A congregation of graduating students along with their families and friends from the Institute’s campuses in Miami, Paris, Sydney, Amsterdam, London, and Johannesburg came together. They celebrated the achievements of a skilled and ambitious group of emerging producers, engineers, and artists.
This year marked a new chapter for the graduation ceremonies. They were hosted in Studio One, renowned as the largest purpose-built recording studio globally, where artists like Noel Gallagher, Little Simz, and Harry Styles have recorded. This studio has also served as the recording site for famous film scores, including “The Lord of The Rings” trilogy, “The Return of The Jedi” and the recent “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”.
Luca Barassi, CEO of Abbey Road Institute, set the celebratory tone with his speech:
“Each one of you has worked incredibly hard to be here today. You have embarked on a journey of many challenges, growth and creative development. We are here to recognise this accomplishment, to celebrate your achievement and to welcome you to the professional music industry.
What you did is not easy, and we are very proud of you.”
The celebration was further enriched with supportive video messages from international teams and friends of ARI. The ceremony also honoured Abbey Road microphone custodian Lester Smith upon his retirement, celebrating over 50 years of his invaluable service to the studio. His contribution was acknowledged on stage with a special recognition from Sir Paul McCartney.
The week continued with practical recording workshops at Angel and Abbey Road Studios, where graduates engaged in unique collaborative sessions guided by industry veterans like Haydn Bendall, Peter Walsh, and Ricky Damien. The week wrapped up with a lively after-party at the famed music venue Egg in London, adding a final touch of celebration to the graduation festivities.
Below are a few personal highlights from the event. The complete photo gallery is available for viewing and downloading through the provided link at the end of this blog.
Again, congratulations to the Class of 2024 🎉✨🎓
Eager for more?
The entire photo collection from this year’s Abbey Road Institute Global Graduation Ceremony is available on our Flickr account. More behind-the-scenes content will be shared soon, so keep an eye out! Also, take a moment to enjoy our video showreel from last year’s Global Graduation 2023 for a glimpse of the excitement!