2015/16 RCM Prospectus by Royal College of Music

2015 | 2016

PROSPECTUS ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC, LONDON

www.rcm.ac.uk

“Choosing where to study is one of the most challenging decisions a musician ever makes. You need teachers of international renown, individuals who are experienced in working with the most gifted musicians of your generation and accustomed to unlocking potential you may never have dreamed of. As a soloist or an ensemble player, you want the opportunity to perform to the highest standards. As a composer, you need to hear your music performed by accomplished musicians. You require an environment that is nurturing, challenging and rich in artistic stimulus, with practical resources that reflect and serve your own ambition. You need to live in a city with a cultural life that is unsurpassed anywhere in the world. You deserve to study at an institution which takes your musical future seriously from the day you arrive, and works with you to ensure that you enjoy lifelong success and fulfilment from your music. We hope that the pages that follow give you an idea of what it’s like to be a student at the Royal College of Music in London. Remember, you can email your questions to the addresses displayed in each section, and do check www.rcm.ac.uk regularly for the latest information...

...Good luck with your decision.” Professor Colin Lawson Director

MA (Oxon), MA, PhD, DMus, FRCM, FRNCM, FLCM

Hear more from the Director at www.rcm.ac.uk/colinlawson

Contents 8

Why Study at the RCM?

Life at the RCM 10

Performance Opportunities - Orchestral Performance - Solo Performance - Opera and Vocal Performance - Chamber Music and Ensemble Performance - New Music - Early Music 16 Location 18 Facilities & Resources 20 Student Services 21 Accommodation 22 Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association 23 International Community 24 Preparing you for the Profession 26 RCM Graduates

Faculties

Research

30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46

58 Contemporary Musics 59 Performance, Practice and Sources 59 Performance Science 60 Environment 60 Resources

Brass Composition Conducting Historical Performance Keyboard Percussion Strings Woodwind Vocal Studies

Academic Programmes 50 52 54 56

Undergraduate Programmes Masters Programmes Post-Masters Programmes Academic Staff

How to Apply 62 63 64 65 66

Open Days and Tours Applying to the RCM Auditions Money Matters Application Checklist

www.rcm.ac.uk

Why Study at the RCM? Ten Good Reasons…

“In a fortnight that has brought five-star performances to London by Maurizio Pollini, Yannick NézetSéguin and the Berlin Philharmoniker… perhaps the most mind-blowing concert of them all was this one at the Royal College of Music.” Classical Source on the RCM Symphony Orchestra

1. Our professors are the best in the world

3. Unparalleled performance opportunities

The heart of your RCM experience is one-to-one lessons and group masterclasses with dedicated, passionate, experienced professors. Some of them are big names with big performing careers, while others have dedicated their lives to teaching. What do they all have in common? They all have the power to inspire, to unlock talent, and to transform lives.

You will be given performance opportunities unparalleled in any other conservatoire. RCM soloists perform in the best venues, and with world-leading conductors and directors. Press reviews recognise that the quality of our orchestra and opera performances is second to none. Our composers have regular chances to have their works brought to life by brilliant performers. We offer countless opportunities to take classical music into the wider community and for you to earn money performing at prestigious events across the UK and beyond.

2. A grand heritage and a bright future By coming to the RCM, you become part of a continually unfolding story of success. For more than 125 years our students have gone on to international stardom, so at the RCM you can enjoy the buzz of treading in the footsteps of the world’s leading composers, conductors, singers and instrumentalists. But we don’t rest on our laurels. With our cutting-edge facilities, technology and research, we’re in the business of helping you create music’s future.

For further details see pages 10–15.

4. An inspiring location Our location, in one of the globe’s leading cultural capitals, is the envy of the world. Our iconic Blomfield Building, opposite the Royal Albert Hall, has been an inspiration to generations of students. Our partnerships with neighbouring organisations provide a wealth of opportunities to perform and compose. For further details see pages 16–17.

5. Unrivalled facilities You will be able to take advantage of our unrivalled facilities. Our performance spaces are our greatest asset, including the fully professional Britten Theatre and the magnificent Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, both of which incorporate state-ofthe-art recording facilities. Our practice rooms, teaching rooms, library, museum, studios and in-house luthier all support your studies. For further details see pages 18–19.

www.rcm.ac.uk

6. A professional environment

8. Great musicians with great careers

At the RCM we don’t just prepare you for the music profession; we enable you to be a professional from the moment you arrive. Our ensembles, orchestras and opera performances reflect professional standards and conditions. And we enjoy partnerships with London’s leading orchestras, opera houses and concert halls, so while at the RCM you will perform on a professional stage, alongside well-known figures in the music industry.

We will help you become the complete working musician. Achieving success is about so much more than the notes. How can you market yourself and network effectively? How can you manage your finances? How can you build up a teaching practice? You might not be worrying about these things right now, but when you do, our worldleading Woodhouse Professional Development Centre will be on hand to help you not only become a great musician, but also have a great career.

What does life at the world-famous Royal College of Music really look and sound like? Find out by watching our short trailer, designed to give you a taste of some of the musical activities taking place both onstage and behind the scenes at the RCM every day.

For further details see pages 24–28.

7. We value independence and individuality That’s perhaps because we’re fully independent ourselves – we’re not beholden to any other university or governing body and we award and create our own degrees, meaning we can tailor your studies precisely to suit you. Our independent faculties provide the perfect training for you as a performer or composer. And with just 750 of the world’s most talented young musicians studying here at any one time, we’re the perfect size to offer a breadth of experience and a vibrant musical community, yet still have the personal touch.

9. Opening up the world At the RCM, the world’s best meet the best of British. Half of our students come from outside the UK, while our teaching staff are drawn from every corner of the globe. The RCM’s friendly atmosphere provides a unique opportunity for you to build contacts and friendships with musicians from across the world. For further details see page 23.

10. Improving your performance The RCM helps you get behind the music. We have the largest research community of any UK conservatoire, and our ethos of “practice-based research” means that our researchers are devoted to helping you to improve your performance skills. The highly respected academic component of our degree programmes is also centred on performance – as you’re learning, you’ll be improving everything you do. For further details see pages 57–60.

www.rcm.ac.uk/ virtualopenday

LIFE AT THE RCM

www.rcm.ac.uk/life

Life at the RCM Outside of the classroom, RCM students enjoy busy performing and social lives. In this section, you can find out more about the community, facilities and environment that make the RCM such a vibrant place to live and study.

LIFE AT THE RCM

Orchestral Performance The RCM offers an unrivalled experience for the aspiring orchestral musician. In addition to an extensive range of in-house and external performance opportunities, we are closely linked to London’s numerous professional orchestras through formal sit-in schemes and informal links formed by our professors, many of whom hold principal positions in these orchestras. It’s no wonder that so many of our students go on to forge hugely successful careers within the orchestral profession.

RCM Orchestras

Broadcasts

The RCM runs a number of in-house orchestras, including two symphony orchestras, a baroque orchestra, a classical orchestra, a string band, a wind orchestra and an opera orchestra. All of these perform on a regular basis, giving students the chance to hone their skills in a wide variety of repertoire.

Many of our orchestral performances are broadcast live on the RCM website, giving audiences (and friends and family) around the world the chance to watch from the comfort of their own homes.

Some orchestral projects are built around short, intense rehearsal periods that mirror professional conditions and offer valuable “real-world” experience, while others are built around extended periods of expert sectional training, offering the opportunity for reflection and artistic development.

Watch a short video of RCM brass student Ryan Linham as he rehearses for the RCM Symphony Orchestra’s spectacular performance of Messiaen’s ‘TurangalîlaSymphonie’ at London’s Royal Festival Hall. w ww.rcm.ac.uk/ ryanlinham

Visiting Conductors Many of the world’s leading conductors return to work with our orchestras time and again, deeply impressed by the musicianship, dedication and passion of RCM students. We regularly work with Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lorin Maazel (who every year invites RCM orchestral students to perform at his Castleton Festival in the USA), Vladimir Jurowski and Sir Roger Norrington, to name just five.

External Performance RCM orchestras are regularly invited to participate in major festivals at London’s most prestigious venues. For example, we recently performed Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the Southbank Centre’s The Rest Is Noise festival. At time of writing we’re preparing to perform Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé at the Royal Festival Hall again in February 2015, as part of the Philharmonia Orchestra’s festival Paris: City of Light. In addition to these major performances, we also hold termly schools’ concerts and repeat many of our concerts at schools, churches and festivals across London and the South East of England. These performances give students the valuable experiences of repeating repertoire, while introducing classical music to new audiences, helping to generate the orchestral audiences of the future.

Our orchestral concerts are filmed and uploaded to the RCM intranet, allowing students to watch back the performances on their own, with their professor, or alongside their colleagues during informal screenings in the RCM Bar.

Sit-in Schemes For the very best orchestral students we offer formal sit-in schemes with a number of orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and English National Opera Orchestra. These mentorship programmes are priceless, offering the opportunity to gain experience of the profession itself.

RCM Professors The RCM’s impressive list of professors includes numerous principal players in the major London orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra and Royal Opera House Orchestra. They offer students not only first-rate teaching, but also mentorship and networking opportunities.

Being in London Studying in London, home to dozens of orchestras, offers unrivalled opportunities for students to immerse themselves in a world of orchestral music. Many of the major London orchestras visit the RCM Freshers’ Fair, and offer exclusive ticket offers and access opportunities for students.

www.rcm.ac.uk/life

Solo Performance Solo performance, on your own or in front of an orchestra, is an important part of the development of all instrumentalists and singers, even if your ultimate aim is to perform as part of a group. Many RCM performers go on to have successful solo careers, having benefited from the opportunities on offer for RCM students.

Performance Opportunities

Competitions

The RCM runs the largest performing programme of any UK conservatoire, much of which is built around solo performance.

The RCM’s numerous solo competitions offer significant opportunities for performers, who can benefit both financially and in terms of exposure. Every autumn, winners of the RCM solo competitions are given the opportunity to perform in a popular Monday lunchtime series in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall.

Beyond the RCM, we offer regular performing opportunities at concert halls such as the Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields and Wigmore Hall; at prestigious cultural venues such as the National Gallery, V&A Museum and Royal Academy of Arts; at churches such as St James’s Piccadilly and St Mary Abbots; and at community centres and music clubs. Back at the RCM, every week during term time there are numerous solo concerts in the RCM’s six major performing spaces. Students can sometimes present an entire recital, or just a single piece or song they might be working on. More high-profile RCM performances include a termly showcase in our Britten Theatre, and annual musical marathons featuring string and keyboard students, which are also broadcast live on the RCM website.

Informal Performances While students are developing programmes for these competitions and high-profile engagements, our faculty classes and more informal gatherings mean that there are regular opportunities to perform informally in front of peers and professors, and to benefit from positive feedback and advice. In addition, the RCM’s unique and internationally acclaimed Performance Simulator – which gives the illusion of a public performance – is an invaluable resource to help students develop their skills in a safe environment.

Concertos The RCM’s keenly contested Concerto Competition offers students the chance to perform alongside world-leading conductors in our prestigious orchestral series (see opposite). Watch a short video of RCM Concerto Competition winners Junnan Sun and Christopher Mothersole as they prepare for a performance of Mendelssohn’s ‘Concert Piece for Clarinet and Basset Horn’ with the RCM Symphony Orchestra. www.rcm.ac.uk/chrisandjunnan

Career Advice and Support Many of the RCM’s high-profile external concert series are managed by our world-leading Woodhouse Professional Development Centre. In addition to offering these performance slots, the Centre’s staff also offer soloists advice and mentorship on a huge range of practical and artistic issues, from what to wear to how to put together an engaging programme.

Recent concerto performances by RCM students: Dvořák Cello Concerto Elgar Violin Concerto Ibert Flute Concerto Koussevitsky Double Bass Concerto Liszt Piano Concerto no 1 Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen Maxwell Davies Trumpet Concerto Nielsen Clarinet Concerto Prokofiev Piano Concerto no 3 Séjourné Marimba Concerto Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto no 1

LIFE AT THE RCM

Opera and Vocal Performance In addition to numerous solo performance opportunities (see previous page), RCM singers participate across the year in a busy series of operatic and choral projects, both at the RCM and further afield.

View photos from recent RCM opera productions including Offenbach’s great comic operetta ‘La vie parisienne’, Handel’s ‘Imeneo’ and Mozart’s ‘Le nozze di Figaro’. w ww.rcm.ac.uk/ vocal/operaschool/ pastproductions

RCM Operas

Collaborations

The Royal College of Music International Opera School is acclaimed internationally for the quality of its performances. Each year we mount three fully-staged productions, including one collaboration with the London Handel Festival. For each production we bring in a team of some of the world’s most acclaimed directors, designers and choreographers, offering students the full professional experience within a nurturing, supportive environment. Every opera is normally double cast to maximise the number of students who can benefit from this vital experience.

We enjoy extremely productive relationships with a wide range of operatic institutions across the UK and beyond. We have a particularly fruitful relationship with English Touring Opera, who offer RCM students the opportunity to cover key roles in their operatic productions. Several RCM students have ended up performing on stage, and have also been subsequently hired by ETO for future productions.

Other Operatic Performances In between these major operas, every year the RCM presents a number of innovative contemporary music projects. Recent examples have included a celebration of the music of Jonathan Dove in the presence of the composer, as well as two presentations of new works by RCM composers, giving singers the chance to work with acclaimed contemporary opera director Bill Bankes-Jones. “It is heart-warming to hear young professionals engaging so successfully with Handel’s musical demands.”

In addition to these flagship performances, vocal students perform in regular opera scenes, again working with leading professional directors and accompanied by piano.

Arianne in Creta Financial Times

External Performances Thanks to our international reputation for excellence, RCM students are often invited to perform at prestigious external venues across the UK and beyond. Recent examples have included performances of two Gilbert & Sullivan operettas at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at the Bath International Music Festival.

The Britten Theatre Uniquely, our opera training takes place within a fully functioning professional theatre. Our Britten Theatre is not only an attractive and inviting space beloved of audiences, but is also the perfect space for developing voices – its “hatbox” shape means that we can fit in a large audience of 400, but young voices don’t need to strain to reach the back row. Living and working in a space like this all year long is ideal preparation for the profession.

Choral Performances The RCM Chamber Choir is one of our flagship ensembles, and performs regularly at the RCM and beyond. The choir came to international prominence in 2012 as the grand finale of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Thames Pageant, watched by an enormous TV audience and gaining praise and attention worldwide. RCM singers provide the kernel of the RCM Symphony Chorus, which performs alongside the RCM Symphony Orchestra and is trained by some of the UK’s best choral conductors, including David Hill and Neil Ferris.

www.rcm.ac.uk/life

Chamber Music and Ensemble Performance At the RCM, students form performing partnerships that last a lifetime. Thanks to the unlimited coaching, expert teaching and high-profile performance opportunities that are on offer, RCM chamber music groups regularly triumph in major competitions such as the Royal Over-Seas League.

Chamber Performance

Faculty Ensembles

Chamber groups have access to all of the same performance opportunities as soloists (see page 11), and so regularly perform at London’s leading concert venues, including in our Rising Stars series at Cadogan Hall.

