1 PB ROYAL COLLEGE COLLEGE ROYAL OF MUSIC OF STUDENT GUIDE STUDENT INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL — TOP 10 REASONS TO STUDY AT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE STUDENT INTERNATIONAL PERFORM IN PRESTIGIOUS ACCESS WORLD-CLASS 01 LONDON VENUES 06 FACILITIES You will have the opportunity to perform In recent years we have transformed with world-leading conductors and and expanded our campus to provide artists in venues across London and you with world-class facilities, from further afield. Composers can hear their magnificent performance spaces to works brought to life by RCM musicians. state-of-the-art accommodation. LEARN WITH EXCEPTIONAL IMMERSE YOURSELF IN OUR 02 PROFESSORS 07 INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY Our dedicated and experienced With students from more than 60 professors are at the forefront of their countries, the RCM is a global fields and come from every corner community in the heart of London. Our of the globe. Many are principal teaching staff, too, represent the best of players with London’s major orchestras international talent, creating a friendly, and ensembles. exciting and diverse hub of music-making and allowing you to build friendships with musicians from around the world. ROYAL COLLEGE COLLEGE ROYAL PREPARE FOR A EXPERIENCE DIGITAL MUSIC OF 03 GLOBAL CAREER 08 INNOVATION Follow in the footsteps of the world’s Our new virtual learning environment, leading musicians – our students have cutting-edge research and innovative gone on to enjoy successful international facilities make the RCM a world-leader careers for more than 135 years. in the use of digital technologies. AN INSPIRATIONAL TAILOR YOUR STUDIES LONDON LOCATION 04 09 We are the only UK conservatoire to Situated in the heart of London and award our own degrees right up to standing proudly opposite the doctoral level, meaning you can create a Royal Albert Hall, home to the famous bespoke course to suit your aspirations. BBC Proms, our location is the envy of the musical world. GAIN PROFESSIONAL ENGAGE WITH WORLD- 05 EXPERIENCE 10 LEADING RESEARCH Our Creative Careers Centre offers The RCM is internationally renowned countless opportunities to perform at for its thriving research community, prestigious events and venues across which informs our teaching and can the capital and to take music into the help you develop fully as an artist. wider community. 02— 03 Founded in 1882 by the future King Edward VII, the Royal College of Music is one of the world’s greatest conservatoires. We are proud to be ranked the top conservatoire for performing arts in the UK for four consecutive years in the QS World University Rankings 2016–19. For more than 135 years, we have trained gifted musicians from across the globe for international careers. At the RCM you can follow in the footsteps of WELCOME these performers, conductors and composers. INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE STUDENT INTERNATIONAL As an RCM musician you will benefit from a We are proud of our heritage and seek to huge number of performance opportunities. push the boundaries of music as leaders in We hold more than 500 events a year in digital innovation. The RCM’s exceptional our magnificent performance spaces and in facilities, teaching staff and Creative venues across London, including orchestral Careers Centre will help you to become concerts, opera, chamber music and works the future of music. by our very own composers. Professor Colin Lawson, Director The RCM encourages a journey of self- CBE, MA (Oxon), MA, PhD, DMus, FRCM, discovery, where you are mentored and FRNCM, FLCM, HonRAM supported by professors and professional staff at the international cutting-edge of research and innovation. In 2017 the RCM was rated gold for its outstanding teaching and learning provision for undergraduates in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). You will be encouraged to develop as an artist by exploring the research behind music in practice. The RCM is the perfect place to do this as we were named the London conservatoire with the highest percentage of world-leading research in the latest Research Excellence Framework in 2014. ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC 05 — 04 At the Royal College of Music, we consider our international community to be our greatest asset. Over half our students come from outside the UK, and we currently have musicians from more than 60 different countries studying here. Our professors come from across the globe too, and we work in collaboration with institutions such as Princeton University and the Nanyang Academy to offer joint programmes of study. We understand that moving to a new The SU also represents the student voice country can feel like a big step and we will at all levels, providing regular feedback do everything we can to make you feel at to the College on every aspect of student home. Our Registry and Student Services life. Mental and physical wellbeing are staff provide advice and support for a priority of the SU, which works closely INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE