UPBEATUPBEAT SUMMER 2017 NEWS FROM INSIDE THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC IN THIS ISSUE AWARDING EXCELLENCE BREAKING NEW GROUND RISING STARS OF THE RCM HIGHLIGHTS FESTIVAL OF PERCUSSION 2017 The RCM’s annual Festival of Percussion returned on 7 May 2017 with an exceptional line-up of events and special guests. Visitors enjoyed performances from artists such as Benny Greb and the Band of the RAF Regiment, alongside family workshops, a day- long Trade Fair and toe-tapping evening concert with the RCM Big Band. Photos: Chris Christodoulou Front cover: Louise Alder at BBC Cardiff Singer of the World © Brian Tarr 2 UPBEAT SUMMER 2017 CONTENTS WELCOME 4 NEWS The latest news and activities from TO UPBEAT the Royal College of Music 9 As we went to press with the summer issue of Upbeat, news awarding EXCELLENCE of alumna Louise Alder’s success at the BBC Cardiff Singer of Upbeat explores the history behind the RCM’s most prestigious awards the World 2017 competition made its way to the Royal College of Music. Louise won the prestigious Dame Joan Sutherland Audience 10 Prize after getting through to the Song Prize and Main Prize finals of the WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Find out what some of our award competition, and I am thrilled that she has rightly earned a place on the front winners are up to in this special cover of Upbeat. Find out more on page seven. extended article, featuring interviews with Ieuan Jones, Charlotte Harding, On graduating from the RCM in 2013 Louise received the Tagore Gold Katy Woolley and Ruairi Glasheen Medal, an award that was first given out more than a century ago to outstanding students. In this issue we meet four exceptional alumni who were also recognised with RCM awards, and delve into the history behind these 14 SUPPORT US highly prized honours as part of an extended feature starting on page nine. As the summer term draws to a close we look forward to the beginning of an exciting period of transformation of our historic campus. On 13 June, we were 16 joined by RCM Chairman Professor Robert Winston for a special ceremony STUDENT UPDATES to plant the first spade in the ground in the courtyard. I was delighted to mark this historic moment, which will enhance our facilities and ensure the RCM continues to be a world leader in music education. Read more on page four. 18 STAFF UPDATES You can tell us about your own recent projects and achievements by emailing [email protected]. The deadline for the autumn issue of Upbeat is Monday 25 September. 20 ALUMNI UPDATES 22 IN MEMORY Professor Colin Lawson CBE, Director UPBEAT ONLINE Upbeat is available to read online at www.rcm.ac.uk/upbeat. Please help us to reduce our carbon footprint and receive Upbeat by email. Director of Communications Talia Hull Editor Lucy Cook Designer May Yan Man Design www.splashofpaint.com Contact [email protected] UPBEAT SUMMER 2017 3 NEWS IN THE NEWS RCM TOPS RANKINGS BREAKING NEW Below RCM Chairman Lord Winston breaks ground FOR SECOND YEAR GROUND on the building works he Royal College of Music has been named n Tuesday 13 June, RCM Chairman Professor Opposite Left Tthe top institution for Performing Arts in the O Robert Winston, together with RCM Director HRH The Prince of Wales United Kingdom in the 2017 QS World University Professor Colin Lawson CBE, marked the start of an with those honoured at the RCM’s awards Rankings for the second consecutive year. The ambitious redevelopment of the RCM campus. RCM is also ranked second across all Performing ceremony The courtyard at the centre of the College will Arts institutions worldwide, moving up one place in be transformed as part of the More Music: Far Right the league table from last year. LOLA performance in Reimagining the Royal College of Music the RCM Studios The QS World University Rankings’ assessment campaign. The event included a rousing fanfare by of leading universities worldwide is based on RCM trumpeters as Lord Winston planted the first the strength and quality of institutions’ teaching, spade in the ground. research activities, graduate employability and Renowned architect John Simpson has reimagined international profile. The rankings are compiled the RCM site, with major enhancements that will from the opinions of academics and employers transform the way students and visitors experience and from analysis of research output and impact. the College for generations to come. The RCM This announcement follows the Royal College has partnered with UK construction contractor of Music’s placement as the top UK specialist Gilbert-Ash, whose award-winning projects include institution for music in the 2017 Complete refurbishment works to the Grade II listed Liverpool University Guide, and success in the latest Research Philharmonic Hall, the extension of the Institute Excellence Framework (2014) in which the RCM of Engineering & Technology in London and the was named the London conservatoire with the iconic new 450-seat Everyman