Percussionists, wind and brass players can join a large number of faculty-based groups, including our Wind Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, Brass Groups and the PERC’M percussion ensemble, which regularly tours nationally and internationally.

In addition, our regular collaborations with London’s major orchestras and concert halls offer high-profile chamber music performance opportunities. Recent significant performances have included appearances at the Purcell Room, King’s Place and Brighton Dome as well as live performances on BBC Radio 3.

Learning and Teaching To support student ensembles, the RCM is unique in offering unlimited coaching for its chamber groups, allowing you to benefit from the skills and experience of a number of RCM professors. String quartets in particular can benefit from working with our Quartet in Association, and from participating in our regular String Quartet Collective projects, which see some of the world’s leading chamber musicians visit the RCM for a week.

“The Four Quartets concert saw students from the RCM take on Lutoslawski’s String Quartet (1964), and three other 20th-century works from a war-torn Eastern Europe with thrilling results… an atmosphere of electric nervousness… an engaging rendition… the results were magical… brilliantly presented…” Kallisto Quartet, Walmsley Quartet, Mira Quartet and Park Quartet at the Purcell Room Ninfea Cruttwell-Read, BackTrack

Jazz Ensembles Members of all three of the above faculties join forces in the widely acclaimed RCM Swing Band and RCM Big Band. Both ensembles are coached by Mark Armstrong, Musical Director of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and are regularly invited to perform at the London Jazz Festival and at a range of prestigious venues across London. Here at the RCM, the Big Band performs in our Britten Theatre with guest visiting artists such as Stewart Copeland and Peter Erskine.

RCM ensembles include: Big Band Brass Ensemble PERC’M RedHocks Drumline Ensemble String Band Swing Band Wind Ensemble

LIFE AT THE RCM

New Music Throughout the 130 years of our existence, the RCM has been a fertile breeding ground for new music, and composers such as Holst, Vaughan Williams, Tippett, Britten and Mark-Anthony Turnage have all started their careers here. The RCM continues to be an important centre for the creation of new work, allowing performers to gain invaluable skills and experience as they rise to the demands of the new, and to enjoy the thrill of bringing new music to life.

Watch a short video about RCM composer Ryan Cockerham’s installations to accompany a contemporary sculpture exhibition at the Royal British Society of Sculptors. w ww.rcm.ac.uk/ ryan

Composer Portraits

Electroacoustic Music

The RCM’s annual composer festival features orchestral, chamber and solo concerts, and typically introduces to the UK the music of international composers well known in their own country. Recent visitors have included Helmut Lachenmann, Pascal Dusapin and Ivan Fedele.

The RCM was the very first UK educational institution to have its own electroacoustic studio, and for more than 50 years has been at the heart of technical innovation in musical performance. Our long-running, regular concert series From the Soundhouse gives RCM soloists and performing groups the chance to present cutting-edge works that combine live performance and electronics.

New Music Ensembles Directed by Tim Lines, the New Perspectives ensemble is the RCM’s flagship new music group. In addition to regular performances at the RCM itself, the group is regularly invited to perform at festivals across London and beyond. Most recently, the ensemble has given concerts at the Southbank Centre’s The Rest Is Noise festival and at the Sounds New festival in Canterbury. Other key new music groups include Variable Geometry, which puts on regular concerts paying tribute to the greatest innovators of the 20th and 21st centuries. Recent events have included sold-out tributes to John Cage and Steve Reich.

Student-led Events The RCM’s radical #GreatExhibitionists series offers students the chance to devise their own groundbreaking events. With the full support and mentorship of the RCM, students are given the chance to create and present unique projects that redefine what classical music means in the 21st century. Spontaneous collaborations between RCM composers and performers spring up all the time, with student-led ensembles such as the explorensemble carving out an important niche in London’s rich new music scene.

Film Music Orchestral musicians are given ample opportunity to perform film music, both in workshops with composers studying on our Composition for Screen course, and in the popular termly concerts given by the RCM Students’ Film Orchestra, run by the RCM Students’ Association.

Composer-Performer Collaborations Collaborations between student composers and performers are firmly rooted in the curriculum through our popular “Contemporary Music in Action” and “Contemporary Music in Creation” programmes, which climax with public concerts. These collaborations give composers the chance to have their works brought to life by brilliant musicians, and give performers an insight into how music is conceived – an understanding which can invigorate their performances of the music of the past. The RCM’s regular collaborations with London’s leading cultural institutions offer the chance for composers and performers to present their work in front of large, appreciate audiences. Recent flagship performances include events at the National Gallery and Royal Academy of Arts.

www.rcm.ac.uk/life

Early Music The RCM is recognised internationally as one of the world’s most important centres for historically informed performance. Our many performing groups are regularly invited to perform at festivals across the UK and beyond.

Baroque Ensemble and Orchestra The RCM Baroque Ensemble and Orchestra regularly work with leading conductors, and are frequently invited to perform at prestigious venues nationally and internationally. Recent highlights include an annual tour to Italy and festival appearances in London and Kent, while performances at the RCM include our regular Bach Cantatas series. Watch a short video of RCM historical performance student Matyas Csiba as he goes on tour to Italy with members of the RCM Historical Performance Department. w ww.rcm.ac.uk/matyas

International Collaborations RCM students benefit from the RCM’s wide range of international partnerships and collaborations. We enjoy a close association with the Versailles Centre for Baroque Music, which has led to performances at festivals across France and at the BBC Proms with Sir Roger Norrington. In 2014, members of the RCM Baroque Ensemble accompanied Head of Historical Performance Professor Ashley Solomon to Bolivia to perform at the Bolivian Early Music Festival. RCM students also participated in a recent exchange with the Sydney Conservatory, including side-by-side performances in London and Sydney.

RCM International Festival of Viols This much-loved annual festival, which takes place at the RCM every autumn, gives RCM students the chance to perform alongside and learn from some of the world’s most acclaimed violists. Recent visitors have included Jordi Savall, Christophe Coin and Vittorio Ghielmi. “The performances were exquisite. Bliss from start to finish.”

Solo Performance At the RCM, solo performers regularly perform in various RCM concert venues. There is the opportunity to take part in our weekly concert series in the RCM Museum of Music, which holds a number of important early keyboard, string and woodwind instruments that can be played by students.

Tim Ashley, The Guardian “The Saturday Matinee Prom at Cadogan Hall was sinfully enjoyable.” Geoff Brown, The Times

LIFE AT THE RCM

Location The Royal College of Music’s location is the envy of the musical world. We are situated directly opposite the Royal Albert Hall in one of London’s most attractive and vibrant areas. Surrounding us is Imperial College London, making the RCM part of one the largest and most active student bodies in the capital. Whether you enjoy shopping or sightseeing, pubs or parks, everything you could want is a short walk away – or an even shorter bus ride on one of the six bus routes that serve the RCM.

Royal Albert Memorial

Exhibition Road The RCM is situated in South Kensington – one of London’s safest, most attractive and most desirable places to live and work – and within the heart of the Exhibition Road Cultural Quarter, London’s premier hub of cultural activity. Within just five minutes’ walk of the RCM you will find all of the following: • The Royal Albert Hall (the nation’s favourite concert hall and home of the BBC Proms) as well three of the UK’s biggest museums: the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum. We enjoy close relationships with all these institutions, which offer inspiration and regular performance opportunities for RCM musicians • Hyde Park, one of the most attractive green spaces in London. Generations of RCM students have enjoyed the quiet of the park, escaping from the intensity of their studies

Royal Albert Hall

• Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art, placing the RCM at the heart of a vibrant student body of more than 20,000 students. RCM students regularly collaborate and perform with students from both institutions • The Goethe-Institut, the Austrian Cultural Forum, the Institut Français and the Ismaili Centre, all of which offer vibrant cultural programmes. All of the academic and cultural organisations along Exhibition Road collaborate on fascinating projects, providing more opportunities for RCM students to perform and learn. For more details visit www.exhibitionroad.com.

www.rcm.ac.uk/life

Royal Albert Hall Royal College of Art Hyde Park

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V&A Museum

Ismaili Centre Find out more: www.exhibitionroad.com Follow the Exhibition Road institutions on twitter: twitter.com/RCMLatest/lists/exhibition-road-tweets

“Once the main route to the Great Exhibition, held in Hyde Park in 1851, Exhibition Road remains perhaps London’s grandest cultural artery. Leading to the Royal Albert Hall at its northern end and bordered by the Victoria and Albert Museum on one side and the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum on the other, its various institutions collectively get more visitors a year than Venice.” Justin McGuirk, The Guardian

Exhibition Road

Hyde Park

LIFE AT THE RCM

Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall

“This small theatre in South Kensington, cunningly buried behind the RCM’s brick façade is one of London’s hidden gems” Seen and Heard on the RCM’s Britten Theatre

“The definitive place in Britain to see the history of music-making” The Independent on the RCM Museum of Music

Parry Rooms

Facilities & Resources The RCMs’ resources are internationally renowned and will enhance and support your learning throughout your time at the RCM.

Teaching and Practice Facilities

Performance Spaces

The RCM has a large number of teaching and practice facilities designed to offer all students an atmosphere conducive to developing their talents.

The RCM has a range of performance spaces suitable for a wide variety of events. With a capacity of 400, the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall is the primary rehearsal and concert venue for RCM orchestras and large ensembles. Also seating 400, our Britten Theatre is the perfect intimate venue for opera. For chamber and solo performances, the RCM Museum of Music, Recital Hall and Parry Rooms provide a more intimate performance space.

RCM Studios Our renowned studios are equipped with the latest audio, video and composition technologies, enabling performers and composers to work in a fully professional studio environment. With assistance, supervision and tuition from those in the profession, including our full-time staff engineers, you will have the opportunity to gain valuable recording experience, whether on the concert platform or in a studio session.

Every year we develop and improve our facilities, but at the time of writing these include: 58 teaching/practice rooms (including four organ rooms) fitted with a combination of audio equipment, pianos, TV screens and mirrors; 26 practice rooms dedicated solely for the purpose of student practice; 7 opera rehearsal spaces; 156 pianos; Smartboards and a state-of-the-art Polycom video conferencing system; instrument storage with special facilities for harps and double basses; and in-house instrument workshops including an on-site luthier and a resident piano technician.

ICT Facilities The RCM’s ICT Service supports teaching, learning and research activities at the RCM. We provide a broad range of essential technology services to aid and enhance the learning experience including WiFi through Prince Consort Road, up-to-date student computers, an rcm.ac.uk email address and access to standard and specialist software including Microsoft Office, Sibelius and Audacity.

www.rcm.ac.uk/life

RCM Library

RCM Museum of Music

RCM Library Our library is run by a team of friendly and knowledgeable staff, who mount exhibitions and frequently run seminars on library use. The library contains a wealth of material to support your studies including printed music, recordings, music literature and music journals. It also holds an internationally renowned collection of manuscripts including the autograph score of Mozart’s Piano Concerto K 491. The RCM holds a renowned collection of manuscripts and early printed editions. You can ‘turn the pages’ of one of these manuscripts online at www.rcm.ac.uk/turnthepage

Find out more at www.rcm.ac.uk/library.

Mozart manuscript

RCM Museum of Music The RCM Museum of Music houses more than 1,000 instruments dating from the late 15th century to the present day. Among its treasures are the earliest surviving stringed keyboard instrument and trombones owned by Elgar and Holst. The collection is a unique resource and can support your studies in a variety of ways. Many of the instruments on display can be studied and played by students as a way of gaining a deeper understanding of a particular composer or piece. The RCM is home to a well-known collection of images including 340 original paintings and sculptures and 25,000 prints and photographs. You can view many of our paintings on the BBC Your Paintings website at http://bbc.in/1cQrSdU

Find out more at www.rcm.ac.uk/museum.

A portrait of Haydn

LIFE AT THE RCM

Student Services “If you are thinking of applying to the RCM and would like to discuss any of your needs, please get in touch for a confidential discussion.” Lynnette Easterbrook Student Services Manager Get in touch at studentservices@rcm. ac.uk or 020 7591 4316

The Royal College of Music’s Student Services provide advice and support on a range of issues helping you to get the most out of your time at the RCM. We offer a drop-in and appointment service, and provide free information sheets and booklets on a wide variety of matters from health issues to events.

Money Matters Studying at a world-class conservatoire in the centre of London can be expensive but the Student Services Manager can offer you a wealth of advice on funding your course and general financial concerns. For more information on fees, funding and the cost of living please see page 65 or visit www.rcm.ac.uk/moneymatters.

Students with Disabilities We welcome and encourage the participation of students with disabilities in all aspects of life at the RCM, and we have particular experience in supporting students with dyslexia and visual impairment.

Counselling Service If you experience any problems in your personal or academic life during your time at the RCM, a counselling service is available to all students. There is also a counselling service available at Imperial College Health Centre. Designated members of RCM professorial staff are available to advise you on academic issues.

Healthcare The RCM is linked with Imperial College Health Centre, just a few minutes’ walk away. Students who live at our Hall of Residence or in specified nearby postcode areas may register there as NHS patients. Other students, who are advised to register with a GP close to where they live, can use the Health Centre during the day for urgent medical problems.

Chaplaincy The Chaplaincy Centre at Imperial College London welcomes all RCM students. It is located just two minutes away from the RCM and is a place of resource, help, advice and information relating to issues of faith and spirituality.

Alexander Technique There is a strong tradition of Alexander Technique at the RCM. Weekly group sessions, led by resident experts Peter Buckoke, Judith Kleinman and Bethan Pugh, are popular with many students. Student Services work closely with the RCM Centre for Performance Science to encourage and promote the healthy musician. Read about one of their current projects – Musical Impact – the largest ever study into the health and wellbeing of performing musicians. www.rcm.ac.uk/cps/musicalimpact

www.rcm.ac.uk/life Artist Impressions

Accommodation New Hall of Residence

Facilities

The RCM’s new hall of residence will open in September 2015, providing high-quality accommodation for around 400 students.

The new hall of residence will be fully equipped to cater for RCM students and services will include: 24 dedicated practice rooms available 24/7, a film room, open mic space, laundry, reception, high speed WiFi, gym, indoor and outdoor communal spaces.

The new building, replacing the previous facility on Goldhawk Road in London, will comprise 177 studio apartments, 170 en-suite rooms and 63 standard rooms.

Location Located in leafy south-west London, the new hall of residence is within easy travelling distance of the RCM. The underground from Ravenscourt Park to South Kensington takes about 40 minutes door to door, or there are several well-connected bus routes.

The accommodation will be staffed 24 hours, and the in-house team and Residence Manager are dedicated to the pastoral care and wellbeing of residents. Regular events will also be organised and the Reception team is on hand daily to make students’ lives as easy and comfortable as possible. Please visit www.rcm.ac.uk/accommodation for the most up-to-date details and rents.

Private Accommodation The Student Services department also produces a list of landlords offering private accommodation to RCM students. A list of hostels and housing associations is also available and the nearby Queen Alexandra’s House provides accommodation for 100 female students. www.queenalex.com.

