TOP CONSERVATOIRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS IN THE UK SECOND IN EUROPE AND THIRD IN THE WORLD QS World University Rankings 2016
ANNUAL REVIEW 2015–2016
CONTENTS
Chairman’s Welcome
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Director’s Message
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Celebrating Success
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Pioneering Research
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Performance and Partnerships
13
Honouring International Talent
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Digital Innovation
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Celebrating Our Heritage
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Forging Bright Futures
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Supporting Talent
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RCM Junior Department
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Learning for All: RCM Sparks
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Development and Alumni Engagement
29
Thank You
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Student Demographics
35
Finances
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Council and Directorate
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CHAIRMAN’S WELCOME 2015–16 has been a year of huge advances for the Royal College of Music. We have invested heavily in bringing our facilities and our physical surroundings up to the world-class standards of our teaching.
We have a superb new hall of residence, Prince Consort Village, which accommodates more than 400 students. Designed especially for the needs of musicians, the accommodation features acoustically treated bedrooms, spaces for informal concerts and 23 sound-proofed practice rooms which residents can use day and night. In November 2015, we were delighted to welcome Dame Evelyn Glennie to open our new percussion suite in our South Kensington home where we have also installed 11 sound-proofed Amadeus practice pods, further enhancing the rehearsal facilities available for our students. Another exciting step this year was the purchase of Markova House, home of our neighbours English National Ballet. This will allow us to provide an additional two large opera and orchestra rehearsal spaces as well as new academic facilities including a research centre focused on musicians’ health and wellbeing.
More Music: Reimagining the Royal College of Music, our ambitious new vision for performance spaces and enhanced facilities for students, staff and visitors has made an impressive start. The scheme will deliver new performance spaces, a new museum and new social and dining facilities. As of August 2016, we have achieved 48% of our £40 million target which will be matched by £40 million from the RCM. As well as physical improvements, the campaign will fund scholarship and bursary provisions and facilitate academic, artistic and digital innovation.
Opposite RCM horn player Anna Euen at the Royal Festival Hall
I bid farewell to outgoing Council members, Julian Metherall, Madeleine Mitchell and Eugene Marshall and thank them all. It is a pleasure to welcome incoming members Ruth Keattch, Professor Vanessa Latarche and new Students’ Union President Alex Fryer. Finally, I congratulate our Director, Professor Colin Lawson, who was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Bravo! Professor Lord Winston Chairman
Our ambitious new vision for performance spaces and enhanced facilities for students, staff and visitors has made an impressive start.
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DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE This has been another outstanding year of achievement and recognition for the Royal College of Music. We have been ranked the top conservatoire for performing arts in the UK, second in Europe and third in the world (2016 QS World University Rankings) and the top UK specialist institution for music (Complete University Guide 2017).
For the third year running, the Higher Education Statistics Agency Survey reported that 100% of RCM respondents were in employment or further study six months after graduating. These accolades are testament to our ultimate aim of providing the best professional training for gifted musicians from all over the world. We are immensely proud to see our students succeed in their chosen fields and successes this year included violinist Emily Sun taking the top prize at the Royal Over-Seas League Competition and, for the second year running, our singers took First Prize at the Clonter Opera Singing Competition. Our composers were selected for the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Young Composers programme and London Symphony Orchestra’s Panufnik Composers Scheme. Pianist Martin James Bartlett performed at the National Service of Thanksgiving for our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen’s birthday and two RCM musicians made their BBC Proms debuts.
I cannot reflect on the year without mentioning the EU referendum which sees our country and higher education in a state of some uncertainty. The diversity of our students and staff is core to our creativity and is proof that music knows no borders. It is more important than ever to focus on our long-term vision, to strengthen our connections with Europe and the rest of the world.
Opposite RCM violinist Ren Jian at rehearsals in the Royal Festival Hall
We have taken steps to ensure that current and incoming students from Europe for September 2016 and 2017 will not pay more than UK students for the duration of their programme. We will continue to work closely with Universities UK and Conservatoires UK to lobby on behalf of European students and staff now and in the future, and we are committed to welcoming all students, regardless of origin, to the Royal College of Music. Professor Colin Lawson CBE Director
The diversity of our students and staff is core to our creativity and is proof that music knows no borders. It is more important than ever to focus on our long-term vision, to strengthen our connections with Europe and the rest of the world.
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Royal College of Music / Annual Review 2015-2016
CELEBRATING SUCCESS We can look back on this year with justified pride as accolades from the 2016 QS World University Rankings and Complete University Guide 2017 cement the Royal College of Music’s place as one of the world’s best conservatoires.
We support and nurture our musicians in all of their chosen fields and celebrate with them as they continue to distinguish themselves at home and internationally. More than half the finalists at this year’s Royal Over-Seas League Competition were RCM musicians. Violinist Emily Sun won the Gold Medal and Chad Vindin the Accompanist’s Award, while saxophonist Philip Attard was a finalist. The Jacquin Trio which includes alumnae Jessie Grimes and Charis Hanning, and the Consone Quartet, featuring RCM students and alumni Magdalena Loth-Hill, Agata Daraskaite and George Ross won the two Ensemble Prizes. Our Historical Performance Faculty can take a bow here as this was the first time a historical string group has won the competition – this after period recorder quartet BLOCK4 won in 2014. Our keyboard players have also enjoyed competitive and professional success. Luka Okros won First Prize at the Valencia International Piano Competition Prize Iturbi, Martin James Bartlett performed in Westminster Abbey for the 90th birthday celebrations of Her Majesty The Queen and Pavel Kolesnikov made his BBC Proms debut.
