NEWS FROM INSIDE THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC
IN THIS ISSUE
A ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION
EVENT: RCM AT THE CORONATION
HOW MUSIC MAKES US: RCM SPARKS AND ITS PARTNERS
COACHING CATE BLANCHETT
CONDUCTOR NATALIE MURRAY BEALE ON HER ROLE IN TÁR
In March, renowned director Liam Steel returned to the Royal College of Music to present two magical operas back-to-back –Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges and Respighi’s rarely performed La bella dormente nel bosco. The production was hailed as ‘pure theatrical magic’ in a five-star review by The Arts Desk.
The latest news and activities from the Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music has been named the global top institution for performing arts for the second consecutive year in the QS World University Rankings by Subject – a testament to the efforts of our extraordinary community of staff and students.
Following this success, in this issue of Upbeat magazine, we explore how the College is making its mark on an international scale and reaching new audiences around the world, as well as its impact closer to home in our local communities.
In our cover story, we speak to conductor and RCM Opera Studio teacher Natalie Murray Beale, who taught actor Cate Blanchett how to conduct for her Oscar-nominated performance in Tár. We also celebrate the RCM students, alumni and professors who performed to millions of viewers at the Coronation in May, and learn more about RCM Sparks, the College’s learning and participation programme, whose recent project at the Royal Albert Hall involved nearly 1,000 young participants from West London.
We also look ahead to a summer of BBC Proms featuring staff and alumni, celebrate new investments in our facilities and significant donations to support scholarships, and share the latest news from the College and the wider RCM community.
To be included in the next edition of Upbeat online, don’t forget to email news@rcm.ac.uk by Friday 22 September.
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COACHING CATE BLANCHETT
Conductor and RCM music staff
Natalie Murray Beale on her work in Hollywood
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HOW MUSIC MAKES US: RCM SPARKS AND ITS PARTNERS
How the RCM’s outreach programme is reaching thousands of London schoolchildren with innovative projects
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A ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION EVENT: RCM AT THE CORONATION
The RCM musicians who performed to millions around the world
14 ALUMNI UPDATES
Upbeat magazine is published three times a year, with a digital version on our website in the autumn and spring, and a printed edition in the summer. If you don’t currently receive the digital editions of Upbeat, sign up to receive it straight to your inbox at www.rcm.ac.uk/subscribe
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STAFF UPDATES
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STUDENT UPDATES
20 OUR SUPPORTERS 22
Director of Communications Editor Rebecca Sharp Talia HullContributors Tash Payne, Jacqueline Whitbread, Stephanie Rawlins
Designer May Yan Man
Design www.splashofpaint.com
Objects from the RCM Museum’s collection which are currently on display in a new exhibition
The Royal College of Music has been ranked as the global No. 1 institution for performing arts in the 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject, holding this position for the second consecutive year.
This follows the RCM’s previous success in this league table, having achieved first place in the UK consistently since 2016, and first in Europe in five of these years.
Kevin Porter, Acting Director, comments: ‘This ranking is testament to our ongoing commitment to music education of the highest quality. We have created an exceptional learning environment for students and I’m enormously proud and thankful to our teaching staff, professors and professional services staff who work with such dedication on behalf of our world-leading institution.’
The QS rankings measure not only the strength and quality of teaching, but also the quality and output of research activity, employability and the RCM’s international profile. Rankings are compiled from the opinions of academics and employers and from analysis of research output and impact.
The RCM also recently achieved first place for universities with under 5,000 students in the 2022/23 People and Planet University League. People and Planet ranks UK universities based on environmental and ethical performance, with criteria including carbon emissions performance, resource usage, staff engagement and policy documentation.
The RCM is incredibly proud of this result which reflects an ongoing commitment to environmental and social sustainability.
The Royal College of Music Museum presents a world of curiosities in a new exhibition, Hidden Treasures of the RCM Collections, which is now open to visitors.
The RCM Museum boasts a vast collection, numbering more than 15,000 items and documenting more than 500 years of musicmaking. In this new special exhibition, curators Gabriele Rossi Rognoni and Richard Martin have hand-picked 50 fascinating items from the collections for visitors to explore, including ingenious musical instruments, rare historic manuscripts and unique artworks.
A set of engravings and prints donated by RCM honorary doctorate recipient Christopher Hogwood are on display for the first time, as well as coloured etchings by British illustrator George Cruikshank, who was a friend and illustrator for Charles Dickens. Also featured are instruments on loan from the Royal Collections, including a Yueqin from the ancient city of Guangzhou, and items showcasing the musical connections between the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the Crystal Palace that housed it.
Professor Gabriele Rossi Rognoni, Curator of the Royal College of Music Museum, said: ‘This exhibition is a unique opportunity to share some new fascinating perspectives that highlight Britain’s rich musical past. I hope it will inspire our visitors and students to think about the importance of music in all aspects of our lives, from education to cultural exchange, and of how musical objects can tell our stories.’
Hidden Treasures of the RCM Collections runs until 21 January 2024. Entry to the exhibition is free. Visit www.rcm.ac.uk/museum to find out more.
The Centre for Performance Science (CPS) and RCM Digital have been awarded £1.9 million from the Arts and Humanities Research Council and World Class Laboratories Fund. This will enable a major redevelopment of the Royal College of Music’s Performance Simulator facility, expanding its pioneering research in the arts as well as business, sport, medicine, education and creative practices.