Hall of Residence 220–238 Goldhawk Road London W12 9PL www.rcm.ac.uk/ accommodation

LIFE AT THE RCM

Students’ Association “As President I intend to make sure every one of you has the best experience possible at the RCM. I hope you will all feel that you can approach my wonderful team and me with any issues, from exam worries to practice room bookings and of course, social events!” Stephanie Bissell Students’ Association President 2013–14 Join the community: www.rcmsa.co.uk www.facebook. com/RCM.Student. Association @rcmsa1

The Students’ Association (SA) is a lively student body that represents all students at the RCM. It aims to support your activities and wellbeing by providing a friendly environment where you can experiment and develop your creativity. The Students’ Association also organises a range of social activities throughout the year, including an action-packed Freshers’ Week, as well as many cultural events each term. Most recently these have included a boat party along the Thames, a pool tournament and quiz night. A lively RAG week included a Charity Auction, a Fair Trade afternoon tea, a concert from the RCM Students’ Association RAG Orchestra and a Grade 1 Challenge for members of staff. With an ever growing social calendar, there are lots of opportunities to get to know other students and be involved in some fantastic projects.

The SA also has links with other conservatoires and Imperial College (with the opportunity to join more than 300 clubs and societies) so students can always find something to do and to enjoy. The student body has representatives on many committees, so student views and opinions are acted upon promptly and effectively. Recent student-led changes have included working on the development of a new practice room booking system and the first performance by the RCM Students’ Film Music Orchestra. Recent SA events: • • • • • •

Fresher’s Week RAG Week RCM Students’ Film Music Orchestra Christmas Party Faculty Nights ALCOMD events

www.rcm.ac.uk/life

International Community Here at the RCM, we consider our international student community to be our greatest asset. Along with world-class teaching, it is what helps to make the RCM a friendly, exciting and diverse hub of music-making. Around half of RCM students come from outside the UK, and our teaching and administration staff come from all over the world too. So we understand very well that moving to a new country can feel like a big step, and we will do everything we can to help make you feel at home.

Help from the RCM The Registry and Student Services staff provide advice and support for international students across a range of practical subjects including visas and immigration; opening bank accounts; accommodation; financial advice or just finding out how to make the most of your time at the RCM.

Help from fellow students Your fellow students will also help you to settle in, and there are plenty of opportunities to get to know each other through RCM activities such as social events run by the RCM SA. Our graduates all around the world tell us how fondly they remember their time at the RCM. We believe that you won’t find a more welcoming and inspiring place to study anywhere in the world. For further information about tuition fees, auditions, English language requirements and study visas for overseas applicants please visit www.rcm.ac.uk/ international.

Exchanges The RCM has a large number of student exchange opportunities with leading European, American, Japanese and Australian music conservatoires and universities. These provide a fantastic opportunity to experience study at another international music institution as part of your RCM studies. Visit www.rcm.ac.uk/exchanges for further details.

“No matter where you come from, moving to a new country can feel daunting, but as International & Admissions Manager at the RCM, it’s part of my job to help make you feel at home.” Nicola Peacock International & Admissions Manager Hear more from Nicola at www.rcm.ac.uk/ nicolapeacock Get in touch at international@rcm.ac.uk

LIFE AT THE RCM

Preparing you for the Profession At the RCM, you learn about the demands and realities of a fast-changing profession, and are helped and encouraged to respond actively and creatively. In addition to carefully structured programmes of study and performance, there are many opportunities to deepen your knowledge, widen your experience, extend your skills and build networks of contacts – all of which ultimately enhance your employability.

RCM professors hold principal positions in many leading UK orchestras including: BBC Symphony Orchestra English Baroque Soloists London Brass London Sinfonietta London Symphony Orchestra Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Philharmonia Orchestra Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

We believe there are four main reasons why RCM graduates are so successful:

1. Professors To be successful you need to develop your skills to the very highest level, and RCM professors are of course exceptional teachers who will help you become the very best performer or composer you can be. But beyond that, many of them are also working in the music industry as performers, artistic directors, educators and administrators. Many of them hold principal positions in leading UK orchestras. They all understand what it takes to succeed, and they are all able to pass on their skills, knowledge, experiences and contacts to their students.

2. Contacts with the outside world London is the centre of the classical music industry, and the RCM is at the heart of an extraordinary professional network. You will find that agents, publishers and bookers regularly visit the RCM and attend our events. For orchestral musicians, we offer side-by-side “sit-in” schemes with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the LSO, the Philharmonia and the orchestra of English National Opera. Composers participate in innovative collaborative projects, and hear performances of their works in some of London’s most prestigious venues. Our singers get to cover roles for English Touring Opera, with whom we enjoy a close relationship. These schemes offer selected students the chance to sit in on professional rehearsals, gaining invaluable experience. From high-profile concert halls to galleries and community centres, the RCM Woodhouse Professional Development Centre offers a range of performance opportunities in and around London. Watch a short video with RCM violinist Joo Yeon Sir as she prepares for performances at the V&A Museum and Claremont Community Centre in Islington. www.rcm.ac.uk/jooyeon

www.rcm.ac.uk/life

3. Programmes of Study Your programme of study is specifically designed to help you build up all of the skills and experiences you need to enter the profession. Alongside your core one-to-one teaching, you can take options that help you build applied skills such as producing your own CD or creating your own website. So while you’re studying, you can gain invaluable knowledge and experience that will stand you in good stead throughout your working life. From weekend workshops for children to holiday courses for teenagers, vocal days for families to opera matinees for schools, RCM Sparks offers a musically enriching experience for all. Watch a short video with RCM percussionist Kizzy Brooks as she works with children from local schools and introduces them to Bernstein’s West Side Story. www.rcm.ac.uk/kizzy

4. Professional Development The RCM is home to our world-famous careers centre, the renowned Woodhouse Professional Development Centre. The team will help you to learn about the demands and realities of a fast changing profession, offering career advice and performance opportunities. Find out more about the Woodhouse Centre at www.rcm.ac.uk/woodhouse. RCM Sparks, the Royal College of Music’s ground breaking learning and participation programme, provides opportunities for everyone to make or learn about music. Complementing the RCM mission to provide professional training at the highest level, RCM Sparks runs specially tailored training programmes for students, preparing them for the diverse roles they will undertake as professionals. Find out more about RCM Sparks at www.rcm.ac.uk/rcmsparks.

Recent orchestral collaborations and artistic partnerships: Philharmonia Orchestra Woven Words: Music begins where words end Infernal Dance: Inside the World of Béla Bartók London Philharmonic Orchestra Alfred Schnittke: Between Two Worlds Prokofiev, Man of the People? Southbank Centre The Rest Is Noise London Handel Festival Handel’s Imeneo Royal Academy of Arts Sensing Spaces

LIFE AT THE RCM

RCM Graduates RCM graduates are leading successful musical careers throughout the world. The most popular professions for our graduates are performer, composer, teacher, conductor, administrator or musical director (numerous shows in London’s West End are directed by RCM graduates) – or a combination of all of these. These pages give just a few examples of where they are plying their trade right now.

Well-known RCM graduates include: Sir Colin Davis Sir Roger Norrington Benjamin Britten Ralph Vaughan Williams Barry Douglas John Lill Melvyn Tan Dame Gillian Weir Alina Ibragimova Daniel Hope Natalie Clein Julian Lloyd Webber Julian Bream John Williams Sir Thomas Allen Alfie Boe Andrew Kennedy Dame Joan Sutherland James Galway Michael Collins John Harle

Katy Woolley

Christopher Tin

Katy was appointed Third Horn in the Philharmonia Orchestra while still studying at the RCM, and was subsequently appointed Principal Horn at the age of just 22. In the short time since her appointment she has forged a formidable reputation performing demanding horn parts in orchestral repertoire for the world’s top conductors.

Since graduating from the Composition for Screen Masters course at the RCM, Christopher has established himself as a composer whose career spans all major markets: film, television, video games, advertising, and the record industry. Most recently, he won Grammy Awards for ‘Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists’ and ‘Best Classical Crossover Album’.

“I found the RCM to be an extremely supportive environment. In lessons, my teachers were very encouraging but also firm about what I needed to achieve”

Charlotte Harding Charlotte studied composition with Mark-Anthony Turnage and saxophone with Martin Robertson, graduating with a BMus degree in 2011. Her compositions have been performed in London and around the world in Australia, Germany, France and the USA. Most recently she joined a unique project at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, creating bespoke pieces of music to help patients in their treatment and rehabilitation. “As soon as I enrolled at the RCM I felt part of a musical and professional community” www.charlotteharding.org.uk

“I’d been writing music since I was a kid, but I wasn’t a Composer until I attended the RCM” www.christophertin.com

John Wilson John Wilson studied composition and conducting with Joseph Horovitz and Neil Thomson. He rose to public acclaim in 2009, after his appearance at the BBC Proms with his own John Wilson Orchestra celebrating 75 years of MGM musicals. Televised live on BBC Two and watched by 3.5 million viewers, it generated so much public demand that it was repeated three times, released on DVD and led directly to an exclusive recording contract with his eponymous orchestra on EMI.

Marta Gonçalves Flautist Marta Gonçalves graduated in 2009 having studied baroque and classical flute with Rachel Brown and modern flute with Jaime Martin. She now regularly performs with orchestras and ensembles in London including the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Florilegium, the London Handel Players, ETO and the Academy of Ancient Music. She has also broadcast several times for BBC Radio 3 and has recorded for various labels including Hyperion and Chandos.

www.rcm.ac.uk/life

O Duo

Kitty Whately

Owen Gunnell and Oliver Cox have achieved critical and commercial success with their percussion ensemble ‘O Duo’. Since graduating from the RCM, they have performed concertos with the BBC Philharmonic, London Philharmonic and Philhamonia Orchestras, worked at Abbey Road and Sony studios on television and film scores, and broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC TV. Most recently they returned to the RCM as special guests at the annual Festival of Percussion.

Winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award, mezzo-soprano Kitty Whately graduated from the RCM International Opera School in 2012 following the successful completion of the Masters Programme in Vocal Studies. It was while performing Dorabella in the RCM’s production of Così fan tutte that she was signed by her agents Intermusica. She has since gone on to join the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist scheme and is increasingly in demand as a soloist on the concert platform in the UK and abroad.

www.oduo.co.uk

“Taking on roles in fully staged operatic productions, working with professional conductors and directors, gaining stage experience and exposure were all invaluable experiences.”

Anna Blackmur Anna graduated from the RCM with a Masters in Performance, having successfully completed the BMus undergraduate programme. She is now working as a soloist and chamber musician, and is frequently in demand as an orchestral leader. She performs regularly with, among others, the Academy of St Martin-inthe-Fields, City of London Sinfonia and London Chamber Orchestra. She has also continues to play with The Ealing String Quartet, an ensemble formed at the RCM.

Jianing Kong Pianist Jianing Kong studied with Ruth Nye, Gordon FergusThompson and Dimitri Alexeev, and was a finalist and prize winner in the 2009 Leeds International Piano Competition. He has since performed at numerous prestigious venues across the UK including St Martin-in-the-Fields, Cadogan Hall, Steinway Hall and Wigmore Hall. As a concerto soloist his many performances include the world premiere of Harris Kittos’s Vessel Tale with the RCM Sinfonietta and Beethoven’s Triple Concerto under Paul Daniel at the Royal Festival Hall.

www.kittywhately.com

Amy Harman Since graduating from the RCM in 2009, Amy Harman has performed as guest principal bassoon with many UK orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and English National Opera. From 2010 she was Principal Bassoon at BBC National Orchestra of Wales until being appointed Joint Principal Bassoon of the Philharmonia in 2011. Amy is also active as a chamber music and is a member of Ensemble 360.

RCM graduates currently hold principal positions in orchestras and opera houses around the world, including in: China France Iceland India Ireland Italy Netherlands Norway Oman South Africa Spain UK USA

LIFE AT THE RCM

Graduate Careers RCM graduates are playing, singing, teaching and working with....

Playing with: Academy of Ancient Music Baltimore Chamber Orchestra BBC Concert Orchestra BBC National Orchestra of Wales BBC Philharmonic Orchestra BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra BBC Symphony Orchestra Belcea String Quartet Birmingham Royal Ballet Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Brodsky String Quartet Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra Chamber Orchestra of Europe Chilingirian String Quartet City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra English Baroque Soloists English Chamber Orchestra English National Opera Orchestra English Northern Philharmonic Glyndebourne Touring Opera Orchestra Hallé Orchestra Hong Kong Philharmonic Iceland Symphony Orchestra London Mozart Players London Philharmonic Orchestra London Sinfonietta London Symphony Orchestra Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Musicworks National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland Northern Sinfonia Opera Sinfonica de Sevilla Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment L’orchestre de la Suisse Romande Philharmonia Orchestra Queensland Symphony Orchestra Rambert Dance Company Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra Royal Opera House Orchestra Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Scottish National Orchestra Sacconi String Quartet

Scottish Chamber Orchestra Southbank Sinfonia Sydney Symphony Orchestra Symphony Orchestra of India Trondheim Symphony Orchestra Ulster Orchestra Welsh National Opera Orchestra

Singing with: Bayreuth Festival Buxton Festival Opera Chelsea Opera Group City of Birmingham Touring Opera English National Opera English Touring Opera Garsington Opera Glyndebourne Festival Opera Glyndebourne Touring Opera Grange Park Liceu, Barcelona Lyric Opera, Chicago The Metropolitan Opera, New York Opera Holland Park Opéra national de Lyon Opera North The Royal Opera, Covent Garden La Scala, Milan Scottish Opera Welsh National Opera

Teaching at: Bath Spa University Birmingham Conservatoire Boston Conservatory Chichester College Colchester Institute Guildhall School of Music & Drama Hochschule der Künste, Berlin Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts Imperial College London The Juilliard School, New York King’s College, University of London Malaysian Institute of Arts Manhattan School of Music Open University Queen Mary College, University of London

Queensland Conservatorium Reykjavik College of Music Royal Academy of Music Royal College of Music Royal Northern College of Music Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama Sydney Conservatorium Trinity Laban University College, Cardiff University of Melbourne University of York Victoria College of the Arts, Australia Yamaha Academy of Arts and Music

Working with: Askonas Holt Ltd Bayerische Staatsoper BBC Channel 4 Classic FM Delicious Digital Eden Foundation Harrison/Parrott Ltd Hazard Chase ITV Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra National Children’s Orchestra National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain Priory Records Remote Control Productions Royal Albert Hall Royal National Theatre The Sage Gateshead Southbank Centre Staatstheater Kassel Warner Music Ltd Wigmore Hall Yamaha Music Ltd

www.rcm.ac.uk/faculties

Faculties Your time at the RCM is very special. Possibly the most important person you will be in contact with during your study is your chosen professor. He or she will act as guide and mentor during your studies, on hand to help you nurture your talents and support you through this time of rapid development. 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46

Brass Composition Conducting Historical Performance Keyboard Percussion Strings Woodwind Vocal Studies

FACULTIES

Brass As a member of the Brass Faculty, you’ll enjoy an environment that enables you to recognise your full ability as a performing musician. You’ll receive a challenging but carefully structured programme of study and performance with particular emphasis on identifying and unlocking of individual potential.

