It’s not every day an audio student gets to celebrate the culmination of their hard work and achievement with a diploma ceremony, live performances and industry networking in Abbey Road Studios One and Two. But on 27 October 2017 that’s exactly what graduating students from our six Abbey Road Institutes in Germany, France, The Netherlands, UK and Australia did. Abbey Road was delighted to host students from all of our Institutes along with their families, guests and our industry partners.

The afternoon opened with an exclusive and intimate ceremony, where the students were given their diplomas in Studio Two, a first of its kind for Abbey Road. Graduates were invited up on stage by Luca Barassi, Chief Operating Officer of Abbey Road Institute, to receive their accreditation and walk in the footsteps of the artists that have recorded here over the years, from Kate Bush, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Radiohead and Oasis to Muse, Hozier, Ed Sheeran, Alt-J and many more.

The celebrations continued in Studio One with student Andrew Glen compering for the evening, introducing several speakers including Isabel Garvey Managing Director of Abbey Road Studios and David Sharpe Chief Operating Officer of Universal Music UK as well as live performances from student bands Siva, Myotopes, Northern Light Exposure (with special guest on bass for the evening, Michele Stodart from The Magic Numbers), The Stangs, Keemosabe and Lewn

Isabel Garvey said: “Bringing together students from all of our Institutes across the globe, the graduation ceremony was a genuine celebration of the achievements of the Abbey Road Institute in developing the next generation of engineering and production talent. From the curriculum and student recording sessions throughout the academic year, to the guest lecturers who work or have worked at the Studios, the event celebrated Abbey Road’s strong relationship with the Institute. It was a proud moment for us all and invigorating to meet the talented graduates who are already securing exciting roles and opportunities as they start their careers in the music industry.”

David Sharpe, COO of Universal Music UK has been highly supportive of the new graduates, saying: "Universal has great plans for the institute. We are absolutely delighted that the feedback on you, as a cohort of graduates, is exceptional. That you've got real talent and that you're very driven. I hope that when you have your (Alan) Blumlein moment, and you're going up to collect your grammy in the future, that you remember that it all started here at Abbey Road Institute." 

The Institute were delighted to have a fantastic turnout at the event and would like to extend a very warm thank you to everyone that joined them, students, graduates, parents and industry partners alike. A special thank you to those that travelled from our schools across Europe and as far away as Melbourne, Australia! 

Curious to see more? The Institute are sharing a few highlights of the evening on their Facebook Gallery.

Aspirations to join our next course? Find out more about the unique education provided by Abbey Road Institute right here.