Theatre, which won highest percentage of world-leading research. the RIBA Stirling Prize 2014. Lord Winston said: ‘The More Music scheme will unlock the RCM’s potential and secure its long term future as a world leading music conservatoire; I am excited to see the architect’s vision come to life.’ 4 UPBEAT SUMMER 2017 NEWS IN BRIEF ROD WILLIAMS MEMORIAL CONCERT In March, representatives from the Mills Williams Foundation awarded this year’s Mills Williams Junior Fellowship to RCM pianist Andrew Yiangou. Peter Mills established the foundation in 1995 in memory of his life-long partner, Rod Williams, with the aim of supporting music and young musicians. The 2017 Memorial Concert took place on 9 March, with the RCM Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nicholas Collon. LOLA PERFORMANCE IN COPENHAGEN In April, RCM musicians gave a live performance at the Network Performing Arts Production Workshops in Copenhagen from the RCM Studios. This was made possible through Low Latency (LOLA) technology which enables musicians separated by vast distances to perform together in perfect harmony and timing. HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES BESTOWS HONOURS resident of the Royal College of Music, HRH The Prince of Wales, honoured P outstanding figures in international musical life at the RCM’s annual awards ceremony on Tuesday 7 March. As part of the visit HRH listened to a performance of a guzheng, a rare 21-string Chinese zither, given to him during the State Visit by China in 2015. The guzheng will be on loan to the RCM, which already houses close to 1,000 extraordinary musical SU HEALTH AND WELLBEING WEEK instruments. It is an especially fitting gift given the RCM’s recent agreement with the In May, the RCM Students’ Union hosted its annual Shanghai Conservatory of Music to establish a new Joint Institute in China, the first such Health and Wellbeing Week, which included partnership of any UK music conservatoire. meditation sessions, yoga, a stress workshop with NHS councillors and individual consultations with The guzheng was played by Xiao Ran as part of a short concert which also featured an osteopath. The initiative encouraged students to performances from the College’s most exceptional recent graduates including soprano positively engage with and take responsibility for their Rowan Pierce, awarded The President’s Award; bass baritone Simon Shibambu, mental and physical health and wellbeing. recipient of the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Rosebowl; and percussionist Kizzy Brooks and bassoonist Todd Gibson-Cornish, recipients of the Tagore Gold Medals. COMMUNITY MUSIC RESEARCH Following the RCM’s recent Arts and Humanities Honorary Doctorates were presented to conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner, opera Research Council grant of £45,000 to fund a singer Sir John Tomlinson, former RCM Director Dame Janet Ritterman, and composer partnership between the RCM and York St John Joseph Horovitz. University, the project’s first public event will take Admitted to Fellowship of the Royal College of Music were choral conductor Simon place on 21 September 2017 at the College. Researchers and musicians from the UK, Canada, Halsey, soprano Elizabeth Watts, Principal Trumpet of the Philharmonia Orchestra Norway and Germany will come together to present Alistair Mackie, historical performance musician Jakob Lindberg, Principal of the Royal a stimulating debate that poses the question ‘what do Academy of Music Jonathan Freeman-Attwood, and pianist Nigel Clayton. excellence and inclusion really mean?’ A number of key RCM staff were admitted to Honorary Membership: Performance, Programming and Faculty Manager Florence Ambrose, Research Fellow in Performance RCM JOINS EDUROAM NETWORK Science Tania Lisboa, Facilities Supervisor Mark Traves, and Miranda Francis, Head of The global Eduroam WiFi network – a secure the RCM’s flourishing Junior Department. Also admitted to Honorary Membership were roaming WiFi access service for the education and Richard Adams, Head of Music at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore, and research community – is now available at the RCM. Rosemary Millar, a long-standing and generous supporter of the RCM. It can be accessed at most university campuses in the UK and in over 70 countries worldwide. External visitors who have Eduroam at their institution can use the network, as well as RCM students and staff. UPBEAT SUMMER 2017 5 NEWS RAMEAU UK PREMIERE BBC PROMS 2017 he Royal College of Music presented the UK’s any of the RCM’s alumni and current students T first staged production of Rameau’s baroque M feature in this year’s BBC Proms season. opera Les fêtes d’Hébé in April, a co-production Soprano Rowan Pierce takes a starring role as of the Académie de l’Opéra national de Paris with solo soprano in Handel’s Israel in Egypt alongside the Centre de musique baroque de Versailles in the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.