Key Features

Recent Highlights

As a member of the Brass Faculty you will attend regular performance and ensemble classes as well as faculty masterclasses with distinguished visiting international musicians.

RCM brass students have performed Vitali Bujanowski’s arrangement for 32 horns of highlights from The Ring at the Southbank Centre as part of the Philharmonia’s Wagner 200 Celebrations.

There are many high-profile chamber music opportunities with coaching from a professor of your own choice.

“Above all, I want students to achieve their goals and live their musical dream.” Nigel Black Head of Brass

Many of the Brass Faculty staff hold principal positions in major orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, London Brass, English Baroque Soloists, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique.

Hear more from Nigel at www.rcm.ac.uk/ nigelblack Get in touch at brass@rcm.ac.uk

“The best thing about the RCM for me is the unrivalled opportunities for chamber music and coaching. The teaching staff are brilliant and have been so helpful and supportive of Kensington Brass, an ensemble I play in, which is made entirely from RCM students and alumni.” Stephen Calow undergraduate tuba player

RCM brass players have joined the BBC Symphony Orchestra for BBC Proms rehearsals, as part of the sit-in scheme for postgraduate students on the specialist orchestral pathway. Under the direction of Mark Armstrong, the RCM Big Band has performed at the London Jazz Festival, held at London’s Southbank Centre. The faculty has welcomed a number of high-profile visitors to give masterclasses at the RCM including trumpeters Alison Balsom, Matthias Höfs and Anthony Plog, horn players Radovan Vlatkovic and Alessio Allegrini, tuba players Sergio Carolino and Øystein Baadsvik, trombonists Jörgen van Rijen and Matthew Gee.

www.rcm.ac.uk/brass

Head of Brass Nigel Black FRCM Prince Consort Professor of Trumpet Håkan Hardenberger Prince Consort Professor of Trombone Christian Lindberg Ensemble in Residence London Brass Brass Band in Residence Zone One Brass Horn Nigel Black FRCM Jeffrey Bryant FRAM, FCSM Susan Dent ARCM, DipRCM Philip Eastop ARAM Timothy Jones Simon Rayner ARCM John Ryan BMus(Hons), GSMD Natural Horn Susan Dent ARCM, DipRCM Roger Montgomery BA(Hons), GSMD Trumpet Mark Calder DRSAMD Andrew Crowley ARCM Michael Laird FRCM (visiting professor) Alistair Mackie Alan Thomas

Jazz Trumpet (Second or Related Study only) Martin Shaw GRSM, LRAM Lead Trumpet (Second or Related Study only) Mike Lovatt GTCL, LTCL Natural Trumpet Neil Brough ARCM Tenor Trombone Byron Fulcher GGSM Roger Harvey MA (Oxon) Graham Lee AGSM Lindsay Shilling ARCM Bass Trombone Peter Harvey ARCM David Stewart GGSM Jazz Trombone (Second or Related Study only) Richard Edwards Lead Trombone (Second or Related Study only) Richard Edwards Tuba Owen Slade Eleftherios Tsarmaklis

“I have been very lucky to have spent the last two years with the best teachers and also peers which to me were the most important part of where I wanted to continue my studies. The RCM is a fantastic learning environment and prepares you in every way to be a professional musician.” Catherine Knight postgraduate trumpeter

FACULTIES

Composition The RCM Composition Faculty aims to build and sustain students’ confidence and strength within their chosen fields, be it composition for the concert hall or composition for screen. Composers are offered a wholly exceptional performance environment in which they have the opportunity to hear their compositions played by resident and visiting musicians, RCM orchestras, ensembles and fellow students of the highest technical and musical ability.

Key Features Composition at the RCM is about a partnership – between talented composers who want to write and gifted instrumentalists who want to perform. “Being a composer today is about having the confidence and the strength to be yourself – realising your own personal ideas and creating your own individual music.”

You will have the opportunity to hear performances of your own works – in concert or on film, in class, workshop, studio and live performance by fellow students and by professional ensembles.

Watch a series of films scored by the very best of the current crop of RCM Composition for Screen composers. ww.rcm.ac.uk/composition/ w compositionforscreen/films

Individual lessons and visits from established composers of concert and film music provide an unrivalled opportunity for you to nurture and to develop your creative and technical skills as well as your own compositional voice.

William Mival Head of Composition

Recent Highlights Hear more from William at www.rcm.ac.uk/ williammival Get in touch at composition@rcm.ac.uk

RCM composers have regularly collaborated with artistic organisations in London and beyond. Recent projects include providing soundtracks to two sculpture exhibitions at the Royal British Society of Sculptors; writing five brand new dance works for performance by English National Ballet at The Place; and composing new works inspired by the blockbuster Sensing Spaces architectural exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts.

From photography and sculpture to painting and even perfume, RCM composers have been taking inspiration from many diverse non-musical sources. Read about some of the innovative projects they’ve been involved in. www.rcm.ac.uk/composition/highlights

Sensing Spaces at the RA

RCM students have collaborated extensively with RCM performers. Most recently a collaboration with producers Tête à Tête saw RCM composers and performers working together to create and perform brand new short operas. World-leading composers for both concert and film regularly visit the RCM to give talks and classes to student composers. Recent visitors have included Hans Zimmer, David Lang, Ivan Fedele, Karin Rehnqvist, Pascal Dusapin, Howard Shore, Helmut Lachenmann, Hanspeter Kyburz and Debbie Wiseman. RCM composers have regularly won prizes at major international competitions. Recent examples include the Ernst von Siemens Award, the Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize, the Antonin Dvorˇák Composition Competition, the Lord Mayor’s Composition Award, and the European Talent Award at SoundTrack_Cologne.

www.rcm.ac.uk/composition

Head of Composition William Mival MMus, FRCM RCM Research Fellow in Composition Mark-Anthony Turnage FRCM Prince Consort Professor of Composition Colin Matthews OBE, BA, MPhil, DPhil, FRCM Area Leader in Masters Programmes in Composition Jonathan Cole PhD Professors of Composition Dai Fujikura PhD Kenneth Hesketh DipRCM, ARCM Simon Holt FRNCM Joseph Horovitz BMus, MA, FRCM Alison Kay BA, ARCM, MMus, DPhil Haris Kittos BA, MMus, DMus Michael Oliva BA, MA Area Leader in Masters Programmes in Composition for Screen Vasco Hexel BM, MMus Professors of Composition for Screen Howard Davidson ARCM Joseph Horovitz BMus, MA, FRCM Michael Oliva BA, MA Enrica Sciandrone MMus Francis Shaw BMus, GLCM, ALCM Visiting Professor in Music and Multimedia David Burnand BMus, MA

Graduate Destinations Composition graduates have produced commissions for opera, orchestra, TV and film, including the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cleveland and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, the BBC Proms, the London Sinfonietta, Ensemble Modern and Ensemble Intercontemporain. Composition for Screen alumni are working throughout the industry in both Hollywood and the UK, and hold numerous awards including BAFTA Awards, Grammy Awards, Golden Globe Awards and Academy Awards (Oscars).

Selected Alumni Malcom Arnold Benjamin Britten Anne Dudley Gustav Holst Andrew Lloyd Webber Anna Meredith Barrington Pheloung Michael Tippett Mark-Anthony Turnage Ralph Vaughan Williams

On twitter “Studying at RCM gives you this subtle boost of self-confidence that makes you want to try better and harder. It is a pool of incredibly friendly players, always willing to try their best to make your music come alive; a composer’s ultimate dream!” Nathan Stornetta composition for screen graduate

Fantastic masterclass with @michael__price from #Sherlock at @RCMLatest today! What an inspiring dude! Brilliant and funny talk by @RealHansZimmer today @RCMLatest #legend

FACULTIES

Conducting From contemporary composition to large symphony orchestra repertoire, from recording sessions to rehearsals and concerts, conducting students are involved in all aspects of RCM musical life. And with visiting conductors in recent years including Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Jurowski, Sir Roger Norrington and Lorin Maazel, there is the opportunity to learn at first hand from the experience of some of the world’s finest musicians.

Key Features

Recent Highlights

Conductors at the RCM have the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills, with a detailed programme of repertoire study through regular podium time with ensembles across the RCM.

RCM students have been mentored by a number of renowned visiting conductors including John Wilson, Sir Roger Norrington, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Bernard Haitink, Lorin Maazel and Christopher Hogwood.

The two year postgraduate course in orchestral conducting is designed to equip the aspiring conductor with the practical and theoretical skills necessary to progress in this most complex and demanding discipline.

“From clear technique to inspired communication, the conductors at the RCM are taught to develop their own individuality.” Robin O’Neill and Peter Stark Postgraduate conducting professors Get in touch at conducting@rcm.ac.uk

Students gain an all-round understanding of the artistic, psychological, practical and business issues involved in making a career as an orchestral conductor. One unique feature of the course is the work of the two professors, Robin O’Neill and Peter Stark, who bring different but compatible approaches to teaching from the wealth of experience they have in their own fields. Successful students enjoy a great deal of high quality podium time including performances in their own right with full orchestra, as well as orchestral and sectional preparation for visiting international conductors.

RCM students have regularly rehearsed and performed with RCM ensembles including the RCM Philharmonic Orchestra, RCM Symphony Orchestra and various new music ensembles. A recent student-led project included a whole day of events celebrating the colourful music of Brazil, including Villa-Lobos’s celebrated Bachianas brasileiras.

“The very best thing about studying conducting at the RCM is the small number of students accepted onto the course. A student conductor at the RCM is kept extremely busy with a huge amount of podium time.” Robert Hodge conducting graduate

www.rcm.ac.uk/conducting

Undergraduate professor of conducting Natalia Luis-Bassa Postgraduate professors of conducting Robin O’Neill Peter Stark Recent visiting conductors John Wilson Sir Roger Norrington Vladimir Ashkenazy Bernard Haitink Lorin Maazel Christopher Hogwood

Graduate Destinations Conducting graduates are successfully plying their trade across the music world including: Andrew Gourlay as Assistant Conductor of the Halle Orchestra; Rui Pinheiro as Conductor in Association of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra; Graham Ross as Director of Music and Fellow of Clare College Cambridge and co-founder and Principal Conductor of The Dmitri Ensemble; and John Wilson, who rose to public acclaim in 2009 after his appearance at the BBC Proms with his own John Wilson Orchestra.

Alumni Sir Colin Davis Sir Charles Groves Sir Neville Marriner Sir Roger Norrington Leopold Stokowski

“The RCM is a place where your initiative will be valued and where you will be able to organise your own projects as I did with the very successful “Brazilian Day” – a big concert dedicated to Brazilian music.” Marcio da Silva conducting graduate

FACULTIES

Historical Performance Historical Performance provides specialised training in all aspects of historically informed interpretations. Individual lessons are offered on the complete range of period instruments. A full schedule of performing opportunities includes frequent chamber projects and concerts, baroque and classical orchestral projects for both modern and period instruments and regular masterclasses.

Key Features

Recent Highlights

You will attend weekly one-to-one lessons with principal players from major period instrument orchestras as well as soloists and members of well-known ensembles.

Renowned early-music practitioner Christopher Hogwood has conducted the inaugural concert by the RCM Classical Orchestra. The RCM Baroque Chamber Ensemble has travelled to Italy for performances in Frascati, Nemi and Rome.

“We encourage students to make use of all the historical resources on offer working with our outstanding professors across theory and practice, so that they are able to present the music effectively and make a meaningful contribution to the music profession.”

The department also holds regular masterclasses with distinguished visiting international musicians including Dame Emma Kirkby, Michael Chance, Jordi Savall, Christophe Coin, Rachel Podger, Walter van Hauwe, Wilbert Hazelzet, Ketil Haugsand, Melvyn Tan and Matthew Truscott. There are outstanding research and study opportunities including an extensive collection of manuscripts and early printed editions, and a large collection of period instruments (string, wind and brass) and early keyboards housed in the RCM Library and Museum of Music.

World-renowned musicians including Rachel Podger, Jordi Savall and Andrew Manze have given masterclasses at the RCM and videoconference sessions have been held with the Eastman School New York, the Sydney Conservatorium and the Hong Kong Academy.

Professor Ashley Solomon Chair & Head of Historical Performance

See www.rcm.ac.uk/hp/keyfeatures for further details of historical performance classes.

The annual international Festival of Viols has featured concerts, masterclasses and lectures with Paolo Pandolfo, Susanne Heinrich and Fretwork.

Hear more from Ashley at www.rcm.ac.uk/ ashleysolomon Get in touch at historicalperformance@ rcm.ac.uk

RCM Historical Performance students have made frequent appearances on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune programme.

Each year the RCM Baroque Orchestra and RCM Chamber Choir present a programme of Bach Cantatas in the RCM’s Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall. View a selection of images from the most recent concert at www.rcm.ac.uk/hp/ highlights/bachcantatas

www.rcm.ac.uk/hp

Chair & Head of Historical Performance Professor Ashley Solomon ARAM, HonRCM

Woodwind Lisa Beznosiuk GGSM, HonRCM baroque and classical flute

Prince Consort Professor of Historical Performance Sir Roger Norrington CBE, FRCM Chair of Historical Performance Professor Colin Lawson MA (Oxon), MA, PhD, DMus, FRCM, FRNCM, FLCM

Ensemble in Association Florilegium Keyboard Jane Chapman BA, HonRCM, ARCM harpsichord Terence Charlston MA, MMus, FRCO, ARAM harpsichord, clavichord, continuo organ

Geoffrey Govier MMus, DMA, ARCM fortepiano Robert Woolley GRSM, ARCM harpsichord, clavichord, continuo organ

Strings Richard Boothby BMus viola da gamba Claire Bracher MMus viol consort coach Peter Buckoke HonRCM, ARCM baroque double bass

Adrian Butterfield MA, ARCM baroque and classical violin

William Hunt MA violone Reiko Ichise viola da gamba Annette Isserlis ARCM, DipEd baroque and classical viola

Jakob Lindberg ARCM lute, archlute, theorbo, baroque guitar

Catherine Martin viola d’amore, baroque and classical violin

Catherine Rimer MMus, GRNCM, LRAM baroque and classical cello Lucy Russell MA baroque and classical violin Richard Tunnicliffe baroque and classical cello, cello continuo

Rachel Brown baroque and classical flute Julien Feltrin recorder Nancy Hadden BMus, MA renaissance flute Gail Hennessy baroque and classical oboe Colin Lawson MA (Oxon), MA, PhD, DMus, FRCM, FRNCM, FLCM classical clarinet

Maria Martinez Ayerza recorder consort Anthony Robson baroque and classical oboe Barnaby Robson classical clarinet Ashley Solomon ARAM, HonRCM recorder Brass Susan Addison ARCM sackbuts Neil Brough ARCM cornett, natural trumpet Susan Dent ARCM, DipRCM natural horn Roger Montgomery natural horn Anthony George BA, ACPS, AGSM ophicleide and serpent Peter Harvey ARCM, sackbuts David Staff cornett and natural trumpet

“It’s fantastic studying Historical Performance at the Royal College of Music. We are fortunate in being able to receive instrumental lessons and chamber music coaching from the best early music performers in Europe.” Yu-Wei Hu postgraduate flautist

FACULTIES

Keyboard The RCM Keyboard Faculty provides opportunities to experience tuition and masterclasses in a variety of keyboard subjects including Piano, Fortepiano, Harpsichord, Piano Accompaniment, Organ and Jazz piano. Our programmes encourage students to fulfil their own potential and provide opportunities to specialise in a variety of areas including contemporary music and historical performance.

