Abbey Road Institute to move into Angel Recording Studios

We are delighted to announce the expansion of our flagship school Abbey Road Institute London this summer, which will see us move into and revive the currently closed Angel Recording Studios in Islington, just near Kings Cross.

Angel Studios, a highly esteemed recording studio, has been home to many iconic recordings from Adele, Sam Smith, Florence and the Machine, The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees to film scores such as Leon, GoldenEye, Downton Abbey and many, many more. Sadly it closed in 2019 and has been unoccupied since the closure.

The beautiful Grade II building will be carefully restored over the next couple of months in preparation for us to inhabit and bring the space back to life. The existing studios will be returned to use, providing cutting edge facilities for our students to gain practical recording and mixing experience at Angel. The Islington complex will also be home to a working recording studio for hire, managed by the bookings team at Abbey Road. An important part of the experience studying with us is the unique set up of being located amongst commercial working studios and our new flagship campus at Angel will be no different – ensuring our students benefit from the energy and excitement of a professional environment.

The expansion to Angel Studios is a historic moment for both Abbey Road Institute and Abbey Road Studios. It is the first time in its history that Abbey Road has expanded beyond its footprint in St John’s Wood and we are incredibly proud that the Institute is instrumental in this development and that we expand and grow together, both the Studio and the Institute. We will of course be maintaining our dedicated Custom 75 Studio, running sessions, masterclasses and workshops in Abbey Road’s commercial studios, collaborating with the engineers and wider team and much more. Our new facilities enable us to build on the foundation we have created and add additional studio space, production and post-production facilities as well as making our teaching facilities accessible to all.

The area local to Angel Studios is a really vibrant, cultural destination in London with live music venues, bars, cafes, clubs and restaurants as well as other colleges and universities making it an ideal location for our new home.

Luca Barassi, CEO of Abbey Road Institute says: “Our first home and inception have been at Abbey Road Studios, where we have been able to forge and define the strong relationship between the training we provide and the day to day reality of arguably, the world’s most acclaimed commercial studio. The move into Angel Studios brings many possibilities for our school, our students and our international Abbey Road Institute family, enabling us to start our next chapter. The history and relevance of Angel and the impressive studio space and building full of character, will all play a part in the next stage of Abbey Road Institute’s evolution.”

Isabel Garvey, Managing Director of Abbey Road Studios says: “2021 marks 90 years of Abbey Road Studios and 90 years of incredible music, artistry and legacy, which continues to be created every day inside our studios. I am thrilled that we can ensure a fellow London recording studio can continue its purpose and thrive as a hub of creativity, providing a dedicated space for the next generation of engineers and producers. We’ve seen a huge increase in creativity over the last year, so are proud to take on the management of the commercial studio at Angel to ensure artists and composers have more quality space in which to record.”

Mike Sinnott, Campus Manager of Abbey Road Institute London says: “Myself and the team are incredibly excited to be in the privileged position of moving into a space with such an iconic history.  The opportunity for both the Institute and the Studio to expand together at Angel means we’ll be able to maintain our close relationship with Abbey Road, create new opportunities for our students and graduates, as well as expand our portfolio. We’ll also continue to teach and record at our own dedicated studio and Studios One, Two and Three at Abbey Road ensuring that students benefit from the cutting-edge facilities and the experiences offered at both locations.”

Keep an eye on our blog and social media channels for more updates over the coming weeks and visit our course page to find out more about studying our Advanced Diploma in Music Production and Sound Engineering. We’re looking forward to welcoming you to our new home in Islington in the future.