ABBEY ROAD INSTITUTE ACQUIRES STUDIOS 301 TO OPEN SCHOOL IN SYDNEY

It’s official. The legendary recording house that inspired an iconic Beatles album, Abbey Road, is about to set up shop in Sydney after acquiring beloved Sydney studio, Studios 301.

The famed London studio is continuing its foray into music education, and will open its second Australian Abbey Road Institute at the Alexandria studio. The news follows the launch of the studio’s first Aussie school at a site in Melbourne’s Southbank over the weekend.

Abbey Road Australia Partner Gianni Michelini and CEO Paul Ledingham are behind the acquisition. Interestingly, Both Abbey Road Studios UK and Studios 301 Australia were both founded by British record label EMI.

News first broke of Abbey Road’s intent to launch a pair of music schools in Australia back in March, but official plans for the Sydney site have only just come to light.

Studios 301 was established in 1926 and is the longest running professional recording studio in the country. Thanks to its new partnership with Abbey Road, Sydney students with a passion for audio, production and the music bizz will now get the chance to study under the world’s most recognised and prestigious recording studio banner.

The site at 18 Mitchell Road will continue to cater to Aussie recording artists, but will also run a full-­time Music Production and Sound Engineering programme over 46 weeks.

It will be taught by recognised music industry experts, producers and label execs, alongside qualified lecturers, including guest lectures from renowned Aussie and international engineers and producers.

“We are thrilled to be involved in the next chapter of the Studios 301 journey,” said Abbey Road CEO Paul Ledingham. “Our team continues to be 100% committed to seeing 301 evolve to
meet the needs of the 21st century music industry. We’ll continue to service our existing clients and pay homage to the incredible legacy that is Studios 301.”

A statement on the Australian Abbey Road Institute’s official website reads: “Our programme was designed by the industry for the industry. We maintain the highest educational standards, support ‘hands-on’ practical learning, provide the best professional lecturers and give students access to state of the art equipment.”

“Above all else we want to share our passion for what we do.”

Spanning over 80 years, the globally recognised Abbey Road Studios have churned out more landmark recordings than we can count, from artists as iconic as The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Kanye West, Elton John, Frank Ocean, Elbow, Lady Gaga, Adele and more recently M.I.A, Ed Sheeran and Iggy Azalea.

Its new Sydney hub is expected to launch in July of 2016.