RCM singer Simon Shibambu and recent graduate Angela Simkin beat off competition from more than 400 applicants from 50 countries, to win places on the The Royal Opera’s Jette Parker Young Artists programme. Tenor Thobela Ntshanyana took the First Prize at the Clonter Opera Singing Competition, following Simon Shibambu’s success in the same competition last year.
Opposite Royal Opera House Jette Parker Young Artist Simon Shibambu in Ariodante at the RCM
Hunter Coblentz and Lisa Illean have been selected for the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Young Composers Programme. Hunter was also awarded a SOCAN Foundation Young Canadian Composer Award and a raft of prizes at the International Antonín Dvořák Composition Competition. Amy Bryce and Benjamin Ashby have been selected for the London Symphony Orchestra’s Panufnik Composers Scheme and our Composition for Screen composers Christopher Schlechte-Bond and Tom Barnes won scholarships from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts which provide mentoring from BAFTA members as well as financial support.
A fine balance for so many upper voices, Simon Shibambu’s King makes you want to hear more – an ailing, Fisher King-type figure, whose own tragedy is only glimpsed … it’s worth making time to see this fine show, especially in a theatre that suits this material so well. The Arts Desk on Handel’s Ariodante at the Royal College of Music
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TELMI The Technology Enhanced Learning of Musical Instrument Performance (TELMI) project is utilising ground-breaking advancements in audio, video and motion-capture systems, driven by the RCM’s expertise in instrumental teaching and performance science, to address the challenges faced by musicians during the learning process. The TELMI project, a partnership between the RCM, Pompeu Fabra University, University of Genoa, Highskillz and SAICO Intelligence, is developing a suite of technology which will enhance musical learning. Over three years (2016–19), TELMI will result in a unified system that can be tailored to a wide range of musicians, experience levels and learning situations. It will help musicians make the most of their time in lessons and practice, reduce injury and inefficiency, expand their access to communities of musical knowledge and become better performers. TELMI is funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 framework.
THE MUSICAL LEGACY OF PETER GELLHORN The Exile Estates – Music Restitution project is part of the RCM’s ongoing work into highlighting the contribution of musicians who fled from Nazi Germany and Austria to Britain and beyond. Peter Gellhorn arrived in England as a refugee and, despite his significant impact on musical life in post-war Britain, many of his compositions have not been performed in 80 years. Led by Norbert Meyn, with Cultural Engagement Fellow Terence Curran, the project team ran a series of public workshops and produced a new set of performing editions of Gellhorn’s compositions. The project has also impacted on the wider community through successful collaborations with the British Library, Jewish Music Institute and International Centre for Suppressed Music, which have led to the creation of a detailed and informative website at www.petergellhorn.com, allowing wider access to this valuable resource. Supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
PIONEERING RESEARCH We are proud of our well-deserved reputation as a centre for world-class music research and of our diverse and dedicated research community. Work into a wide range of areas is helping to increase global access to resources and improve health and wellbeing, both for musicians and the wider public.
The close collaboration between the Centre for Performance Science and Imperial College London resulted in a new partnership, and the launch of a new joint website www.PerformanceScience.ac.uk. Drawing on dynamic relationships already in place between the two institutions, which span the arts, medicine, engineering, natural sciences and business, the new centre will further enhance the profile of the work of the RCM’s researchers. A grant of £30,000 from the Higher Education Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) enabled us to undertake a major audit of the
RCM’s research data assets and to develop RCM Online, a new open-access research repository. By collaborating with universities across the country, we are able to help develop and promote sustainable access to research data.
Opposite Doctoral students in the RCM Library
Also this year we have strengthened our central support systems, appointing our first Research and Knowledge Exchange Manager who will provide support to our research team, helping us to retain and reinforce our position as a world leader in innovative and ground-breaking research into musical theory and practice.
MUSIC AND MOTHERHOOD Funded by Arts Council England, Music and Motherhood investigates the impact of creative activities on reducing the symptoms of postnatal depression. Since its launch in 2015, the team – including RCM students generously supported by Dasha Shenkman – has worked with more than 150 mothers to explore if and how singing and play programmes can support psychological and physiological postnatal wellbeing. A supplementary survey of more than 2,000 women is tracking the interactions between maternal wellbeing and involvement in creative activities. Initial findings suggest that group singing may help to facilitate recovery from symptoms of postnatal depression. In 2017, research findings will be shared internationally to help inform the design and implementation of postnatal creative interventions. Music and Motherhood is a consortium between the Royal College of Music, Imperial College London, CW+ and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
This project really lifts me up. I have a good relationship with [my baby] because I sing to him every day. Music and Motherhood participant
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Working with the future generation of musicians from the RCM is an exceptionally rewarding experience. The students of the RCM Symphony Orchestra showed top-level musicianship throughout. Vladimir Jurowski
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PERFORMANCE AND PARTNERSHIPS Our performance programme is designed to prepare students for professional life. The rich and varied partnerships we have formed with international musicians and musical ensembles give students unrivalled access to world-class artists.
