The information you upload to the portal does not constitute your entire application, but does form an integral part of it. You should ensure you have provided everything that is required. Incomplete applications may not be considered.
When using the submission portal you will be asked to create a user name and password, and to provide an email address. You should select 'junior fellow' from the list of programmes and the appropriate principal study instrument. There are no restrictions to the file size or type.
If you experience any problems uploading your portfolio please contact Lizzie Sambrook.
Assistant to the Artistic Director, Director of Programmes & Events Coordinator
020 7591 4370
Interviews will be held in Spring 2023, but the dates are to be confirmed. Please check this page regularly for updates.
Please note that interviews will be held at the office of the Mills Williams Trustees.
Bishop and Sewell
59-60 Russell Square,
London WC1B 4HP
Shortlisting for junior fellowships will take place once the RCM’s audition process is complete. Only students offered a place on the Artist Diploma in Performance will be considered.
Should you be invited to interview, you will be required to bring original documentation (visa, passport or leave to remain in the UK) confirming that you have permission to be in the UK.
In your interview you will be required to:
Results will be conveyed as soon as possible after the interviews have taken place.
If you are expected to perform on the day of the interview, you will be notified in advance.
As a Junior Fellow you will be expected to:
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