Recent Highlights

As a pianist, you have the opportunity to perform and have lessons on Steinway grand pianos, take part in concerto opportunities with the RCM’s orchestras working with conductors such as Vladimir Ashkenazy and Vladimir Jurowski and perform in venues across London and beyond.

World-renowned pianists such as András Schiff, Alfred Brendel, Murray Perahia, Lang Lang and Mitsuko Uchida have all given masterclasses at the RCM.

“We pride ourselves in being a nurturing faculty, encouraging students to achieve their personal goals and develop the skills to be successful in today’s music profession.”

Key Features

As an organist, you have access to the RCM’s selection of instruments as well as opportunities to play and have lessons on organs outside the RCM, including at the Royal Albert Hall. RCM professors hold positions in important churches, including St Sulpice in Paris, and many organ students hold scholarships while studying, for example at Westminster Abbey or St Martin-in-the-Fields.

Professor Vanessa Latarche Head of Keyboard and Chair of International Keyboard Studies Hear more from Vanessa at www.rcm.ac.uk/ vanessalatarche Get in touch at keyboard@rcm.ac.uk

Recent concerto performances by RCM students have included Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto no 2 conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy, Mozart’s Piano Concerto in C minor conducted by Sir Roger Norrington, and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto no 3 conducted by Martin André. Our annual five-day keyboard festival has featured music for piano, organ and harpsichord, and has been broadcast live on the RCM website.

As a harpsichordist, you are offered individual tuition on a range of outstanding early instruments and many opportunities are provided to study in the RCM Museum of Music. There are also extensive continuo opportunities with soloists, chamber ensembles and the Baroque Orchestra.

RCM pianists have regularly won prizes at major international competitions. Recent examples include First Prizes at the Honens International Piano Competition in Canada; Sheepdrove Intercollegiate Piano Competition in the UK; Nordic International Piano Competition in Sweden; and Louisiana International Piano Competition.

Find out more • Key features of the keyboard course: www.rcm.ac.uk/keyboard/keyfeatures • Historical keyboard studies: www.rcm.ac.uk/hp • Postgraduate piano accompaniment: www.rcm.ac.uk/accompaniment

Each year our organists have gone on tour to France, Germany or the Netherlands, where they have had the chance to perform on a variety of instruments.

Watch a masterclass with renowned pianist András Schiff who visited the RCM to work with leading pianists in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall. www.rcm.ac.uk/andrasschiff

Alumni Celebrated RCM alumni include pianists: Malcolm Binns, Ian Brown, Megumi Fujita, Peter Jablonski, Andrei Korobeinikov, John Lenehan, Malcolm Martineau, Alexander Romanovsky, Howard Shelley, Kathryn Stott and Melvyn Tan harpsichordists Jane Chapman and Sophie Yates; organists Nicholas Danby, Peter Hurford, Nicholas Kynaston, Wayne Marshall, Jane ParkerSmith, Gordon Stewart, Thomas Trotter and Jane Watts.

www.rcm.ac.uk/keyboard Lang Lang

Vladimir Jurowski

Alfred Brendel

Head of Keyboard and Chair of International Keyboard Studies Professor Vanessa Latarche FRCM, HonARAM,

Prince Consort Professor of Piano Accompaniment Roger Vignoles BA, MusB, FRCM, HonRAM

FTCL, LRAM, ARCM

Assistant Head of Keyboard Ian Jones BMus, ARCM, DipRCM Head of Keyboard Technical Services Chris Moulton Prince Consort Professor of Piano Barry Douglas OBE, FRCM Visiting Professor of Piano John Lill CBE, HonDMus, HonDSc, FRCM, FTCL, FLCM

Chair of Advanced Piano Dimitri Alexeev Postgraduate Dip (Moscow Conservatoire)

Professors of Piano Andrew Ball BA, FRCM John Blakely BA, HonRCM, ARAM, ARCO John Byrne Dip (Moscow Conservatoire), ARCM, ARAM, DipRAM, GRNCM, PPRNCM

Nigel Clayton BMus, ARCM Gordon Fergus-Thompson FRCM Norma Fisher FRNCM Sofya Gulyak Niel Immelman FRCM Julian Jacobson MA, GRSM, ARCM Ian Jones BMus, ARCM, DipRCM Vanessa Latarche FRCM, HonARAM, FTCL, LRAM, ARCM Leon McCawley BMus (Curtis Institute), ARCM Hons Ruth Nye Perf Dip (Melbourne), FRCM Dina Parakhina Masters Diploma, Postgraduate Diploma (Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoire) Edna Stern Solisten Dip (Basel) Kathron Sturrock ARCM Ashley Wass BMus, PGDip, ARAM Andrew Zolinsky DipRCM (Performance), DipRCM (Teaching)

Professors of Piano Accompaniment Andrew Ball BA, FRCM John Blakely BA, HonRCM, ARAM, ARCO Elizabeth Burley ARCM, orchestral piano specialist Nigel Clayton BMus, ARCM Julian Jacobson MA, GRSM, ARCM Simon Lepper MA, LRAM, DipRAM, ARAM Kathron Sturrock ARCM Jazz Piano Michael Moran GRSM, ARCM Prince Consort Professor of Organ Dame Gillian Weir DBE, HonDMus, HonFRCO, FRCM

Professors of Organ Sophie-Véronique Cauchefer-Choplin Deux PREMIER PRIX in interpretation, improvisation, harmony, counterpoint (CNSMDP), improvisation specialist David Graham BMus, ARCM, ARCO, professor in charge of organ and improvisation specialist Margaret Phillips FRCO, GRSM, ARCM

Supporting Studies Ian Curror GRSM, FRCO(ChM), ARCM accompaniment

Andrew McCrea BMus, MMus, ARCM, ARCO Visiting Professor of Harpsichord Kenneth Gilbert FRCM Professors of Harpsichord Jane Chapman BA, HonRCM, ARCM Terence Charlston MMus, MA, FRCO, ARAM Robert Woolley GRSM, ARCM Visiting Professor of Fortepiano David Owen Norris MA, FRAM, FRCO Professor of Fortepiano Geoffrey Govier MFA, MMus, DMA, GRSM, ARCM, LTCL

“I’ve only had wonderful experiences during my time here at the RCM. My lessons are always excellent and all the masterclasses and workshops I’ve participated in have given me a huge amount of inspiration.” Jun Ishimura postgraduate pianist

FACULTIES

Percussion The Percussion Faculty currently boasts 27 former students in the UK’s leading orchestras. Although the backbone of teaching still has an orchestral bias, today’s training covers all aspects of percussion activity, enabling you to enter the profession equipped with the musical tools of the trade.

Key Features

Recent Highlights

The RCM Percussion Faculty is based in a purpose-built percussion suite and provides opportunities to experience tuition in world percussion alongside orchestral repertoire.

The annual Festival of Percussion has attracted visits from Stewart Copeland, Pete Lockett, John Riley and Peter Erskine, the BBC Symphony Orchestra Timpani and Percussion sections, as well as representatives from some of the world’s leading percussion organisations.

Each term, students participate in regular faculty performance classes with distinguished visiting international musicians.

“The ethos of the RCM Percussion Faculty is centred around recognising what the profession needs and aspiring to equip students with those essential skills.”

At undergraduate level, first and second year students receive regular lessons on solo marimba, jazz vibraphone, Latin percussion and drum kit, in addition to timpani and percussion. At postgraduate level, the RCM also offers a specialist solo marimba programme. Visit www.rcm.ac.uk/marimba for details.

David Hockings Head of Percussion

Many of the Percussion Faculty staff hold principal positions in major orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

Hear more from David at www.rcm.ac.uk/ davidhockings Get in touch at percussion@rcm.ac.uk

RCM students have travelled to Florence with Serge Vuille, while the RCM’s own percussion quartet PERC’M has performed in Basel with David Hockings. View photos of the RCM Percussion Faculty in action including the 2013 RCM Percussion Festival and a special tour to Italy with the RCM’s ensemble PERC’M. www.rcm.ac.uk/percussion/highlights

“We are very fortunate to have so many world-class players on the teaching staff and visiting for masterclasses, and I have found every lesson during my time here an inspiration.” Louise Goodwin undergraduate percussionist Many high-profile percussionists have given masterclasses at the RCM, including Peter Erskine, Colin Currie, Pius Cheung, David Friedman, Paolo Cimmino, Eric Summat, O Duo, Chris Lamb, Ian Thomas, She-e Wu and Jasmin Kolberg, and 18 times world pipe band champion Jim Kilpatrick, who has trained our Redhocks Drumline. The entire faculty has performed at the annual Percussion Showcase, which in 2013 included solos, duos and performances from the RCM’s in-house percussion ensembles: PERC’M and Red Hocks.

www.rcm.ac.uk/percussion

Head of Percussion David Hockings FRCM, ARCM Timpani Matt Perry MA, DipRCM Andrew Smith LRAM, ARCM Percussion Alex Neal GRSM(Hons), DipRCM Michael Skinner HonRCM, BSc(Hons), FRSA Serge Vuille Sam Walton BMus(Hons), LRAM, ARAM Jazz Vibraphone Anthony Kerr Drum Kit Ralph Salmins AGSM Latin Percussion Hugh Wilkinson BMus(Hons) Marimba Daniella Ganeva LGSM

“The best thing about studying at the RCM is the sheer diversity of musical experiences. With hundreds of concerts each year, you can expect that any musical avenue you wish to explore will not only be open to you, but every effort will be made to encourage and support you to achieve your highest potential.” Joseph Richards postgraduate percussionist

On twitter Absolutely fantastic day at the #RCMPercFest @RCMLatest and seeing and meeting the great John Riley Buzzing for @RCMLatest percussion day on Sunday. John Riley, the percussion section of @BBCSO and the Royal Marines drum corps #awesome

FACULTIES

Strings The String Faculty offers unlimited chamber coaching with international quartets and chamber musicians, performances with conductors such as Bernard Haitink and Vladimir Jurowski, and lessons with international professors. No matter which area of performance you choose, we’ll help you be the best.

Key Features

Recent Highlights

At the heart of your RCM experience is one-toone lessons with world-class professors, many of whose students have a proven record of competition and professional success.

String students have benefited from RCM masterclasses with world-renowned players such as Pinchas Zukerman, Nicola Benedetti, Alina Ibragimova, Lawrence Power, Johannes Goritzki, Natalia Gutman, Paul Ellison, Esko Laine, Marisa Robles and John Williams.

There are opportunities for string players to form their own chamber groups and to benefit from unlimited coaching offered from the RCM’s Quartet in Association (the Sacconi Quartet) while also being able to tap into our unique String Quartet Collective programme, which brings international chamber musicians into the RCM from across the world.

“Be part of the vibrant musical family that is the String Faculty. Tap into creativity and be transformed as a musician.” Mark Messenger Head of Strings Hear more from Mark at www.rcm.ac.uk/ markmessenger

Students are also offered an unparalleled orchestral experience that includes the opportunity to perform with renowned international conductors.

Recent concerto performances by RCM students have included Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Schnittke’s Violin Concerto no 1, Elgar’s Violin Concerto in B minor and Dvorˇák’s Cello Concerto. The RCM String Orchestra and members of the String Faculty have performed at leading London venues including Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre, St Martin-the-Fields and Cadogan Hall. The annual String Faculty Festival – Super String Sunday – has featured some of the RCM’s leading string players and the RCM Quartet in Association, the Sacconi Quartet.

Our on-site workshop and luthier provides maintenance and repair services, as well as rehair facilities and practical advice.

Alumni

Get in touch at strings@rcm.ac.uk

For violinists, violists and cellists there are opportunities to work with professional accompanists to help develop duo skills. There are also specially tailored ensemble opportunities with expert practitioners for double bass, harp and guitar students.

Watch a masterclass with award-winning violinist Nicola Benedetti, who visited the RCM to work with students in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall. www.rcm.ac.uk/nicolabenedetti

Celebrated RCM alumni include: violinists Daniel Hope and Alina Ibragimova; violist Simon Rowland-Jones; cellists Natalie Clein and Julian Lloyd Webber; double bass Kevin Rundel; guitarists Julian Bream and John Williams; harpist Claire Jones; and ensembles the Belcea Quartet, Chilingirian Quartet and Sacconi Quartet. Head of Strings Mark Messenger FRCM, LRAM, ARAM Assistant Head of Strings Gary Ryan GRSMHons, LRAM, LGSMHons, HonARAM

Quartet in Association Sacconi Quartet Resident Luthier David Hume AGSM Consultant Luthier Charles Beare HonRCM

www.rcm.ac.uk/strings

International Artist in Residence Alina Ibragimova Visiting Professors of Violin Peter Herresthal Visiting Professor in Contemporary String Music Lewis Kaplan BS, MS (The Julliard School)

Prince Consort Professor of Cello and International Artist in Residence Johannes Goritzki Professors of Violoncello Alastair Blayden DipRCM (perf), DipRCM (teaching) Alexander Boyarsky Dip and Dip Solo Performance (Gnessin Musical Institute), HonRCM

Professors of Violin Felix Andrievsky FRCM, Dip and Dip Solo Performance (Gnessin Musical Institute) Radu Blidar LMD Natalia Boyarsky Dip and Dip Solo Performance (Gnessin Musical Institute) Michal Cwizewicz DipRCM

Detlef Hahn Lutsia Ibragimova Leonid Kerbel Rubin Academy (Tel Aviv) Berent Korfker Gabrielle Lester Adrian Levine ARAM, FRSA Natalia Lomeiko BMus Mark Messenger FRCM, LRAM, ARAM Susie Mészáros Madeleine Mitchell MMus (Eastman USA), GRSM, ARCM, FRSA

Maciej Rakowski MA, Dip Solo Performance Itzhak Rashkovsky MMus, BMus, FRCM Jan Repko Daniel Rowland Sasha Rozhdestvensky Ani Schnarch ARCM, Artist DipHons (Tel Aviv Muisc Academy) Yuri Zhislin ARCM, DipHons Yossi Zivoni FRCM, FRNCM

Professor of Jazz Violin / Viola Christian Garrick International Chair of Viola Jennifer Stumm Professors of Viola Jonathan Barritt Ida Bryhn Ian Jewel ARCM, HonARAM Susie Mészáros Simon Rowland-Jones Andriy Viytovych Concert Artists Diploma

Thomas Carroll Alexander Chaushian Natalie Clein Hélène Dautry Richard Lester Alice Neary Melissa Phelps ARCM Amanda Truelove ARCM, DipRCM (perf), Konzertexamen Diplom (Dusseldorf)

Visiting Professor of Double Bass Paul Ellison Professors of Double Bass Peter Buckoke HonRCM, ARCM Caroline Emery GTCL, LTCL, CertEd, HonRCM Anthony Hougham LTCL, GTCL Gabriele Ragghianti Enno Senft DipMus (Cologne/Vienna) Neil Tarlton Visiting Professor of Harp Marisa Robles

Professors of Harp Daphne Boden ARCM, FRCM, HonARAM, Premier Prix (Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles), FRSA

Ieuan Jones DipRCM Rachel Masters ARCM Visiting Professor of Guitar John Williams Professors of Guitar Carlos Bonell HonRCM Charles Ramirez ARCM Gary Ryan GRSMHons, LRAM, LGSMHons, HonARAM Chris Stell Professor of Jazz Guitar Milton Mermikides

“I am a hugely passionate chamber musician and therefore the unlimited chamber coaching that the RCM offers is invaluable to me.” Ariana Kashefi RCM cellist and Making Music Young Concert Artist 2013

FACULTIES

Woodwind The RCM Woodwind Faculty boasts an unrivalled roster of professors, who combine careers as eminent performers and passionately dedicated teachers. There are opportunities to play as a soloist, in orchestras and ensembles from the moment you enter the RCM as a first year undergraduate, right through to graduation.