Many great and distinguished musicians joined us at the Royal College of Music this year. Composer Steve Reich took part in a residency, sharing his expertise and enthusiasm with our composers and joining our musicians in a concert of some of his most iconic works. Students were also privileged to experience masterclasses by Håkan Hardenberger, Stefan Dohr, Elizabeth Watts, John Lill, Sir András Schiff, Ton Koopman, Mark Knopfler, Alina Ibragimova and Pinchas Zukerman. Juraj Valčuha led the RCM Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Ninth Symphony and Christoph Coin was the guest in our International Festival of Viols. Vladimir Jurowski conducted a thrilling performance of Richard Strauss and Stravinsky and John Wilson took the baton for a concert to mark the 100th anniversary of Dutilleux’s birth. Opera flourished during the year with critically acclaimed productions of Die Fledermaus, Hänsel und Gretel and Handel’s Ariodante. A remarkable collaboration with Tête à Tête saw RCM composition students write six mini-operas on the theme of Crime and Punishment which were performed by RCM singers in our Britten Theatre and live-streamed.
We continued our close artistic collaboration with the Philharmonia Orchestra, following 2015’s City of Light: Paris 1900–1950 series and previous festivals dedicated to Lutosławski and Bartók. This year we joined them again for their Myths and Rituals series when Diego Masson conducted a programme of Stravinsky, including The Firebird, at the Royal Festival Hall. Such partnerships, which also include valuable opportunities to play alongside the orchestra, give students significant experience of performing in different venues, exposure to wider audiences and a rich variety of repertoire. We look forward to working with the Philharmonia again in their next festival in 2018.
Opposite top RCM guitarists Haydn Bateman and Jack Hancher Opposite middle Nicola Benedetti working with RCM alumnus Hiro Takenouchi in the RCM’s Britten Theatre Opposite bottom Vladimir Jurowski in rehearsals with the RCM Symphony Orchestra
Our students benefit greatly from exposure at different venues, and this year the RCM Symphony Orchestra gave the world premiere of Howells’ Cello Concerto at Gloucester Cathedral. RCM musicians regularly perform at the Victoria and Albert Museum and had great fun taking part in a flash mob performance of Holst’s The Planets at the Science Museum in April.
The Royal College of Music displays ‘one of the richest and most intensive programmes of public performance of any conservatoire in the world … an area of true strength’. Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)
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ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC / ANNUAL REVIEW 2015–2016
HONOURING INTERNATIONAL TALENT We were delighted to welcome His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, President of the Royal College of Music, who honoured us with his presence at our annual awards ceremony.
This year composer Steve Reich and conductors Vladimir Jurowski and Sir Roger Norrington received Honorary Doctorates from HRH The Prince of Wales. Steve Reich joined RCM musicians the same evening for a concert of his works and gave a masterclass for students the following day. Vladimir Jurowski returned to conduct the RCM Symphony Orchestra in April. HRH The Prince of Wales also presented awards to several others who have made significant contributions to musical life. Fellowships to the Royal College of Music were conferred on Barrington Pheloung, Ieuan Jones, Professor Richard Langham Smith, Timothy Lines, Elizabeth de la Porte and Nicholas Ward. Susan Harbour, Darren Henley, Zheng Huang, Roger Kneebone, Natasha Loges, Leonard Polonsky and Gill Redfern were all admitted to Honorary Membership of the Royal College of Music.
A number of RCM students were honoured at the ceremony, with bassoonist Pedro Merchán Correas winning the President’s Award. Percussionist Louise Goodwin was awarded the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Rosebowl, while composer Michael Ladouceur and violinist Naoka Aoki both received Tagore Gold Medals. All three performers gave a short concert at the ceremony.
Opposite top HRH The Prince of Wales presenting Steve Reich with an RCM Honorary Doctorate Opposite bottom Tagore Gold Medalwinner Naoka Aoki performing during the ceremony
The annual visit by our President, HRH The Prince of Wales, is a highlight of the Royal College of Music’s calendar of events and I am delighted that he joined us again to honour an illustrious array of world-renowned musicians and leading figures from across arts and education. The recipients have all made important contributions to the RCM, and to the wider international music community. Professor Colin Lawson Director
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DIGITAL INNOVATION At the Royal College of Music, we pride ourselves on offering our students an unparalleled musical and educational experience within a supportive community. Rapid changes in digital technology offer new opportunities and we are immensely excited to be at the forefront of that technology with the launch of learn.rcm – our bespoke virtual learning environment.
Learn.rcm transforms our students’ ability to interact with us – students can submit projects and assessments and their professors can respond to those submissions, all in their own time. Students can also upload their own recordings to share with their professors (and their peers) and get feedback on their performance. Our students have access to plenty of opportunities to collaborate, and not just in performances. We develop creative entrepreneurs as our students work together on projects and often develop business ideas from scratch. Learn.rcm offers another level of innovation and experimentation in a supportive setting where advice and expertise is always at hand to nurture young professionals in the fast-paced 21st century.
As an international community, our global reach and impact will be further enhanced by our exciting new partnership with Google Arts and Culture. We are the first conservatoire to join this online treasure house. In a series of online exhibitions we are providing access to some of our most valuable exhibits such as our clavicytherium, the earliest surviving stringed keyboard instrument. The collaboration also offers Museum View, a version of Google Streetview, which allows a virtual tour of the RCM spaces where you can walk the corridors or experience the stage of the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall.
Opposite RCM clarinettist Piotr Dec recording in the RCM Studios
We have also joined forces with other conservatoires and creative institutions to launch a Virtual Conservatoire. This exciting collaboration will create digitally integrated training and performance spaces, develop new educational methodologies, facilitate collaborations and disseminate good practice, another step forward in the digital future.
