AN INSPIRING HOME FOR WORLD-CLASS MUSICIANS PROSPECTUS 2019– 2020 1 2 RCM Opera Studio’s production of The Cunning Little Vixen TEN REASONS TO STUDY AT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC MAKE THE MOST OF PERFORMANCE 1OPPORTUNITIES You will have the opportunity to perform in venues across London and further afield with world-leading conductors and artists, and our composers can hear their works brought to life by fellow musicians. LEARN FROM EXCEPTIONAL 2 PROFESSORS Our dedicated and experienced professors are at the forefront of their fields, and many are principal players with London’s major orchestras. PREPARE FOR 3 YOUR FUTURE For more than 130 years our students have gone on to enjoy successful international careers. Here at the RCM you can follow in the footsteps of the world’s leading composers, conductors, singers and instrumentalists. BE INSPIRED BY 4 OUR LOCATION Situated in the heart of London, opposite the Royal Albert Hall, our location is the envy of the musical world. 4 GAIN TEN REASONS TO STUDY AT PROFESSIONAL 5 EXPERIENCE Our Creative Careers Centre offers countless THE ROYAL COLLEGE opportunities to perform at prestigious events and OF MUSIC venues and take music into the wider community. ACCESS OUTSTANDING 6 FACILITIES Our excellent facilities will enhance and support your time here, from magnificent performance spaces to state-of-the-art accommodation. We are continually investing in our facilities to ensure our students have the very best opportunities. BE IMMERSED IN OUR INTERNATIONAL 7 COMMUNITY The RCM is a truly global conservatoire, with students and staff from all over the world. We are a friendly, exciting and diverse hub of music-making, and you can learn from and build contacts with musicians from around the globe. EXPERIENCE DIGITAL 8 INNOVATION With our new virtual learning environment and cutting-edge research and facilities, the RCM is a world-leader in the use of digital technologies to prepare our students for successful careers. TAILOR YOUR 9 STUDIES We are the only conservatoire to devise and award our own degrees to doctoral level. At the RCM you can create a programme to suit your individual professional aspirations. ENGAGE WITH WORLD-LEADING 10 RESEARCH The RCM is renowned for its thriving research, which informs our teaching and can help you develop fully as an artist. 5 8 37 LIFE AT THE RCM FACULTIES 8 Welcome to the RCM 38 Brass 10 Performance Opportunities 40 Composition 14 Learning & Discovery 42 Conducting 16 Prepare for your Future 44 Historical Performance 18 RCM Alumni 46 Keyboard 22 Location 48 Percussion 24 Studying in London 50 Strings 26 Accommodation 52 Woodwind CONTENTS 28 Student Support 54 Vocal & Opera 29 RCM Students’ Union 30 Our Campus & Facilities www.rcm.ac.uk/faculties 34 Global Opportunities 36 Scholarships www.rcm.ac.uk/life 6 57 65 ACADEMIC HOW TO APPLY PROGRAMMES 66 How to Get in Touch 67 Visit Us Undergraduate Programmes 58 68 Applying & Auditions Masters Programmes 60 70 Fees & Funding 62 Artist Diplomas 64 Research Degrees www.rcm.ac.uk/apply www.rcm.ac.uk/courses 7 GOLD RATING FOR OUTSTANDING TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE TEACHING EXCELLENCE FRAMEWORK (2017) 8 WELCOME TO THE RCM The Royal College of Music is one of the world’s greatest conservatoires. Ranked the top institution for performing arts in the UK and Europe and second in the world (QS World University Rankings 2017), we welcome staff and students from all over the world bringing exceptional talent, creativity and inspiration. The performance opportunities you We are also dedicated to preparing you for life after will discover here are unparalleled. We graduation. Our Creative Careers Centre gives you hold more than 500 events each year access to a wealth of job opportunities as well as support across our magnificent performance and advice on how to forge a successful career. spaces and at external venues, so In a recent Higher Education Statistics Agency survey, you are sure to find an outlet for your of the RCM alumni who graduated in 2016, 96% of particular musical interests. survey respondents had moved into employment or further study six months after graduating. This demonstrates Here at the RCM we support you as an artist. Our our continued commitment to supporting our musicians professors represent the best international talent and are in their career aspirations. committed to nurturing you through your studies. We are delighted to have achieved a gold rating for our We are proud of our heritage as a conservatoire which outstanding teaching and learning for undergraduates in has nurtured some of the most exceptional musical talent the first ever Teaching Excellence Framework (2017). of the last 130 years, but we also seek to push the