Recent Highlights

At the heart of your RCM experience is one-toone lessons with world-class professors, many of whom are principal players in major orchestras as well as soloists and members of well-known ensembles.

Recent concerto performances by RCM students have included Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto, Ibert’s Flute Concerto, Ivan Fedele’s Clarinet Concerto, and Mendelssohn’s Concert Piece for Clarinet and Basset Horn.

Your schedule will include regular orchestral repertoire classes, solo performance classes, group instrumental classes taken by all the RCM professors for your instrument and chamber coaching.

RCM woodwind students have participated in orchestral performances inside and outside the RCM with great conductors such as Bernard Haitink, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Vladimir Jurowski and Roger Norrington.

You will also attend regular faculty masterclasses with distinguished visiting international musicians. Recent visitors have included Sir James Galway, Jacques Tys, Giorgio Mandolesi, Andrew Marriner and Frank Timpe.

RCM students have given chamber music performances at the Southbank Centre in association with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

“A fundamental part of my role is to provide a supportive and challenging environment. I want to encourage students to find their own voice on their instrument.”

Key Features

Simon Channing Head of Woodwind Hear more from Simon at www.rcm.ac.uk/ simonchanning Get in touch at woodwind@rcm.ac.uk

“From performing under Vladimir Jurowski with the RCM Symphony Orchestra to playing as part of the RCM Big Band at the London Jazz Festival, I’ve had so many diverse performance opportunities here. As a saxophonist, the opportunity to study clarinet and flute alongside my principal study has been really beneficial too.” Amy Green undergraduate saxophonist

RCM musicians have regularly won prizes at major international competitions. Most recently, three out of the four woodwind finalists in the 2014 Royal Overseas League Competition were current or recent RCM students, including the winner, Huw Wiggin.

Alumni Celebrated RCM alumni include: flautist Sir James Galway; oboists Evelyn Barbirolli and Leon Goossens; clarinettists Michael Collins, Dame Thea King, Gervase de Peyer and Frederick Thurston; bassoonists Roger Birnstingl and Archie Camden; saxophonists John Harle and Amy Dickson.

www.rcm.ac.uk/woodwind

Head of Woodwind Simon Channing BA, ARCM, HonRCM Visiting Professor of Recorder Walter van Hauwe Flute Katie Bedford BMus, PGDip (RCM) Simon Channing BA, ARCM, HonRCM Gareth Davies PGDip Susan Milan FRCM Daniel Pailthorpe BA, LRAM Sue Thomas DipRAM, BMus, PPRNCM, GRNCM Jazz Flute Andy Panayi Piccolo (Second or Related Study only) Stewart McIlwham Kathleen Stevenson Baroque Flute Lisa Beznosiuk HonRCM, GGSM Rachel Brown

Baroque and Classical Oboe Gail Hennessy Anthony Robson Clarinet Michael Colins FRCM, HonRAM Peter Davis BA, LRAM, ARCM Robert Hill ARCM, ARAM Janet Hilton FRCM, ARMCM Richard Hosford ARCM, DipRCM (perf) Timothy Lines ARCM, DipRCM Barnaby Robson AGSM E Flat Clarinet (Second or Related Study only) Peter Davis BA, ARCM, LRAM Timothy Lines ARCM, DipRCM Bass Clarinet (Second or Related Study only) Michael Harris ARCM FRCM Paul Richards GRSM Classical Clarinet Colin Lawson MA (Oxon), MA, PhD, DMus, FRCM, FRNCM, FLCM

Visiting Professor of Recorder Walter van Hawe Recorder Julien Feltrin MMus Maria Martinez Ayerza BMus, MMus, ARAM Ashley Solomon ARAM, HonRCM Prince Consort Professor of Oboe Jacques Tys Oboe John Anderson ARCM Gareth Hulse MA, ARCM David Theodore FRAM, FGSM Fabien Thouand MMus Cor Anglais (Second or Related Study only) Jane Marshall AGSM Christine Pendrill

Saxophone Kyle Horch BMus, MMu, HonRCM Martin Robertson ARCM, DipRCM Bassoon Joost Bosdijk BMus (Royal Conservatoire, The Hague) Sarah Burnett MA, DipRAM, LRAM Andrea di Flamineis Martin Gatt HonFGSM, ARCM, FRCM Robin Kennard ARCM, AGSM Julie Price GRNCM, PPRNCM Contrabassoon (Second or Related Study only) Martin Field ARAM

“The quality of teaching available here is amazing. On top of my regular one-to-one lessons, I’ve really enjoyed having group sessions with other bassoonists, and getting to grips with big orchestral pieces in wind section classes.” Miriam Levenson postgraduate bassoonist

FACULTIES

Vocal Studies

Incorporating the RCM International Opera School The Vocal Faculty provides RCM singers with a unique training programme that is both innovative and highly relevant. Responding to a flexible and ever-changing artistic landscape, the faculty consistently achieves its goal of equipping emerging artists with all the vocal and interpretative skills required for a successful singing career. The RCM’s reputation for producing outstanding international vocal artists is unsurpassed.

Recent Highlights

As a member of the RCM Vocal Faculty you will receive extensive one-to-one tuition with members of our internationally acclaimed team of vocal professors, repertoire and operatic coaches. Comprehensive class provision includes lessons in art song, oratorio, stagecraft, acting, movement, and language coaching with specialist providers.

RCM singers consistently win major prizes at international singing competitions including BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, the Kathleen Ferrier Awards, the Royal Over-Seas League Singing Competition, the Maggie Teyte Competition and the Cesti International Singing Competition.

“In the RCM Vocal Faculty we foster a supportive environment which encourages individual excellence and self-expression.”

Key Features

Nicholas Sears Head of Vocal Studies

There are opportunities to take part in the faculty’s international masterclass series, and in regular collaborations with the RCM Composition and Historical Performance faculties.

Hear more from Nicholas at www.rcm.ac.uk/ nicholassears

The faculty presents three fully-staged operatic productions per year, including one in collaboration with the London Handel Festival conducted by Laurence Cummings, which are attended by international press and agents. In addition, the faculty presents fully staged and costumed opera scenes in the exquisite Britten Theatre as well as a number of individually tailored vocal and artistic projects led by outstanding artists and innovative practitioners.

Get in touch at vocalstudies@rcm.ac.uk

There are numerous opportunities for external work provided by our extensive contacts within the music business, with additional engagements provided by RCM’s renowned Woodhouse Professional Development Centre.

Watch a masterclass with renowned baritone Gerald Finley who visited the RCM to work with students in the Britten Theatre. www.rcm.ac.uk/geraldfinley

RCM graduates regularly progress onto internationally renowned Young Artist Programmes including: Houston Grand Opera Studio, Bayerische Opera Studio, Frankfurt Opera Ensemble, Theater an der Wien, Jette Parker ROH, Jardin de Voix, Opéra du Rhin, ENO Harewood Young Artists and the National Opera School. RCM singers frequently perform principal roles on the world’s greatest operatic stages including the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Theater an der Wien, Deutsche Opera, Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Opéra Bastille and the Metropolitan Opera New York. Recent visiting artists giving masterclasses at the RCM include: Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Gerald Finley, Simon Keenlyside, Sarah Connolly CBE, Sir John Tomlinson, Dame Anne Evans, Christine Brewer, Barry Banks, Patricia Bardon, Susan Bullock, Ann Murray DBE, Brindley Sherratt, Larry Zazzo, Rosemary Joshua, Sarah Walker CBE, Edith Wiens and Roderick Williams. Recent directors for operatic productions, scenes and projects include: John Copley OBE, Paul Curran, Jo Davies, David Fielding, Lee Blakely, Jean-Claude Auvray, James Conway, Liam Steele, Tim Carroll, Donald Maxwell, Iain Burnside, Bill Bankes Jones, Alessandro Talevi and Stephen Fry. The RCM collaborates regularly with English Touring Opera, the London Handel Festival and Tête à Tête.

www.rcm.ac.uk/vocal

Head of Vocal Studies Nicholas Sears MA, FRCM Prince Consort Professor of Singing Sarah Walker CBE Professors Graeme Broadbent DipRCM, Diplomé (Moscow Conservatoire)

Sally Burgess ARCM, FRCM Roderick Earle MA Tim Evans-Jones Eiddwen Harrhy FWCMD, ARNCM, FRSA, FRCM Dinah Harris ARCM Janis Kelly DRSAMD Justin Lavender AGSM Rosa Mannion BA Stephen Roberts GRSM, ARCM Elizabeth Robson JP, DRSAM Amanda Roocroft FRNCM Patricia Rozario OBE, BA, AGSM, FRCM Peter Savidge MA Lucy Schaufer Brindley Sherratt Russell Smythe AGSM Jeffrey Stewart AGSM Mark Tucker MA, DipGSM Repertoire Classes Patrizia Dina Italian Richard Jackson MA Lieder & French Norbert Meyn Dip Hochschule für Musik “Franz Liszt” (Weimar) LGSM Lieder Stephen Roberts GRSM, ARCM Oratorio & English Song Andrew Robinson Lieder & French Song Stephen Varcoe MA Performance class & English Song Roger Vignoles BA, MusB, FRCM, HonRCM Duos

Speech and Language Classes Daniele Guerra ARCM Italian Christine Legge Speech Johanna Mayr MagPhil, DipTrans, MIL German Sonja Nerdrum HonRCM French Paola Quaglia Italian Vocal Repertoire Coaching John Blakely BA, HonRCM, ARAM, ARCO John Fraser BMus, ARCM Christopher Glynn MA, ARAM, ARCO Simon Lepper MA (Cantab), LRAM, DipRAM, ARAM Gary Matthewman Christopher Middleton GGSM Andrew Robinson DipRCM Stephen Varcoe MA Stephen Wilder GRSM, ARCM Movement Kate Flatt movement co-ordinator Desirée Kongerød Marishka Tharani Stagecraft and Acting Lucy Schaufer Tom Fahy

Selected Alumni Sir Thomas Allen Sophie Bevan Alfie Boe Sarah Connolly CBE Dame Anne Evans Gerald Finley Jacques Imbrailo Neil Jenkins Ben Johnson Della Jones Dame Gwyneth Jones Rosemary Joshua Andrew Kennedy Jonathan Lemalu Dame Joan Sutherland Elizabeth Watts Catherine Wyn-Rogers Lawrence Zazzo

FACULTIES

www.rcm.ac.uk/operaschool

RCM International Opera School The RCM International Opera School is one of the world’s leading training centres for opera. It presents three fully-staged operatic productions a year, including one in collaboration with the London Handel Festival, which are attended by international press and agents. Many of our students move straight into young artist schemes at the world’s leading opera houses, or directly into fully fledged careers.

“The Opera School offers operatic training at the highest level for performers from around the globe, and many of the world’s leading singers have passed through our doors.” Michael Rosewell Director of Opera Get in touch at opera@rcm.ac.uk

On twitter Really enjoyed working on scenes with students from @RCMLatest all day today. Lots of talent, open-minded, well prepared and intense performers. Kasper Holten, Director of Opera for The Royal Opera

Director of Opera Michael Rosewell FRCM

Jonathan Kenny early music specialist Roy Laughlin international opera coach Michael Lloyd formerly Staff Conductor,

Assistant Director of Opera Christopher Middleton

Christopher Middleton formerly Royal Opera

Head of Vocal Faculty Nicholas Sears MA, FRCM Visiting Professor Dame Kiri Te Kanawa DBE Vocal Faculty and Opera School Manager Ann Somerville Production Manager and Technical Director Paul Tucker Costume Supervisor Jools Osborne Music Staff John Constable formerly Royal Opera music staff and international coach Laurence Cummings Musical Director, London Handel Society, Music Director of the Göttingen Handel Festival David Drummond formerly Scottish Opera Martin Fitzpatrick Head of Music Staff, English National Opera Lionel Friend formerly Senior Staff Conductor for English National Opera, Head of Opera, Birmingham Conservatoire John Gibbons conductor and opera coach David Gowland Director of the Jette Parker Programme at the Royal Opera Philip Headlam conductor and opera coach Richard Hetherington vocal consultant to the Jette Parker Programme at the Royal Opera Miah Im LA Opera Alex Ingram formally Staff Conductor, English National Opera

English National Opera music staff

Natalie Murray formerly Welsh National Opera music staff Martin Pacey vocal coach, English National Opera Michael Pollock international opera coach, formerly Welsh National Opera Ian Page Classical Opera Jane Robinson Head of Training, English National Opera and Vocal Director, Opera Works Peter Robinson Artistic Director, British Youth Opera Michael Rosewell Music Director, English Touring Opera, and formerly Vienna State Opera and National Theatre Mannheim music staff Peter Selwyn conductor and coach, formerly Royal Opera and Bayreuth music staff and Head of Music, Nuremberg Opera Philip Sunderland conductor and opera coach David Syrus Head of Music Staff, Royal Opera Roger Vignoles international accompanist and vocal coach Language Coaches Maria Cleva, Isabella Radcliffe, Paola Quaglia Italian Norbert Meyn/Hildburg Williams German Michel Vallat French Movement Kate Flatt movement co-ordinator Desirée Kongerød Stagecraft and Acting James Bonas Find out more about vocal and opera performance opportunities at the RCM on pages 12, 46 and 47.

www.rcm.ac.uk/courses

Academic Programmes Our current degree programmes aim to create professional musicians with high-level practical skills who are flexible, thoughtful and well-informed about music and the opportunities available within the profession. Your development as a performer or composer lies at the heart of these programmes. We have shaped these in ways that allow scope for both flexibility and specialisation to help you prepare for the ever widening demands of the music profession. 50 52 54 56

Undergraduate Programmes Masters Programmes Post-Masters Programmes Academic Staff

ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES

Undergraduate Programmes The RCM’s undergraduate programmes include the BMus(Hons) degree, a BSc in Physics and Musical Performance and a range of Experience Programmes. The BMus(Hons) balances training in solo, chamber and orchestral performance with critical enquiry into music past and present: the study of music in context, contemporary cultures and a range of courses developing practical and applied skills.