The partnership with Google represents just one part of our extensive digitisation programme. The RCM continues to invest in new ways of expanding its horizons, opening its doors to wider audiences and, of course, providing the very best resources for our students. Professor Colin Lawson Director
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ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC / ANNUAL REVIEW 2015–2016
CELEBRATING OUR HERITAGE The Royal College of Music maintains an extraordinary collection of musical instruments, manuscripts and artefacts. Following the closure of the museum building to the public in December 2015, exciting planned developments will enable us to transform the physical surroundings and digital reach of this valuable resource.
We are delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has pledged support of £3.6 million, kick-starting a three-year project to create a new museum and increase visitor numbers from 8,000 to 40,000. Extensive conservation will be undertaken on more than 500 instruments, alongside documentation and digitisation of around 45,000 items. There will be ambitious educational and outreach activities, temporary and pop-up exhibitions to reach new audiences and volunteering and internship opportunities. In autumn 2015 an exhibition about the history and development of the museum invited the public to get involved in shaping its future.
We received a long-term permanent loan of an original 1758 Nicolò Gagliano violin, possibly the only remaining violin in its original baroque set up. The RCM Library, which topped the list of all Higher Education libraries in the country in the National Student Survey, accepted the loan of a collection of letters from composer Henry Bishop. Alumna Sarah Francis generously donated the manuscript of Lennox Berkeley’s Trio for Flute, Oboe and Piano.
Opposite top Historical ensemble performance class with Head of Historical Performance Professor Ashley Solomon Opposite bottom Violinist Anna Waszak with the Nicolò Gagliano violin
The Restore-A-Score scheme has now raised over £100,000, funding work on more than 300 volumes of music from the RCM collection, including first editions by Handel and Beethoven.
In partnership with higher education institutions and the Horniman Museum, we are creating the largest digital collection of historically significant musical instruments in the UK, thanks to an award from the Higher Education Funding Council for England. MINIM-UK (Musical Instrument Interface for Museums and Collections) will enable the general public to explore and listen online to some 20,000 instruments from more than 100 UK collections. This is in addition to the online access to artefacts we can provide to audiences around the world through our partnership with Google Arts and Culture.
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FORGING BRIGHT FUTURES When it comes to employment prospects for our students, we lead the UK university league tables. This remarkable achievement is evidenced by the Higher Education Statistics Agency surveys which, for the last three years, have shown that 100% of RCM respondents were in employment or fulltime study six months after graduation.
Much of this success is due to our flagship Creative Careers Centre which offers bespoke careers advice, referrals, resources and a broad spectrum of professional opportunities for up to five years after graduation. These services are invaluable to students starting out in the highly competitive music industry and help them onto a whole range of career paths, as performers and composers, of course, but also in teaching, arts administration, arts management and other avenues. Concert opportunities, which provide such crucial experience and exposure for musicians, took place at 44 locations from famous venues such as St Martin-in-the-Fields and Steinway Hall, to retirement homes and hospitals. A thriving Professional Engagements Service helps musicians to find paid employment as performers, freelance orchestral and session players, accompanists, repetiteurs, chorus members and composers. Fees and contracts are negotiated by the specialist team to ensure that they are in line with industry standards.
The Creative Careers Centre is constantly developing new partnerships. This year a collaboration with the Royal Academy of Arts was piloted, with support from Dasha Shenkman. The Giorgione Exhibition in April was the inspiration for a concert by the recorder quartet BLOCK4. A second event took place at the ever-popular Summer Exhibition. Fourteen musicians performed in nine different spaces, having selected repertoire inspired by an artwork or the theme of the room. The success of the two projects has led to the commissioning of three more next year, again generously supported by Dasha Shenkman.
Opposite RCM flautist Catherine Hare and harpist Isabel Harries performing at the Royal Academy of Arts
Performing at the Royal Academy of Arts was a very magical experience. Bringing such a vibrant exhibition and music together created something very special. It really changed the way that I looked at the art and the way in which I played the piece. Katie Cowling RCM recorder player on performing at the Royal Academy of Arts’ Summer Exhibition
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SUPPORTING TALENT At the Royal College of Music we believe that no talented student should be deprived access through want of funds. It is through our scholarships programme that we make this a reality. For many of our scholars, this financial support is what makes a musical education and career possible.
Last year £2.4 million was awarded in scholarship funding to around half the student body to help offset their tuition fees. Scholarships enable talented students to fulfil their potential, allowing them to study and thrive, and to make the most of the unrivalled facilities and opportunities available to them. The success of our scholars during the year is testament to the importance of this financial investment to their experience and career opportunities. RCM piano scholars have enjoyed success with Stanbridge Drake-Brockman Scholar Luka Okros taking First Prize at the Valencia International Piano Competition Prize Iturbi. Vitaly Pisarenko (Bob and Sarah Wigley Scholar and Emma Rose Memorial Scholar) received Third Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition and Future of Russia Scholar Ilya Kondratiev won the Intercollegiate Beethoven Prize. Two of our scholars made their debuts at the BBC Proms, which provides invaluable experience and exposure benefitting their future careers. RCM Artist Diploma pianist Pavel Kolesnikov, recipient of the Benjamin Britten Piano Fellowship supported by the Philip Loubser Foundation, performed Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto no 2 with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. Baritone Huw Montague Rendall, supported by a Stanley Picker Award, sang the role of Fiorello in The Barber of Seville with Glyndebourne Festival Opera and has since joined the Opernhaus Zürich’s International Opera Studio.
