LTCL Violin Diploma Guide: Trinity Recital Planning
Trinity LTCL violin diploma requirements: 37-43 minute recital, Programme & Planning, approval rules and 2026 repertoire choices.
LTCL violin is Trinity’s Level 6 performance diploma, comparable in standard to a final-year undergraduate recital. The recital duration is 37-43 minutes, and the exam is marked out of 100: 96 marks for the recital and 4 marks for Programme & Planning.
There is no formal prerequisite, but candidates should not treat LTCL as an open shortcut. The standard assumes mature playing, stronger stamina and a programme that can stand up as a serious recital.
For the full sequence, see the Trinity violin diploma exam hub.
What changes after ATCL
| Area | ATCL | LTCL |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 32-38 minutes | 37-43 minutes |
| Standard | First-year undergraduate recital level | Final-year undergraduate recital level |
| Programme demand | Secure diploma-level contrast | More independent artistic identity |
| Repertoire | Substantial post-Grade-8 repertoire | Larger sonatas, concertos and advanced solo works |
The extra time matters. A forty-minute violin recital exposes stamina, tonal variety, concentration and the player’s ability to move between styles without sounding generic.
Repertoire direction
The 2026 Trinity LTCL violin list includes Bacewicz, Bartok Rhapsody no.1, Beethoven Kreutzer and Op.96 sonatas, Berkeley Introduction and Allegro, Brahms Op.108, Britten Suite, Debussy Sonata, Delius, Elgar, Faure, Franck, Gershwin-Heifetz arrangements, Haydn Concerto, Ireland, Janacek, Kreisler Recitativo and Scherzo, Mozart concertos, Part Fratres, Poulenc, Prokofiev, Saint-Saens, Sarasate, Schubert Duo Sonata, Stravinsky Elegy and Ysaye.
This repertoire can easily produce a strong recital, but it can also become a catalogue of difficulty. The candidate should choose a central work and let the rest of the programme create contrast around it.
LTCL violin repertoire choices
| Composer | Repertoire choice | Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Bacewicz | Caprice for Solo Violin no. 1 | PWM |
| Bacewicz | Witraz (Stained-glass window) | PWM |
| Bartok | Rhapsody no. 1 | Boosey |
| Beethoven | Sonata in A “Kreutzer”, op. 47 | Henle |
| Beethoven | Sonata in G, op. 96 | Henle |
| Berkeley, L | Introduction and Allegro for Solo Violin, op. 24 | Chester |
| Brahms | Sonata in D minor, op. 108 | Wiener Urtext |
| Britten | Suite for Violin and Piano, op. 6, all 5 movts | Boosey |
| Debussy | Sonata, L 140 | Henle |
| Delius | Sonata no. 3 | Boosey |
| Elgar | Sonata in E minor, op. 82 | Novello |
| Faure | Sonata in A, op. 13 | Peters |
| Franck | Sonata in A | Henle |
| Gershwin, arr. Heifetz | Summertime and A Woman is a Sometime Thing | any reliable edition |
| Gershwin, arr. Heifetz | My Man’s Gone Now | any reliable edition |
| Haydn | Concerto no. 1 in C | Peters |
| Ireland | Sonata no. 2 in A minor | Boosey |
| Janacek | Sonata for Violin and Piano | Barenreiter |
| Kreisler | Recitativo and Scherzo, op. 6 | Fischer |
| Mozart | Concerto no. 2 or no. 3 or no. 4 or no. 5 | Henle |
| Part | Fratres | Universal |
| Poulenc | Sonata for Violin and Piano | Eschig |
| Prokofiev | Sonata, op. 94a | Sikorski |
| Saint-Saens | Concerto no. 3 in B minor, op. 61 | any reliable edition |
| Saint-Saens | Danse macabre, op. 40 | any reliable edition |
| Saint-Saens | Havanaise | Peters |
| Saint-Saens | Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso | Peters |
| Sarasate | Any two of: Malaguena from Spanish Dances book 1, op. 21; Romanza Andaluza from Spanish Dances book 2, op. 22; Zapateado from Spanish Dances book 3, op. 23 | Simrock |
| Sarasate | Zigeunerweisen, op. 20 no. 1 | IMC |
| Schubert | Duo Sonata in A, op. 162 D 574 | Barenreiter |
| Stravinsky | Elegy for Solo Violin | Schott |
| Ysaye | Poeme elegiaque, op. 12 | Schott |
| Ysaye | Unaccompanied Sonata no. 2 in A minor | any reliable edition |
Programme planning
| Planning question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What is the centre of the recital? | LTCL needs a clear artistic spine |
| Does the programme have enough stylistic range? | Trinity marks planning and contrast |
| Is there enough recovery between demanding works? | Stamina affects intonation and bow freedom |
| Are complete works being respected? | Listed complete works normally need to be played complete |
| Does own-choice material need approval? | Any own-choice programme must be approved before entry |
For many violinists, a Beethoven or Brahms sonata can act as the centre. A modern solo work, a French sonata, a concert piece or a national-style work can then shift the colour without making the programme feel scattered.
Written programme
At LTCL, detailed notes on each piece are not required. The written programme must be accurate and professionally formatted: names, date, full titles, movements, opus numbers where available, programme order, individual timings and total timing.
That sounds simple, but it is part of the recital discipline. If the timing is wrong, movement titles are incomplete, or the programme order feels careless, the candidate is already losing the sense of professional presentation Trinity wants.
Next step
Candidates looking beyond LTCL should read FTCL violin early. FTCL changes the scale of the project and adds substantial programme notes to the written programme.