As an RCM musician you will be encouraged to develop boundaries of music as leaders in digital innovation. by exploring the research behind music in practice, and The RCM’s exceptional facilities, teaching staff and will be well placed to do so as we were named the state-of-the-art technology will help you to become the London conservatoire with the highest percentage of musicians of the future. world-leading research in the latest Research Excellence Professor Colin Lawson, Director Framework (2014). CBE, MA (Oxon), MA, PhD, DMus, FRCM, FRNCM, FLCM, HonRAM TOP INSTITUTION FOR PERFORMING ARTS IN THE UK AND EUROPE (QS World University Rankings 2017) 9 PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES 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 recitals to orchestral concerts and fully staged operas, giving you as much performance experience as possible. We have several large ensembles in addition to our RCM ENSEMBLES main orchestras, and composers can hear their works performed by fellow musicians too. Solo opportunities are The RCM Symphony Orchestra is frequently joined by numerous, with many concert slots available each week, some of the world’s greatest conductors and artists. and students are actively encouraged to form chamber Recent visitors have included Bernard Haitink, Vladimir groups to help broaden their repertoire further. Ashkenazy, Nicholas Collon, Håkan Hardenberger, Thomas Zehetmair and King’s College Choir. The orchestra also performs regularly at the Royal Festival CHAMBER MUSIC Hall, including as part of the Philharmonia Orchestra’s festivals, and in 2017 was joined by conductor John You can perform solo and chamber works in our chamber Wilson for a Royal Gala at Buckingham Palace, hosted music series, and all students are able to apply to take by HRH The Prince of Wales. part in these lunchtime and rush-hour concerts. There are also opportunities to play at venues across London, The RCM Philharmonic’s Orchestral Masterworks series including the Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room, Victoria ensures that students have opportunities to play the core and Albert Museum and churches including St James’s works of the orchestral repertoire. Our other ensembles Piccadilly and St Mary Abbots, Kensington. cover a wide range of genres: contemporary music with RCM New Perspectives, historical performance with the Visiting ensembles, including the Harlem Quartet RCM Baroque Orchestra, electronic music in our From and Sacconi Quartet, provide further opportunities the Soundhouse series, film music with the Students’ Film to play alongside professional performers. The RCM Orchestra and jazz and swing with the RCM Swing Chamber Ensemble and Chamber Choir recently gave a Band and RCM Big Band. RCM conductors also lead performance of Stravinsky’s Les noces with Vasily Petrenko rehearsals and concerts with our ensembles throughout as part of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Changing the year. Faces: Stravinsky’s Journey series. Rehearsal with the Harlem Quartet 10 It was a great pleasure to work with RCM students. Their open-minded attitude made it possible to reach new heights in terms of musical expression and ensemble-playing. Jasper de Waal Principal Horn, Chamber Orchestra of Europe Vladimir Ashkenazy conducting the RCM Symphony Orchestra in the Royal Festival Hall 11 St Mary Abbots, Kensington CONCERTOS AND OPERA PRODUCTIONS COMPETITIONS The Royal College of Music Opera Studio presents three The RCM runs a regular concerto competition and fully staged opera performances each year, along with the winners receive showcase performances with our opera scenes and special projects. Some of the world’s ensembles. Composers are also able to win the chance most acclaimed directors, designers and choreographers to have their works rehearsed and premiered by a join us for these productions, providing a professional full orchestra. Recently, pianist Martin James Bartlett experience within a supportive environment. performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto no 24 under the Recent productions have included Janáček’s The Cunning baton of Bernard Haitink, and composer Bertram Wee’s Little Vixen directed by Daniel Slater, a double bill of new work Severed was premiered by Martyn Brabbins Poulenc and Chabrier directed by Stephen Unwin and and the RCM Philharmonic. Our faculties also run their Mozarts’s La finta giardiniera with director Harry Fehr. own competitions for a wide range of soloists and chamber ensembles. The College has a very open approach to performance that allows each student to individually specialise in their own way. I always feel that I am working towards a project, never that I am just practising for an exam. Jonathan Vaux Bachelor