Baritone Julien Van Mellaerts, a Fishmongers’ Company Scholar supported by a Toeman Weinberger Award, won First Prize at the 2015 Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards and soprano Galina Averina, Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation Scholar supported by an Independent Opera Voice Award, took first place in the Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers’ Competition. Tenor Peter Aisher has secured a place at the prestigious Opernstudio at Deutsche Oper am Rhein. Peter was generously supported by the Janet and Michael Levesley Scholarship and a Douglas and Hilda Simmonds Award.
Opposite Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation Scholar Galina Averina in Ariodante at the RCM’s Britten Theatre
We are grateful to all those who generously fund our much-needed scholarships.
Nine of the 15 places available on the London Symphony Orchestra String Experience Scheme went to RCM musicians. The scheme gives young musicians from London conservatoires valuable experience alongside regular LSO players. This was a wonderful achievement for violinists Alexandra Isted, Anna Lee, Lasma Taimina; violists Lisa Bucknell, May Dolan, Bryony Gibson-Cornish; cellists Kristiana Ignatjeva, Zoe Saubat; and double bassist Jon Mikel Martinez Valganon, all of whom are RCM scholars.
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RCM JUNIOR DEPARTMENT The Royal College of Music Junior Department (RCMJD) offers advanced training at the highest level to young musicians aged eight to 18. The exceptional musical education includes individually tailored programmes of one-to-one instrument, voice or composition lessons, supported by chamber music, orchestra, choir and musicianship sessions.
While entrance to the RCMJD is highly competitive by audition, we remain committed to ensuring successful applicants should not be barred by financial constraints. In 2015–16 more than £200,000 of bursary support was given to families where there was most need. This year the department numbered 307 students, who had the opportunity to take part in more than 100 concerts. They performed in some of the finest musical venues, including the Royal Albert Hall, House of Lords, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, 606 Jazz Club and Wigmore Hall. Young musicians gained incalculable benefit from working with outstanding professional musicians of the highest calibre, including RCMJD alumni Mark-Anthony Turnage and Michael Collins, while our annual Chamber Music Day saw students working with the Chilingirian Quartet.
A partnership with the English National Ballet Youth Company proved an exceptionally rich collaboration. RCMJD musicians worked with English National Ballet dancers, musicians from English National Ballet Philharmonic and dancers from ENBYC, as well as from several local schools, in a highly ambitious Dance Journeys project inspired by the story of Malala Yousafzai. The final piece Unsilenced was given two memorable performances at our Britten Theatre in April.
Opposite RCMJD saxophonist Rianna Henriques
RCMJD students continue to dominate the orchestral lists of all major UK youth orchestras, including the National Children’s Orchestra and the National Youth Orchestra. Four current RCMJD students and one RCMJD alumna were category finalists in the 2016 BBC Young Musician competition, with Ben Goldscheider performing Strauss’ Horn Concerto no 2 in the grand final.
My aspirations have always been to attend music college. This has been greatly helped by the RCMJD and the amount they have supported me in my musical progression since starting here seven years ago. Sam Gale RCMJD trombonist
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LEARNING FOR ALL: RCM SPARKS Children and their families from all backgrounds are encouraged to learn about or make music through RCM Sparks, our innovative engagement programme. This year more than 3,100 members of the local community participated and we trained 110 RCM students and graduates to get involved.
We ensure that access to inspirational musical experiences is not restricted by financial or social status. Free and subsidised places are available to economically disadvantaged children and those from hard-to-reach communities. Of the 545 participants at 32 workshops this year, 49% were access places and 32% were from minority backgrounds. RCM Sparks is a strategic delivery partner with the Tri-borough Music Hub, bringing musical enrichment activities to schools and families in Westminster, Hammersmith and Fulham and Kensington and Chelsea. This year, 1,900 pupils took part in our events in 42 of the boroughs’ schools.
Founded in 2009, RCM Sparks Juniors offers high-level music tuition to disadvantaged young people, and 80% of participants are from underrepresented communities. This year, four mini-bass and four mini-saxophone players joined up. Many children join with no previous musical experience and so it’s a remarkable feat that a third participant has recently successfully auditioned for the RCM Junior Department.
Opposite Participants in an RCM Sparks family workshop Below Participants at the premiere performance of award-winning Seven Seeds at the Royal Albert Hall
Seven Seeds, a three-year project co-ordinated by the Hub in partnership with the Royal College of Music, Royal Albert Hall and Aurora Orchestra, won the learning and participation category at the prestigious Royal Philharmonic Society Awards. This accolade is a superb pinnacle to a project which saw a new work created by RCM alumnus John Barber and librettist Hazel Gould in collaboration with the young participants and professional arts organisations. More than 1,200 primary schoolchildren took part in the premiere at the Royal Albert Hall.
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Royal College of Music / Annual Review 2015-2016
DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT We could not provide the world-class musical education, with the finest teaching and excellent facilities we offer, without the continuing generosity of our donors.
