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Academic Calendar • Hours


‘Music is given to us with the sole purpose of establishing an order in things, including, and particularly, the coordination between man and time.’
– Igor Stravinsky

‘Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid.’
Frank Zappa

Calendar & Hours

2023-2024 Calendar

Terms

First Term (12 Weeks)
18 September – 16 December

Second Term (11 Weeks)
8 January – 23 March

Third Term (11 Weeks)
8 April – 22 June

Summer Term
• Part One (5 Weeks): 1 July – 3 August
• Part Two (4 Weeks): 6 – 31 August

Breaks • Holidays

Mid-Term Break (First Term)
30 October – 4 November

Christmas Holiday
18 December – 6 January

St. Brigid’s Day
Monday, 5 February

St. Patrick’s Day
Monday, 18 March

Easter Holiday
25 March – 6 April

Bank Holiday Mondays
6 May, 3 June, 5 August


Download a printable 2023-2024 Calendar (pdf format).

First – Third Terms

Tuition Hours

Monday – Thursday: 10 am – 10 pm
Friday: 10 am – 8 pm
Saturday: 10 am – 6 pm

Office Hours

Monday – Thursday: 10 am – 8 pm
Friday – Saturday: 10 am – 6 pm


Summer Term

Tuition Hours

Monday: 10 am – 6 pm
Tuesday – Thursday: 10 am – 10 pm
Friday: 10 am – 6 pm

Office Hours

Monday: 10 am – 6 pm
Tuesday – Thursday: 10 am – 8 pm
Friday: 10 am – 6 pm

Important Dates

Friday Casual Concerts

Our Friday Casual Concerts, which take place around once a month on Friday evenings at 7 – 8 pm in the school, allow individual students and ensembles to perform in public, show off their skills and learn how to cope with nerves. They are also highly recommended for students preparing for exams.


2023-2024 Concert Dates

27 October 2023 • ages 19 & over
24 November 2023 • ages 18 & under
15 December 2023 • End-of-Term concert, all ages
23 February 2024 • ages 19 & over
22 March 2024 • End-of-Term concert, all ages
10 May 2024 • ages 19 & over
14 June 2024 • ages 18 & under


See School Concerts for more information on the New School’s Friday Casual Concerts.


Virtual Concerts

In addition to our Friday Casual Concerts, we also have Virtual End-of-Term Concerts after each of our terms for students who would prefer to perform this way. For these concerts, students submit videos of their performances, which are then added to concert playlists on our YouTube Channel. Video submission deadlines are two weeks before the end of each term.


2023-2024 Video
Submission Deadlines

Term 1 Deadline • 2 December 2023
Term 2 Deadline • 9 March 2024
Term 3 Deadline • 8 June 2024

End-of-Year Concerts

Our annual End-of-Year Concerts take place in the National Concert Hall’s John Field Room. Celebrations of the New School’s musical diversity, these concerts showcase a wide range of our instrumentalists, singers and ensembles, as well as winners of our annual Scholarship Competition.


2024 End-of-Year Concert Date

To be confirmed.


See School Concerts for more information on the New School’s student concerts.

Trad Slow Sessions

Our Trad Slow Sessions, which take place around once a month on Friday evenings at 6.30 – 8 pm in the school, are real Irish music sessions, but they are supervised and directed by our trad teachers and the session tunes are played at a slower than normal pace (often less than half the speed), so that near-beginner and intermediate players can more easily learn the tunes and join in the sessions. Trad Slow Sessions are a great way for students of Irish traditional instruments to build their skills and develop confidence.


2023-2024 Trad Slow Session Dates

20 October 2023
17 November 2023
8 December 2023
16 February 2024
15 March 2024
3 May 2024
7 June 2024


See Trad Slow Sessions for more information on the sessions.

Scholarship Competition

Our annual Scholarship Competition awards full-year tuition scholarships in three categories – Young Student of the Year, Mature Student of the Year and Most Promising Beginner – as well as Ensemble and Songwriting • Composition Prizes.


2024 Competition Date

Sunday, 26 May 2024


See Scholarship • Prizes for more information on the Competition, as well as entry requirements.

Exam Dates • Entry Deadlines

ABRSM

Spring 2024 Exams

Face-to-Face Exams
Online booking: 18 – 30 January 2024
Exam dates: February – March 2024

Digital Exams
Available on demand.

Summer 2024 Exams

Face-to-Face Exams
Online booking: 16 – 29 April 2024
Exam dates: June – July 2024

Digital Exams
Available on demand.

Winter 2024 Exams

Face-to-Face Exams
Online booking: 16 – 30 September 2024
Exam dates: November – December 2024

Digital Exams
Available on demand.

See the ABRSM website for more information.


RIAM

Winter 2023 Exams

Entry Deadlines
4 October 2023 (live exams & theory)
1 November 2023 (digital recorded exams)

Upload Windows for Digital Recorded Exams
6 November (9am) – 10 November (12 noon)
20 November (9am) – 24 November (12 noon)

Live Exams
1 November – 2 December 2023

Spring 2024 Exams

Entry Deadlines
24 January 2024 (live exams)
14 February 2024 (digital recorded exams)

Upload Windows for Digital Recorded Exams
21 February (9am) – 27 February (12 noon)
6 March (9am) – 12 March (12 noon)

Live Exams
21 February – 13 March 2024

Summer 2024 Exams

Entry Deadlines
27 March 2024 (live exams & theory)
24 April 2024 (digital recorded exams)

Upload Windows for Digital Recorded Exams
1 May (9am) – 8 May (12 noon)
29 May (9am) – 5 June (12 noon)

Live Exams
29 April – 1 June 2024

Online & Written Theory Exam
Preparatory Grade to Grade V: 13 – 16 May 2024
Grades VI, VII, VIII & Senior Certificate: Saturday 11 May, 12 – 6 pm

See the RIAM website for more information.


See FAQs About Music Grade Exams or Grade Exam Syllabi by Instrument for more information on music grade exams.

2024 Feis Ceoil Dates

11 – 22 March 2024

Entry Deadline
Friday, 15 December 2023 at 5.30 pm

See the ESB Feis Ceoil website for more information.

Academic Calendar • Hours
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