ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music)
Founded in 1889, by Sir Alexander MacKenzie, Principal of the Royal Academy of Music, and Sir George Grove, Director of the Royal College of Music, as an associated examining board “… which would genuinely provide a stimulus and an objective for a high standard of achievement”. This new body was designed specifically to provide an impartial and authoritative alternative to privately owned examining institutions.
In 1890 courses were published for violin, cello, organ, piano and harp. Viola, double bass and woodwind instruments were added the following year. There were only two grades initially but due to demand for beginner grades the current structure of grades 1 to 8 was introduced in 1933.
In 1947 the Royal Northern College of Music and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland joined the ABRSM and during the following years the curriculum expanded to include harpsichord, recorder, brass instruments and voice. During the 1990s percussion and jazz were added to the syllabus.
Publishing
In 1918 the first ABRSM books were published, and in 1921 a publishing department was set up to provide suitable music for examinations. They also published performance editions of popular works and new instructional compositions.
Today ABRSM is the UK’s largest education body, one of its largest music publishers and the world’s leading provider of music exams, holding over 650,000 assessments in more than 90 countries every year.
At Ackerman Music we stock the entire range of ABRSM award-winning publications designed to support students and teachers.
Click here to see the comprehensive range of ABRSM publications from Ackerman Music.