In a difficult economic climate philanthropy plays an increasingly important role in the pursuit of our vision for access and excellence. We cannot overstate our gratitude to those who make it possible for us to achieve our ambition. It is with great pleasure then that we can report that this year we have received considerably increased support from donors, corporate sponsors, trusts and foundations and Patrons. In 2015–16, £3.7 million was received in donations, grants and sponsorship. An additional £8.3 million was secured in pledges, bringing the total funds raised to over £11 million, an increase of 164% from the previous year, from a total of 1,100 donors. It is their generosity, their foresight and willingness to invest in our musical future, which enables us to continue our valuable work.
We face serious but realistic fundraising challenges. More Music: Reimagining the Royal College of Music remains our key focus for fundraising. This, our most ambitious campaign ever, will provide us with a home fit for the future, strengthening our physical facilities including practice, performance and public spaces. We will increase our support for the most talented musicians through enhanced scholarship support.
Opposite RCM trombonist James Maund in RCM Big Band rehearsals
The campaign’s philanthropic target of £40 million will be matched by £40 million from the RCM. By August 2016, over £19 million (almost half of the campaign target) had been secured in cash and pledges; £12.2 million to fund the building redevelopment (against a target of £20 million). We are grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund, HEFCE, The Foyle Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Wolfson Foundation and other supporters who have helped us to achieve this. We are very grateful to our senior volunteers, especially Bob Wigley, Chairman of the Campaign, and loyal supporters whose hard work and dedication have made this stage of the campaign a success.
We cannot overstate our gratitude to those who make it possible for us to achieve our ambition.
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These significant one-off grants and donations are only one part of the story. Regular giving is also an essential component of our funding and multi-year gifts are an invaluable source of income. RCM Friends and Benefactors support all aspects of the College and our Circles for Excellence support RCM Sparks and scholarships. Their ongoing commitment is vital and is greatly appreciated. We are extremely grateful to those who have remembered the RCM with a gift in their will. Amongst this year’s generous bequests were gifts from the Burgan Estate and the Michael Rimmer Estate which provided support for our greatest campaign priorities – the building redevelopment and scholarships. We took part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2015 and exceeded our target by raising a tremendous £186,602 for the RCM Scholarship Fund. Money raised through this matched funding opportunity, set up in conjunction with The Reed Foundation, will go to support talented students by way of scholarships, giving them the means to complete their studies, irrespective of their financial circumstances.
Philanthropic Income
Our alumni are our family wherever they are in the world. We are in touch with more than 6,000 former students in 86 countries and many of them provide generous support in different ways. We are proud of our alumni and want to continue to help and collaborate with them throughout their careers. We have plans to expand and enrich our alumni programme in order to nurture this valuable relationship with our graduates.
Opposite RCM students Rosanna Cooper and Bethany Yeaman on Graduation Day
We cannot achieve our aims and ambitions without the great generosity shown by the RCM Friends, donors and supporters, parents, leadership volunteers and people who attend our many concerts, events and activities. All of them contribute to our success and we express our sincere gratitude.
Philanthropic Expenditure
Events
Other Projects
4%
8%
Charitable Trusts and Foundations
12%
Student Support
43%
Building Redevelopment
49%
Individuals
84%
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THANK YOU Music has the power to transform lives. Thanks to the generosity of all of our supporters, generations of gifted students from around the world have been guided and inspired at the Royal College of Music. Major Supporters
Supporters
Jane Barker CBE* The Estate of Frederick Burgan Karen Cook The Estate of Jocelyn Cruft Mr Peter Dart The Robert Fleming Hannay Memorial Charity Henry Wood Accommodation Trust Heritage Lottery Fund HF Music Award Linda Hill HonRCM and Tony Hill* The Estate of Christopher Hogwood* Kingdom Music Education Group Professor Colin Lawson CBE, FRCM Mr Julian Metherell The Mirfield Trust The Polonsky Foundation* Mr Andrew Ratcliffe Geoffrey Richards HonRCM The Estate of Michael Rimmer The Rothschild Foundation Roland Rudd Dasha Shenkman OBE, HonRCM* Alethea Siow and Jeremy Furniss The Peter Sowerby Foundation Georg and Emily Von Opel Foundation Bruno Wang Sir Siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary Settlement The Garfield Weston Foundation Bob and Sarah Wigley* Sir David Willcocks Legacy The Wolfson Foundation
