The London Academy of Music was established by
Henry Wylde in 1861 in
St. James's Hall; there were separate sections for men and women. Teaching began on 15 November 1861, at which time the cost per annum was 15
guineas, or £15 15s 0d. Students of all ages "with a decided talent, or showing an aptitude for learning" were admitted. It was a performance of
Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3.)
Henry Yorke Trotter, who had been the sole proprietor of the London Music School since 1897, became Principal of the Academy of Music from 1904 until his death 30 years later. In due course the Hampstead Academy was also amalgamated. The name was changed to the current name in 1935, under the direction of Wilfrid Foulis. In 1939, it was moved from London due to the war; when it reopened in 1945, it no longer provided musical training. However, singing has remained integral to LAMDA's actor training and in 2023 it introduced a new MFA Musical Theatre programme. LAMDA was previously an associate member of the
Conservatoire for Dance and Drama, having joined in 2004, and received funding through the Conservatoire from the
Office for Students. It left the Conservatoire on 31 July 2019 to become an independent institution, and now receives funding directly from the Office for Students and
Research England. LAMDA is a member of
Conservatoires UK - an elite group of drama and music schools in the United Kingdom. In August 2021 it was announced that Sarah Frankcom would step down as Director, and that LAMDA was conducting a search for a successor. In August 2022, LAMDA announced that Professor Mark O'Thomas had been unanimously appointed by the board of trustees as principal and chief executive, with Dr. Philippa Strandberg-Long appointed as head of actor training. == Facilities ==