Bachelor of Music: BMus(Hons)

“An undergraduate programme at the Royal College of Music gives you the creativity and skills to begin planning and developing a sustainable career in music.” Dr Elisabeth Cook Head of Academic Development & Taught Programmes

Principal Study As an undergraduate student on the BMus(Hons) you will have weekly lessons on your Principal Study (your main instrument, voice or composition). There are also opportunities to study instruments related to your Principal Study – jazz trumpet for trumpeters, baroque flute for flautists, for example. Second Study tuition is available (auditions are held when you begin your BMus) and students with an equally high level of ability in two areas may follow Joint Principal Studies. Faculty Activities Faculty-based activities include regular performance classes, orchestral training, chamber music and duo coaching, language classes (singers), music technology (composers) and improvisation (organists). Masterclasses and workshops are offered in all areas, including period instruments, and the RCM Chorus performs each year. Course Modules Core modules in the first two years cover historical and stylistic studies, aural and practical musicianship, music education, Alexander Technique and wellbeing for musicians. In years 3 and 4 a comprehensive range of options allows you to specialise in individual areas of interest and expertise, taking advantage of the unique curriculum resources offered by the RCM Studios, RCM Sparks and RCM Centre for Performance Science.

Exchange Opportunities As part of your RCM studies, there are exchange opportunities to study abroad with leading international conservatoires. Undergraduate students can spend all or part of their third year on exchange in the USA or Australia, and students often study in Europe for a term in their third or fourth years. Your Degree At the end of the programme, graduating students are awarded the internationally recognised BMus(Hons) degree under the RCM’s own Royal Charter. Find out more Further details of our undergraduate programmes are available online at www.rcm.ac.uk/ undergraduate including a full list of modules and the learning, teaching and assessment within these. “The BMus programme completely exceeded my expectations both academically and practically. The ‘Art of Teaching’ was my favourite module, and subsequently I enrolled on the RCM teaching service.” Georgina Sutton undergraduate pianist

www.rcm.ac.uk/courses

“Over the four years of my undergraduate study here at RCM I have been both challenged and rewarded in equal measure and gained a higher level of respect for both my instrument and the wider world of classical music.” Danny Holland undergraduate guitarist

BSc(Hons) in Physics and Music Performance This programme is taken over four years full-time and is taught jointly with Imperial College London. The programme combines advanced performance training and related musical studies with all the components of an honours degree in physics. See page 63 for the application procedure or visit www3.imperial.ac.uk/ugprospectus.

Experience Programmes in London The RCM runs a number of programmes for those who have already achieved a high standard and want to widen their musical experience: ap Year Experience Programmes: for • G talented young musicians who want to take a gap year before starting an undergraduate programme elsewhere unior Year or Semester Experience • J Programmes: for North American, Asian or other overseas students who want to experience studying and living in London during their junior year Each programme is arranged on an individual basis. Find out more at www.rcm.ac.uk/experienceprogrammes.

“One of the great things about the RCM is that no two days are alike, due to the wide variety of performance projects and classes that are offered. Personally, I have enjoyed the huge range of music that I have been able to study and perform, from film soundtracks and world premieres, to Bach on historical instruments.” Sophie Clayton undergraduate flautist

ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES

Masters Programmes The RCM is home to a lively community of postgraduate students. Our Masters programmes in performance and composition have a strong emphasis on one-to-one tuition on your Principal Study instrument, and also offer you the opportunity to undertake a Second Study (for example the historical equivalent of your Principal Study instrument). Our MSc in Performance Science offers performers and researchers the chance to develop a deep understanding of this increasingly important field of study.

MPerf, MComp & MMus Our Masters programmes are designed to prepare you for the music profession. They encourage you to develop your creative personality as a musician, and to benefit from our highly distinguished and experienced team of professors.

Who are they for? Our MPerf or MMus in Performance are for instrumentalists, conductors and singers. Our MComp or MMus in Composition are for composers and composers for screen. With their strong emphasis on Principal Study, the MPerf and MComp programmes are for higher level performers preparing to enter the music profession. The MMus programmes are intended for those who are aiming for careers that require more extensive academic experience alongside highlevel performance or composition skills.

About the programmes The RCM’s Masters programmes are highly flexible, and allow you to develop a programme of study that is unique to you. These programmes can be taken over two years full-time or three years part-time. The MMus in Performance and MMus in Composition can exceptionally be taken fast-track in one calendar year. The RCM offers Masters programmes in the following areas: • Brass • Conducting • Composition and Composition for Screen • Keyboard (including Contemporary Piano and Piano Accompaniment/Repetiteur) • Percussion (including Solo Marimba) • Strings • Voice • Woodwind All Masters students take part in a number of faculty-based classes and activities (see the faculty pages for more information). In addition, students choose from a wide range of options, such as: ensemble performance, orchestral performance, historical performance, conducting, analysis, composition for screen, orchestration, pop song writing, participatory music education, new media, musicians’ health and wellbeing, the psychology of performance. For a full list of options visit the website. MMus students also prepare a Research Project and a Critical Portfolio in the research areas of Composition, Composition for Screen, Performance Practice or Performance Science. Further details are available online at www.rcm.ac.uk/mastersprogrammes.

www.rcm.ac.uk/courses

MSc in Performance Science This innovative programme enables you to develop a robust understanding of the science of musical performance. Drawing on the expertise and facilities of the RCM Centre for Performance Science, you will gain the critical and analytical skills necessary to conduct high quality practical work and independent research in this field.

Who is it for? The programme benefits anyone who is motivated to gain a scientific understanding of how music is performed, taught, created and perceived, including performers and educators aiming to progress their current careers through continuing professional development. Equally, the programme serves as an ideal base for those wishing to pursue doctoral research and/or teaching in performance science, music psychology or musiciansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; health, or in any area in which knowledge of scientific methods and techniques would be an advantage.

About the programme The programme challenges students to examine the physical and mental demands of practising and playing in real-world performance, educational and professional contexts through taught modules on Performance Psychology, Performance Education, and Performance Health and Wellbeing. There are also Performing Research modules designed to help you keep abreast of the latest developments and research methods in performance science. You will complete an independent research project, applying knowledge and experience informed and shaped by practical, theoretical and ethical considerations. Assessment is by a combination of coursework essays, oral presentations, written examinations and in-depth research reports. This programme can be taken over one year full-time or two years part-time. Further details are available online at www.rcm.ac.uk/msc.

Other Awards The PGDip is offered for instrumentalists, conductors, singers and composers who have completed one year of a two-year full-time Masters programme. The Graduate Diploma for Vocal Performance is offered for Non-EU and UK/EU vocal students, as a bridge to postgraduate study, who have an alternative to a music degree or come from a non-conservatoire environment.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our Masters programmes are designed to prepare you for the music profession. They encourage you to develop your creative personality as a musician, and to benefit from our highly distinguished and experienced team of professors.â&#x20AC;? Dr Elisabeth Cook Head of Academic Development & Taught Programmes

ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES

Post-Masters Programmes For students who have already attained Masters level, our range of post-masters programmes offer the opportunity for in-depth study. Our Artist Diploma is for performers and composers who want to develop their art at the highest level, while our DMus and PhD programmes are for performers, composers and researchers who wish to engage in practice-based research within the RCMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique inspirational environment.

Artist Diploma These courses represent the highest level of non research-based postgraduate study.

Who are they for? They are aimed at musicians wishing to hone their skills by working intensively on particular areas of their artistic development, and are offered to students who have already demonstrated a high level of ability at Masters level. They focus on one-to-one provision and practical project work, as suited to your particular career aspirations.

The Artist Diploma in Performance is designed for students who wish to work intensively on solo performance as a prelude to entering the music profession. It provides time for preparation of concerts, recitals and competitions, under the guidance of the RCMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Principal Study staff and instrumental faculty specialists. The Artist Diploma in Opera is designed for students with the potential to become professional operatic singers. The programme is rich in individual and class provision as well as performance opportunities through operatic scenes and fully-staged operatic productions.

The RCM offers Artist Diplomas in the following areas: Opera, Performance, Chamber Music and Composition.

The role of the RCM International Opera School

About the programmes

Most class-based postgraduate vocal study takes place within the RCM International Opera School. In addition to two sets of opera scenes in spring and summer terms, the School mounts three fully-staged productions annually. Operatic repertoire is chosen to cater for the specific needs of singers studying on the Artist Diploma in Opera although Masters students are frequently invited to audition for roles in the RCMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s critically acclaimed opera productions.

The Artist Diploma in Chamber Music offers the opportunity for a pre-formed chamber ensemble to engage in one year of concentrated study. The programme encourages the development of ensemble skills and repertoire knowledge through a variety of different disciplines, both traditional and more exploratory, including improvisation, harmonic and structural awareness. The Artist Diploma in Composition is designed for students wishing to work intensively on the technique and practice of composition as a prelude to professional activity as a composer. It provides time for concentrated study with a principal study composition teacher, or teachers, and enables sustained focus on a project or projects leading to final examination in the form of a portfolio submission of work.

Find out more about the Artist Diplomas at www.rcm.ac.uk/artistdiploma.

www.rcm.ac.uk/courses

DMus or PhD The RCMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s doctoral awards are specialist research degrees that particularly encourage research in the areas of performance, composition, musicology and performance science. This programme can be taken over three to four years full-time, or five to six years part-time.

Who are they for? The DMus is aimed at performers and composers who wish to explore research questions arising directly from their artistic practice. You will be expected to include practical work in addition to a written commentary, whether a composition or a performance portfolio. The PhD is a research degree that foregrounds musicological and scientific approaches to performance and composition. You will be expected to offer a written dissertation, with supporting practical work if appropriate to the topic.

About the programme As a research degree candidate, you will work with at least two supervisors in addition to attending group tutorials and seminars. The RCMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distinctive areas of research interest and resources are outlined in the Research section of the website. To be admitted onto the programme, you will need to demonstrate a familiarity with existing theoretical and practical aspects of your topic area. There should also be a close match between your intended project and expertise of staff at the RCM. If you are interested in pursuing your research interests at the RCM, please contact Dr Natasha Loges, Assistant Head of Programmes at researchdegrees@rcm.ac.uk. The RCM has a dynamic and mixed community of researchers. Visit www.rcm.ac.uk/research to find out more.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES

Academic Staff

Head of Academic Development & Taught Programmes Dr Elisabeth Cook BMus, MBA, PhD, HonRCM, PGCE, FRGS

Assistant Head of Programmes Dr Natasha Loges BMus, MMus, PhD Academic Staff Mark Armstrong BA, LGSM David Bahanovich BMus, MMus, MBA Dr Amy Blier-Carruthers BMus(Hons), MMus, PhD, LRAM

Andrew Bottrill GGSM Peter Buckoke HonRCM, ARCM Terence Charlston MA, MMus, FRCO, ARAM Dr Jean-Philippe Calvin MM, DMA Dr Jonathan Cole MMus, PhD Ben Connellan Miranda Francis BMus, LRAM, ARCM, PGCE Dr Geoffrey Grovier MMus, GRSM (Hons), DMA, MFA, ARCM, LTCL

David Graham BMus, ARCM, ARCO Dr Katy Hamilton BA(Hons), MA, DMus, LRSM Kenneth Hesketh DipRCM, MMus, ARCM(PG) Ivan Hewett MMus Vasco Hexel BM, MMus Dr Alison Kay BA, ARCM, MMus, DPhil Dr Haris Kittos BMus, BA, MMus, PGA Judith Kleinman STAT, GRSM Professor Richard Langham Smith BA(Hons), Chevalier de l’ordre des arts et des lettres, FRSA

Professor Colin Lawson MA(Oxon), MA, PhD, DMus, FRCM, FRNCM, FLCM

Dr Tania Lisboa BMus, PGDip, MA, PhD Natalia Luis-Bassa BMus, PGDip, MMus Richard Lyne BMus, GRSM, MA, FRSA, ARCO, ARCM Dr Robert Manning BMus, PhD, HonRCM, ARCO, CertEd(FAE) Andrew McCrea BMus, MMus, ARCM, ARCO Dr Anna McCready GRSM, MMus, PhD William Mival MMus, FRCM Michael Oliva BA, MA Dr Ingrid Pearson BMus (Hons), PhD, DipEd, LTCL, LMusA Dr Jonathan Pitkin MA, MMus, DMus David Rees MA Dr Paul Robinson BA, MA, PhD Dr Jane Roper MMus, PhD Gary Ryan GRSM, HonARAM, LRAM, LGSM Dr Matthew Shlomowitz BMus, MMus, DMA Professor Ashley Solomon HonRCM, ARAM Dr Wiebke Thormählen BMus, MMus, MA, PhD, PGDip, LTCL Tim Watts MA, MMus Professor Aaron Williamon BA, BSc, PhD, HonRCM

Eric Wilson

www.rcm.ac.uk/research

Research Originality and innovation are key elements in the RCMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s musical and academic profile. Our broad definition of research across theory and practice encompasses ground-breaking investigation that leads to enhanced knowledge and new insights.

58 Contemporary Musics 59 Performance, Practice and Sources 59 Performance Science 60 Environment 60 Resources

RESEARCH

Research at the RCM The Royal College of Music is one of the world’s leading conservatoires, with a strong commitment to and bold vision for research and innovation across both theory and practice.

The RCM has a dynamic and mixed community of researchers, involved in pure and applied research, as well as aspects of professional practice. This diversity of work can be grouped under three thematic banners: “The distinctiveness of the conservatoire research environment is that the benefits of new knowledge can be tested immediately in performance and with audiences. Research here takes place not in the ivory tower but in the concert hall.” Professor Colin Lawson Director of the RCM Find out more at www.rcm.ac.uk/ research Get in touch at researchdegrees @rcm.ac.uk

• Contemporary Musics • Performance, Practices and Sources • Performance Science These priorities bring together theory and practice to encourage innovation and creativity, and generate a stimulating environment for all staff and students. The RCM is fortunate to have research leaders in composition, performance and musicology who have been successful in developing these distinctive research areas across the RCM.

Contemporary Musics Led by the RCM’s Composition Faculty and drawing on state-of-the-art studio facilities, the RCM hosts a dynamic community of researchers investigating:

Composer-performer collaborations RCM performers are well known for their work in contemporary music, including collaborative practice with contemporary composers. Composers with significant track records in rethinking, transforming and recasting the genres of Western Art music work in direct collaboration and interaction with performers and performing groups at the highest artistic level.

Interaction with new media and technological innovation The RCM Studios have encouraged extensive research into the creative potential of new music technologies, and in particular how new tools can interact with new creative uses. The RCM is renowned for its engagement with the processes of electro-acoustic music, from artistic, technical and aesthetic perspectives.

www.rcm.ac.uk/research

Performance, Practices and Sources The RCM’s unrivalled Special Collections both enable and inspire research, illuminating the contexts in which music is created and performed. Through the leadership of RCM Director Colin Lawson, supported by the Head of Historical Performance and the Research Fellow in Performance Practice, the RCM is engaged in research into:

Performance practice The RCM has a strong reputation for reinterpreting the past for the present through high-level practical exploration, whether in concerts or recordings. Many RCM professors are performer-researchers working from historical sources – including instruments, manuscripts and early printed editions, treatises, or historical accounts – to invigorate and illuminate practice.