Mr Christopher Arnander FRCM The Astor Foundation Sir John Barbirolli Memorial Foundation Biddy Baxter and John Hosier Music Trust Mr Peter Beckwith Lord Black of Brentwood Mr Michael Boxford Brooks-van der Pump English Song Prize Karina and Dhairya Choudhrie Mr Sudhir Choudhrie Sir David Cooksey Mr Hugh Davidson The Derek Hill Foundation George Drexler Foundation Mr Andrew Haigh Ms Lily Harriss Help Musicians UK Mr Laurence Hopkins Mr Michael Jeans Joaninha Trust Mr Stephen Johns Mrs Hanna Klein Mr Peter Lofthouse The Hon Richard Lyttelton Edward Mandel/Jaques Samuel Pianos Bursary Mr Marcus McDonald HonRCM Mrs Philippa Micklethwait Legacy Sir Douglas Morpeth FRCM The Countess of Munster Memorial Trust The Edith Murphy Foundation St Marylebone Educational Foundation The Estate of Billy Newman Ofenheim Charitable Trust The John Ogden Foundation Mrs Helen Ogunbiyi Mr Kevin Porter The Purcell Club Mr Christopher Saul Miss Kathleen Beryl Sleigh Charitable Trust Peter and Dimity Spiller Mr Ian Stoutzker CBE, FRCM Ms Simona Tappi Mr William Tilden Tillett Trust Mr Rhoddy Voremberg Mr John Ward Miss Moira Witty Mr Nigel Woolner MBE, FRCM Mr John Wright
Corporate Supporters BAE Systems Campus Living Villages Finsbury Hatch Mansfield Huawei Technologies (UK) Niquesa Fine Jewellery and Hotels
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ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC / ANNUAL REVIEW 2015–2016
Supporters of named scholarships, bursaries and Junior Fellowships The Abinger Hammer Award ABRSM The Ackroyd Trust The Jane Barker Scholarship Laurie Barry and the John Barry Scholarship for Film Composition Dr Linda Beeley Phoebe Benham Junior Fellowship Bell Percussion The Big Give Trust The Bliss Trust Boconnoc Scholarship The Boise Scholarship The Boltini Trust Scholarship The Gary and Eleanor Brass Scholarship Betty Brenner Scholarship The Derek Butler Trust The Richard Carne Charitable Trust Sir Roger and Lady Carr Soirée d’Or Scholarship Stephen Catto Memorial Scholarship The Chairman’s Award The Estate of Miss Iris Chappell The Estate of Basil Coleman Edgar Tom and Hilda May Cook Else and Leonard Cross Charitable Trust The Cuthbert Smith Award Douglas and Kyra Downie The Drapers Company Ann Driver Trust Gilbert and Eileen Edgar Junior Fellowship The Fishmongers Company Amaryllis Fleming Foundation Fiona and Douglas Flint Soirée d’Or Award Albert and Eugenie Frost The Future of Russia Foundation Gylla Godwin Award Peter Granger The Greenbank Scholarship HF Music Award HMD Meyer Violin Prize The Abel G Halpern and Helen Chung-Halpern Scholarship Royal College of Music Pete Handley Award Irene Hanson Scholarship Terry Hitchcock Scholarship The Estate of Christopher Hogwood
The Fenella and Harry Hope Memorial Scholarship Independent Opera Artist Scholarship The JMC Award The Johnson Scholarship Rosalind Leney Award John Lewis Partnership Scholarships+ Loveday Scholarship The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation UK Knights of the Round Table Kirby Laing Foundation Lark Insurance Scholarship Headley Trust Scholarship Hester Laverne Award The Christopher Hogwood Scholarship The Lee Abbey Award Leverhulme Trust Carole and Geoffrey Lindey Philip Loubser Foundation Lord and Lady Lurgan Trust Mason Scholarship The Mills Williams Foundation The Howard and Abby Milstein Foundation The Margaret Mount Scholarship Music Talks Award Charles Napper Award Lydia Napper Award The John Nickson and Simon Rew Scholarship Midori Nishiura Sir Gordon Palmer Scholarship The Charles Peel Charitable Trust The Stanley Picker Trust The Polonsky Foundation PRS for Music Foundation Russell Race Scholarship The Radcliffe Trust The Old Johnian Charity The Charles Stewart Richardson Scholarship for Composition The Estate of Edith Mary Richmond Virginia and Simon Robertson Scholarship Victoria Robey Scholarship Emma Rose Memorial Scholarship Sheila Saam Memorial Scholarship Humphrey Searle Scholarship The Barry Shaw Scholarship Frank Shipway Memorial Scholarship Dasha Shenkman Scholarship The Siow-Furniss Scholarship Soirée d’Or Scholarships South Square Trust St Paul’s, Knightsbridge Steinway & Sons Opperby Stokowski Collection Trust Ian Stoutzker CBE, FRCM Sudborough Foundation Sussex Scholarship Tait Memorial Trust Scholarship HR Taylor Trust Ian and Meriel Tegner The Richard Toeman/Weinberger Opera Scholarship HSH Dr Prince Donatus von Hohenzollern
The Wall Trust Sir Peter and Lady Walters Soirée d’Or Scholarship Bob and Sarah Wigley Scholarship Wilkins-Mackerras Scholarship Arthur Wilson Trombone Award Andy Woodburn Memorial Award The Worshipful Company of Musicians The Wyseliot Charitable Trust
Supporters of RCM Sparks Denis and Meredith Coleman Guy Dawson and Samantha Horscroft The D‘Oyly Carte Charitable Trust J Paul Getty Jr Charitable Trust The Hedley Foundation John Lewis Partnership The Oldhurst Trust Universal Music Group Anne Wadsworth OBE
Members of the RCM Chairman’s Circle Brian and Janice Capstick* Philip Carne MBE, HonRCM and Christine Carne* Denis and Meredith Coleman+ Helen Chung-Halpern and Abel Halpern* Guy Dawson and Samantha Horscroft+ Gisela Gledhill* Linda Hill HonRCM and Tony Hill* Terry Hitchcock* David James* James and Clare Kirkman* Dr Mark Levesley and Christina Hoseason* Lady Victoria Robey OBE* Roland Saam* Lady Sitwell Dasha Shenkman OBE, HonRCM* Alethea Siow and Jeremy Furniss* HSH Dr Prince Donatus von Hollenzollern* Michael and Ruth West HonRCM*
