Studio Ghibli, Rihanna, Included in New ABSRM Piano Syllabus

The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music has expanded its official piano syllabus: pop songs, and music from television and film--such as Black Panther, Wallace and Gromit, and Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away--sit side by side with more conventionally classical works by Bach, Mozart, Schumann, and Debussy. The syllabus was published for use in assessments starting January 1, 2025.

Besides these, it also includes works by female composers including Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Fanny Hensel and Mélanie Bonis, and by contemporary composers such as Wibbly Waltz by Sarah Watts, In the Dead of the Night by Edmund Jolliffe, and The Singing Swan by ABRSM artistic director Alexis Ffrench. Also in the repertoire are rag and jazz tunes such as Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag, and Manning Sherwin's A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.

For the first time, the official syllabus also includes works for one hand, available for Grades 1 to 5. 

"For the new syllabuses, it has been wonderful to explore music from around the world and across different genres," said ABRSM Head of Assessment and Curriculum, Ali Bowen-Davies. "Learners and teachers will find composers of the expected core repertoire such as Scarlatti, Mozart and Liszt, alongside works by Rihanna, Joe Hisaishi for Studio Ghibli, and Alexis Ffrench."

"This sheer variety means learners can enjoy inspiring music from Baroque and Classical to pop, stage and screen, whilst broadening their own creative interpretations of a variety of styles. There really is something for everyone in these new iterations of ABRSM Piano syllabuses and we're so excited to be able to share these!"   

Recordings of all the pieces in the new repertoire have been made available on all streaming platforms, such as Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer, and Tidal.