Music-making: past, present and future As a complement to its outstanding collections, RCM researchers interrogate the business of instrument building, of music publishing and editing, and of concert programming and recording. This burgeoning area of research into current trends in the music profession links directly with the RCM’s Woodhouse Professional Development Centre. “My own research interests lie in the Stylus Phantasticus repertoire of early 17th-century Italy and central Europe. I am particularly focusing on the performer’s relationship with the printed score, and the relevance of modern performance values to music of this period. Because my research is based in performance practice, it is absolutely ideal to be studying in an environment where there are such strong links between musical theory and practice.” Isobel Clarke doctoral student in performance, practices and sources

Performance Science The Centre for Performance Science is the engine for empirical research at the RCM, equipped with a state-of-the-art performance laboratory. It delivers research projects that intersect directly with issues relevant to performing musicians, as demonstrated through its close links with the institution’s undergraduate and postgraduate programmes (including the MSc in Performance Science). The Centre for Performance Science has developed pioneering quantitative and qualitative approaches to studying:

Musicians’ health and wellbeing The RCM has led many projects and symposia on vital questions of how to enhance the wellbeing and self-efficacy of musicians, as well as how to manage performance-related stress and ill health. This has led to several high-profile collaborations with partners across the arts and the medical sciences, including the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine, London’s Science Museum and the medical faculties of Imperial College and University College London.

Musical development and performance education Drawing on the RCM’s own teaching environment, researchers from the Centre for Performance Science are involved with casting new light on how musicians learn and how to measure success in performance, using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. This had led to new strategies for skills training and life-long learning in music, and will carry on being employed to enhance pedagogical practice at the RCM, in other conservatories and wider afield.

“I’m particularly interested in research pertaining to music performance anxiety (MPA), in particular the applied psychophysiology of MPA, which is the main focus of my PhD. Now in my third year at RCM I can say that the biggest pleasure I derive from my research is working with music students who are incredibly passionate and curious.” Lisa Aufegger doctoral student in performance science

RESEARCH

Watch a short video of performer-researcher Randall Scotting as he sources, edits and performs from rare manuscripts from the RCM Special Collections. w ww.rcm.ac.uk/ randall

Environment

Resources

The RCM’s research environment is internationally distinctive due to its longstanding connections with the music profession and the many leading musicians on its staff. Life at the RCM is permeated with activity in performance and composition that represents professional practice at the highest level. The presence of a large, talented community of practitioners provides one of our most valued research assets.

RCM research is supported through specialist facilities and state-of-the-art equipment and resources.

Research at the RCM is multifaceted and multidisciplinary. It is embedded within an environment in which ideas are tested across the boundaries of arts and science, and theory and practice. Moreover, the research context is wholly collegiate; staff, students and visiting practitioners and scholars discuss and debate research with fervour, often leading to collaborative projects and outputs.

The RCM’s internationally significant Special Collections are housed chiefly in the RCM Library and Museum of Music. These materials form the most wide-ranging and substantial research resource relating to the history of music held by a UK conservatoire. The RCM Studios are equipped with the latest audio and composition technologies, which function in a fully-professional studio environment. Additionally, portable video-conferencing equipment is frequently used to facilitate research collaborations and events. The RCM Centre for Performance Science runs a performance laboratory, including its distinctive Performance Simulator, complete with hardware and software for conducting a wide range of empirical research.

How to get involved There are many ways to get involved in research at the RCM, including Doctoral Study (see page 55) and accessing the wealth of resources in our Special Collections. We also hold regular events including the Grove Forum, which is designed to foster lively debates about music across the boundaries of arts, science, theory and practice. If you’re interested in pursuing your research interests at the RCM, please contact us at researchdegrees@rcm.ac.uk

www.rcm.ac.uk/apply

How to Apply This section takes you through what you need to think about when applying to the RCM. Full information on entry criteria, audition requirements, deadlines, fees and the online application procedure are available at www.rcm.ac.uk/apply. If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find the answer to your question here or online please contact us on 020 7591 4362 or at admissions@rcm.ac.uk and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be very pleased to hear from you. 62 63 64 65 66

Open Days and Tours Applying to the RCM Auditions Money Matters Application Checklist

HOW TO APPLY

Open Days and Tours

Can’t wait for Open Day? Watch our short trailer designed to give you a taste of some of the musical activities taking place both onstage and behind the scenes at the RCM every day. www.rcm.ac.uk/ virtualopenday

Our prospectus and website will tell you everything you need to know about studying at the RCM, but the best way to discover what life is truly like here is to visit us. Join us each spring for our free annual Open Day, designed to give prospective students, parents and teachers the chance to ‘access all areas’ and experience all kinds of live music, introductions to the faculties, plus a wide range of open lessons and rehearsals. The day starts at 11.00am and we encourage you to come from the start. Our 2014 Open Day is on Wednesday 30 April. Information on our 2015 Open Day will appear on our website at www.rcm.ac.uk/openday from January 2015.

If you can’t come to Open Day, you may like to consider a personal tour. Tours are held throughout term time except in examination weeks, and must be booked in advance. They usually last an hour and precede or follow one of our regular lunchtime concerts. The tour telephone booking number is +44 (0)20 7591 4867/4310. There is no charge for tours, but places are subject to availability. Regular tour days are: • Tuesdays 2.00pm – 3.00pm: You can also attend the regular Tuesday lunchtime chamber concert at 1.00pm before a tour. • Thursdays 12.00pm – 1.00pm: You can also attend the regular Thursday lunchtime chamber concert at 1.00pm after a tour.

www.rcm.ac.uk/apply

Applying to the RCM

In most cases applications to study at the RCM at undergraduate and postgraduate level should be made online through CUKAS (Conservatoires UK Admissions Service) at www.cukas.ac.uk.

CUKAS Applications The online application allows you to apply simultaneously to all of the conservatoires that are members of Conservatoires UK. You can track your application, find out when your audition is and get the results of your audition all on CUKAS. You can also pay your application and audition fees, and confirm your decisions online. You can submit your application for entry in 2015 to CUKAS from July 2014. The closing date for auditions varies, please visit www.rcm.ac.uk/ apply/howtoapply for up-to-date details.

Application and Audition Fees The following application and audition fees must be paid when making your online application. The fee covers the cost of administering your audition/ interview and is non-returnable: • Auditions in London or by recording: £95 for single study with or without a second study; £150 for joint principal study or alternative study • Auditions in the USA: £150 • Auditions in Asia: £95 (except Japan: £190) • Applications for Doctoral studies: £95 • Applications for MSc studies: £50 • Applications for Composition and Composition for Screen: £110 Please note: applications via CUKAS incur an additional £16 administration fee. Late applications are subject to an additional fee of £10.

Non-CUKAS Applications For the BSc in Physics and Musical Performance you must apply to Imperial College London through UCAS. Auditions are held in late November/ December and February and the programme is only available to instrumentalists and composers. Please visit the Imperial College website at www3.imperial.ac.uk for more information. For Doctoral Studies you must apply directly to the RCM. The application deadline is 31 January for admission the following September. Please visit www.rcm.ac.uk/doctoral for full guidance on the recruitment procedure. For the Artist Diploma in Chamber Music you must apply directly to the RCM. The application deadline is 5 January for admission the following September. Please visit www.rcm.ac.uk/ applychambermusic for full guidance on the recruitment procedure.

Minimum Entry Requirements Visit www.rcm.ac.uk/entryrequirements for full details of our entry requirements for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes. If your first language is not English, you must achieve a satisfactory standard in an approved test in English. Full details are available online.

Useful contact details CUKAS applicant helpline: 0871 468 0470 +44 (0)330 333 0232 (overseas) RCM admissions: +44 (0)20 7591 4362 admissions@rcm.ac.uk

HOW TO APPLY

Auditions

Useful links www.rcm.ac.uk/ auditionpieces International Applicants Please visit the following webpages for up-to-date details of audition dates and venues overseas: www.rcm.ac.uk/japan www.rcm.ac.uk/southkorea www.rcm.ac.uk/china www.rcm.ac.uk/hongkong www.rcm.ac.uk/usa

The RCM holds auditions in London, the USA (New York) and Asia (Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and locations in China). London auditions will be held in late November/ December, although some applicants may be asked to audition in February 2015. Auditions/interviews last approximately 15–20 minutes. For some instruments and for voice you may be asked to perform at a second audition on the same day. The RCM issues a list of prescribed audition pieces. Performers may also be asked to undertake a short sight-reading exercise, and in some cases asked to play scales, arpeggios or other technical exercises. For full details of audition pieces, please visit www.rcm.ac.uk/auditionpieces. In this section you will also find details of special requirements for applicants applying for Masters programmes, Composition and Composition for Screen, and Conductors.

Auditions by Recording for International Applicants The RCM prefers you to audition in person, but international applicants from outside the European Union may submit a recording of their performance in lieu of a live audition, unless they are conductors, repetiteurs, opera singers, organists, percussionists or lute applicants. Applicants who are auditioned by recording cannot normally be considered for RCM scholarships. If you wish to be auditioned by recording, please complete the online application through CUKAS by 1 October 2014. Once you have submitted your online application please see www.rcm.ac.uk/apply/auditions/recording for full details of how to submit your recording. You will also need to submit a letter from either your professor or recording engineer confirming that the performance is your own. Recordings must be submitted by 31 October 2014.

What Happens Next? Offers are made to successful applicants via CUKAS Track, which outlines details of the programme offered with any conditions. The RCM aims to inform applicants of the outcome of the audition as soon after the audition period as possible. Applicants being offered scholarships will receive notification from the RCM. To ensure we can reach you by mail, email or telephone (including over the Christmas period), it is important that you keep your contact details up-to-date on CUKAS Track. Successful applicants who have accepted offers of places will then be contacted during the summer about Registration and Induction Week.

Consultation Lessons If you are offered a place by the RCM and would welcome guidance about your choice of professor, please contact the relevant Head of Faculty at the RCM who will be happy to advise (see page 29 onwards for faculty information). There is normally a charge of £70 for a consultation lesson (but this may vary), which is conducted in the professor’s own time. This charge is payable directly to the professor. Masters Programme in Composition for Screen: the RCM offers online consultation lessons for prospective applicants for this course, and to those who are reapplying. Further details are available from the Area Leader in Postgraduate Composition for Screen, Vasco Hexel at vasco.hexel@rcm.ac.uk.

www.rcm.ac.uk/apply

Money Matters

Funding your Studies

Scholarships

Study at a world-class conservatoire can be expensive, but the RCM can offer you a wealth of support to enable you to finance your studies

The RCM is able to support some students with scholarships thanks to the generosity of charitable trusts, companies, businesses, individual members of the public and legacies.

The most talented students have all their fees covered by scholarships and almost half of students receive some financial support from the RCM. A small number of grants are also available to help with unexpected study costs throughout the year. Once at the RCM, all students also have access to the RCM Woodhouse Professional Development Centre, whose dedicated team offers a wide range of free services, from help with filling in application forms to finding paid employment. As for London itself, there is plenty to be enjoyed on a budget. Much of the city’s vibrant cultural scene is free or inexpensive, including the many beautiful open spaces, art galleries and worldfamous museums. Many lunchtime concerts and theatre matinees are free or sold at a reduced price. Students can also take advantage of special discounts offered by many of the capital’s shops and restaurants, including the local independent music retailer, Kensington Chimes. Visit www.rcm.ac.uk/moneymatters for further advice about funding your studies.

Tuition Fees Tuition fees are revised annually so please check the website at www.rcm.ac.uk/moneymatters for the latest information. An up-to-date full list of fees for all programmes can be found there. As a guide, key fees for 2014/15 were: BMus

UK/EU

£12,044

£26,178

MSc

£5,946 £14,594

ArtDip in Performance

£9,282

DMus/PhD

US Federal Loans The RCM is designated as an eligible institution for American students to apply for US Federal Student Loans or for deferment of payment on an existing US Student Loan. For more detailed information visit www.rcm.ac.uk/usloans.

Non EU Students If you are an overseas student, it is essential that you have the means to pay your fees and living expenses for the duration of your course before leaving your own country. Minimum living expenses are estimated at more than £9,000 – most students spend approximately £11,000 per year on living costs. There may be some grants and awards available in your home country for study abroad. Consult your local British Council representative for details.

Non EU

£9,000 £20,314

MPerf/MMus/MComp £9,408 £20,838 MMus (fast-track)

Any student who auditions in person for a place at the RCM will automatically be considered for a scholarship or study award. You do not need to complete a separate application to be considered for this. Scholarships are offered purely on the merits of your performance at your audition. If you are offered a scholarship or study award you will receive a letter confirming this following your offer of a place.

£19,400

£5,946 £13,947

Graduate Diploma/ Masters Programme in Vocal Performance

£10,017

£21,362

ArtDip in Opera

£11,492

£22,317

Other Sources of Financial Assistance You can find a comprehensive guide to scholarships and funding at the RCM at www.rcm.ac.uk/moneymatters including advice for UK/EU and international students, a list of key external funding organisations and helpful tips on how to approach them.

HOW TO APPLY

Application Checklist Decided the Royal College of Music is the place for you? Make sure your application runs smoothly by following our simple checklist below. Have you...

Been to an Open Day or tour, or visited the RCM website and found out all you need to know about your faculty and programme of study? Checked that you meet the entry requirements? Visit www.rcm.ac.uk/entryrequirements for details.

If you have any other queries about the application process please visit www.rcm.ac.uk/apply or contact the RCM on +44 (0)20 7591 4362 or via admissions@rcm.ac.uk. Good luck with your application! We hope to see you in September 2015.

Submitted your application? Remembered to check whether you need to apply via CUKAS or another method – see page 63 for details. Paid your application and audition fees online? See page 63 for details. Made a note of your audition date and time (available on CUKAS Track) and checked www.rcm.ac.uk/auditionpieces for details of your audition pieces? Impressed us with a great audition? International students may submit a recording if you can’t attend in person – see page 64 for details. Checked our website www.rcm.ac.uk/ moneymatters for up-to-date information on our tuition fees and secured the necessary funding? Help and advice on financial matters can also be found online. ccepted your offer via CUKAS Track? You A may also wish to book a consultation lesson to discuss your choice of professor – see page 64 for details.

Design: www.splashofpaint.com General photography: Chris Christodoulou Additional photography: Shelia Burnett: pages 8, 37. Shutterstock: page 23. Ben Larpent: page 25, 31, 41, 30. James Harris: page 32

Royal College of Music, London Prince Consort Road London SW7 2BS United Kingdom Tel +44(0)20 7591 4300 Email admissions@rcm.ac.uk

www.rcm.ac.uk

Patron Her Majesty The Queen President His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales Chairman Professor Lord Winston Director Professor Colin Lawson MA (Oxon) MA PhD DMus FRCM FRNCM FLCM

The Royal College of Music is a registered charity. No. 309268

The Royal College of Music prospectus is printed on Heaven 42. It is fully recyclable, biodegradable and Elemental Chlorine Free.