Members of the RCM Patrons’ Circle Isla Baring OAM* Jane Barker CBE* Halina and John Bennett Lady Bergman Ms Sylvia Bettermann Nathenson Lorna and Christopher Bown Mrs Lorraine Buckland Sir Roger and Lady Carr HonRCM* Tania Chislett Sir Anthony Cleaver FRCM and Lady Cleaver Mr Michael Estorick Sabina Fatkullina Mr Kenneth and Mrs Lillemor Gardener Professor Alice Gast MarieNoelle and Mathias Gislev Sarah Griffin Carol Hagh Greta Hemus Mr Julian and Ms Lily Harriss John and Sue Heywood Mr William and Mrs AnnaMarie Hill David and Sue Lewis Charles and Dominique Lubar Mr David Mildon Ellen Moloney Judy and Terence Mowschenson Jennifer Neelands Lorna Parker Victoria Rock Kerry and Dimity Rubie Mrs Piffa Schroder Barbara Simmonds Sir Richard and Lady Sykes Louisa Treger John Ward Jane Wilson Sir Robert and Lady Wilson Dr Yvonne Winkler Mr Richard Wintour Mr Rhoddy Voremberg * also support a named award + also support RCM Sparks
Members of the RCM Director’s Circle Daniel Chapchal Miss Joanna Kaye+ Mr James Lancaster and Mrs Margaret Lancaster Sir Sydney and Lady Lipworth Sir Peter and Lady Middleton FRCM John Nickson and Simon Rew* Richard and Sue Price Russell Race+* Peter and Dimity Spiller Robert and Betty Sutherland Anne Wadsworth OBE+ Quentin Williams*
ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC / ANNUAL REVIEW 2015–2016
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STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS International
227 (28%) Home/EU
594 (72%)
Female
420 (51%) Male
401 (49%) Doctoral
49 (6%) Postgraduate
345 (42%)
Undergraduate
427 (52%)
ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC / ANNUAL REVIEW 2015–2016
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FINANCES In 2015–16, the Royal College of Music made a surplus of £2.3 million, which included £1.7 million of legacy donations. This exceeded our target of 3% of turnover; a reflection of the continued success of our Financial Sustainability Strategy.
2016 £000s
2015 £000s
22,466
22,230
–21,814
–21,890
652
340
Legacy donations
1,681
1,590
Surplus before gains and losses on fixed assets and investments
2,333
1,930
Income, excluding legacy donations Expenditure Surplus before legacy donations
ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC / ANNUAL REVIEW 2015–2016
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COUNCIL AND DIRECTORATE Patron Her Majesty The Queen
President His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales KG, KT, GCB, OM, AK, QSO, PC, ADC
Vice-Presidents The Most Revd and Rt Hon the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury The Most Revd and Rt Hon the Lord Archbishop of York The Rt Hon the Lord Mayor of London Sir Anthony Cleaver FRCM (appointed 2007) Lady Middleton FRCM (appointed 2004) Mr Humphrey Norrington OBE, FRCM (appointed 2004) Dame Janet Ritterman DBE (appointed 2005) Mr Ian Stoutzker CBE, FRCM (appointed 1999) Sir David Willcocks CBE, MC, FRCM (appointed 1982) [deceased 17 September 2015]
Council The President Professor Lord Winston (Chairman) Mrs Jane Barker CBE (Deputy Chairman and Chairman of Finance and General Purposes Committee) Lord Black of Brentwood Mr Peter Dart Mr Douglas Gardner Mr Andrew Haigh (resigned July 2016) Ms Ruth Keattch (appointed June 2016) The Hon Richard Lyttelton Mr Julian Metherell (resigned July 2016) Ms Gillian Moore MBE, FRCM Mr John Nickson Mr Andrew Ratcliffe Lady Victoria Robey OBE Ms Alethea Siow Mr Rhoderick Voremberg Mr Bob Wigley
Ex-officio or elected Professor Colin Lawson CBE, FRCM (Director) Miss Madeleine Mitchell (resigned July 2016) Professor Ashley Solomon HonRCM (re-elected by professors July 2016) Professor Vanessa Latarche FRCM (elected by professors July 2016) Mrs Elly Taylor HonRCM (elected by administrative staff August 2015) Miss Ann Somerville (resigned July 2015) Mr Eugene Marshall (Students’ Union: resigned June 2016) Mr Alex Fryer (Students’ Union: elected July 2016)
Clerk to the Council Mr Kevin Porter HonRCM (Deputy Director)
Directorate Director Professor Colin Lawson CBE, FRCM (Chair) Deputy Director Kevin Porter HonRCM (Deputy Chair) Director of Finance and Estates Marcus McDonald HonRCM Artistic Director Stephen Johns FRCM Director of Research Professor Richard Wistreich Director of Development and Alumni Engagement Lily Harriss Director of Communications Talia Hull
Photography by Chris Christodoulou (pages 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 22, 24, 28, 30, 34, 36, 37), Sheila Burnett (page 26) and Nick Gurney (page 20). All details correct at time of going to print. Design by www.splashofpaint.com
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ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC / ANNUAL REVIEW 2015–2016
Prince Consort Road London SW7 2BS United Kingdom +44(0)20 7591 4300 info@rcm.ac.uk
www.rcm.ac.uk /royalcollegeofmusic @RCMLondon /RCMLondon @RCMLondon
Patron Her Majesty The Queen President His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales Chairman Professor Lord Winston Director Professor Colin Lawson CBE, MA (Oxon), MA, PhD, DMus, FRCM, FRNCM, FLCM, HonRAM The Royal College of Music is a registered charity. No 309268
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