STUDENT INTERNATIONAL international students across a range with Student Services to ensure the correct of practical subjects including visas, support is there for every student throughout immigration and finance. their studies. A GLOBAL COMMUNITY A GLOBAL Your fellow students will also help you to Our graduates in more than 80 countries tell settle in. There are plenty of opportunities to us how fondly they remember their time at get to know each other with welcome events the RCM. We believe that you won’t find a at our hall of residence and a lively and more welcoming and inspiring place to study varied social calendar run by our Students’ anywhere in the world. Union (SU). The SU is the social hub of the RCM and home to a diverse range of Kevin Porter, Deputy Director student-run societies, including a Jazz Society HonRCM and Football Society. Apart from the undeniably superb teaching quality, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to perform and have attended faculty classes, masterclasses, lunchtime concerts and keyboard festivals. At first I found living in London challenging because the weather and culture are different to Asia, but now I love it. LiFei Weng, Bachelor of Music (Hons) ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC 07 — 06 At the Royal College of Music you will have access to unmatched performance opportunities. Every year we present more than 500 events, ranging from masterclasses and chamber performances to orchestral concerts and operas, giving you as much performance experience as possible. The RCM has given me the chance to get involved in many composition workshops, competitions and masterclasses, as well as regular opportunities to work with performers. OPPORTUNITIES PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE Carla G Ginjaume, Master of Music in Composition INTERNATIONAL STUDENT GUIDE STUDENT INTERNATIONAL RCM ORCHESTRAS OPERA PRODUCTIONS AND ENSEMBLES The Royal College of Music Opera Studio We have many in-house ensembles presents three fully staged operas each covering a wide range of repertoire, from year. Some of the world’s most acclaimed baroque to contemporary and from String directors, designers and choreographers Band to Big Band. join us for these productions, providing a professional experience within a supportive The RCM Symphony Orchestra is regularly environment. In addition, every two years joined by some of the world’s greatest we present fully staged productions of conductors and artists and performs at external mini-operas written by RCM composers. venues such as the Royal Festival Hall. Recent visiting conductors and artists include Martin André, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Andrew Gourlay, Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Jurowski, Rafael COLLABORATIONS Payare, Steve Reich, Jac van Steen, AND FESTIVALS John Wilson and Thomas Zehetmair. There are many collaborative projects at the RCM each year and our Great Exhibitionists You can also explore a range of repertoire series offers you the chance to devise your in our faculty ensembles, new music with own ground-breaking events. With the full RCM New Perspectives and our From support and mentorship of the RCM, students the Soundhouse electronic music series, collaborate to create and present unique historical performance with the RCM Baroque projects that redefine what classical music Orchestra, or the world of jazz and swing with means today. RCM musicians have also the RCM Swing and Big Bands. created music to accompany exhibitions at COLLEGE ROYAL OF MUSIC OF the Royal Academy of Arts and the National Concerto opportunities are available and Gallery, and principal players from the recent performances include Rachmaninov’s Chamber Orchestra of Europe visit regularly Piano Concerto no 3 conducted by RCM to work and perform with students. alumnus Andrew Gourlay at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto Every year we stage several festivals which no 1, Chaminade’s Flute Concerto, Ravel’s showcase different faculties. Our annual Concerto for the Left Hand, Weber’s Bassoon Keyboard Festival features a live-streamed Concerto and Dutilleux’s Sur le même accord. day of performances; our Festival of Percussion provides an opportunity to hear and perform with some of the greatest percussionists in the world; Super String Sunday explores CHAMBER MUSIC sensational string music; and we celebrate You can perform solo and chamber works in historical performance practice with the our chamber music series, and all students RCM International Festival of Viols. are able to apply to take part in these lunchtime and rush-hour concerts. You can also perform at venues across London, including at the Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan WATCH ONLINE Hall and Victoria and Albert Museum. Visiting Many RCM concerts are streamed live ensembles, including the Harlem Quartet and on our website at www.rcm.ac.uk/live. Sacconi Quartet, provide further opportunities It’s a great way for family and friends to play alongside professional performers. outside London to experience your performances.