The CPS is an internationally distinctive centre for research, teaching and knowledge exchange in performance science. Its Performance Simulator facility allows musicians to practise in real-world, dynamic performance conditions with reactive virtual audiences and audition panels.
This grant will allow the upgrade of the existing Performance Simulator to a state-of-the-art performance laboratory, housing motion capture systems and the very latest acoustic and visual simulation technology. Additionally, the developed hardware and software will be installed in the Performance Studio, which was opened in 2020 as part of the More Music redevelopment. This will deliver an enhanced venue capable of simulating, acoustically and visually, the dynamic environments of some of the world’s leading performance spaces. These facilities are expected to be open by the end of 2023.
Developments have already begun, with the purchase of a Steinway Spirio piano. Advertised as the world’s finest high-resolution player piano, it is capable of live performance capture and playback while still serving as a concert instrument of the highest quality. This will allow students and staff to explore new forms of immersive performance and collaboration, to research the mechanics of piano performance, and to enhance the range of simulated scenarios a musician can experience.
On 27 March, renowned actor Edward Fox OBE FRCM visited the Royal College of Music to gift a portrait bust of him by sculptor Martin Jennings. The artist is best known for his representations of great writers and poets, including the sculpture of George Orwell outside BBC Broadcasting House.
Edward Fox has won BAFTA Awards for his roles in Edward & Mrs Simpson, The Go-Between and A Bridge Too Far. He also starred in The Day of the Jackal, Battle of Britain and Oh! What a Lovely War. During his visit to the Royal College of Music he was welcomed by Acting Director Kevin Porter and was given a tour of the building, including the RCM Museum.
The Royal College of Music has a longstanding relationship with the Fox family. It was the philanthropic gift from Edward Fox’s greatgrandfather, Samson Fox, that enabled the building of the present site. The Fox connection to the RCM has endured across the decades, and in 2012 the family hosted Nuit Fantastique, a high-profile fundraising event of which the proceeds have contributed towards countless performance and training opportunities in the Britten Theatre. In 2014, Edward Fox joined RCM students in a compelling performance as the narrator in Stravinsky’s The Soldier's Tale
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Alumna Nardus Williams, who was the inaugural Kiri Te Kanawa Scholar at the RCM, appears at this year’s BBC Proms
Royal College of Music alumni feature throughout this year’s BBC Proms season at the Royal Albert Hall.
On 9 August, renowned mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly performs music by Alma Mahler-Werfel and Dora Pejačević. Acclaimed pianist Pavel Kolesnikov also takes the stage with Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto no 2, while John Wilson returns to the Proms once again to conduct the Sinfonia of London in Walton’s arresting Symphony no 1.
On 7 September, Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers Sofi Jeannin leads the choir in a latenight performance. Laurence Cummings, Music Director of the Academy of Ancient Music, conducts a performance of Handel’s Samson on 23 August, with another RCM alumnus Jonathan Lemalu and RCM Visiting Professor of Vocal Studies Brindley Sherratt both singing.
The season also spotlights RCM composition alumni with the UK premiere of Meditations on Joy by Helen Grime, while Ola Gjeilo performs his own works in a late-night Prom of contemporary music. Scattered throughout the season are alumni from the Vocal and Opera department including previous RCM Kiri Te Kanawa Scholar, Nardus Williams, and Andrew Staples, who was the first recipient of the Peter Pears Scholarship.
The National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain performance on 5 August features several rising stars from the RCM Junior Department, while Jon Hopkins, an alumnus of the RCM Junior Department, makes his BBC Proms debut with a world premiere and reinterpretations of music from his three albums on 29 August.
A sustainable LED lighting rig has recently been installed in the Royal College of Music’s Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, part of the College’s commitment to sustainability and becoming net zero by 2035.
The new lighting system, installed over the stage to illuminate performances, features 48 ‘Fuze’ LED lights from LA-based lighting company Elation. The new lights have replaced the 64 tungsten bulbs which previously lit the stage, significantly improving energy usage in the historic venue, which was first opened in 1901.
‘The new lighting rig will save over 150,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year, equating to over 27 tonnes of CO2 when using standard power sources. This amount of energy could power over 50 homes for a year, based on the electricity usage of a typical British household,’ says RCM Head of Digital and Production, Richard Bland. ‘Many concert halls around the world are beginning to move towards using high-end LED lights, but we are ahead of the trend in the UK.’ One of the challenges in making this move is that most LED stage lights use noisy fans unsuitable for concert venues, versus the innovative fan-less system in the College’s new Elation rig.
With each fixture individually controllable, the new rig also allows for more creativity in lighting performances in the Concert Hall. The new system can recreate more dramatic lighting conditions seen in international concert venues, giving students more real-world performance experience, and can create a more colourful, visually exciting display for audiences.
The changes mark the beginning of a number of renovations in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, with upgrades to the overhead chandeliers planned for the coming months.
2023 marks the fourth anniversary of the RCM Legacy Ensemble, a society that proudly recognises and celebrates the generous supporters who have chosen to leave a gift in their Will to the Royal College of Music.
This year, over 80 supporters, including alumni, staff and members of the RCM Council, joined online and in person for a celebratory event in the Performance Hall hosted by RCM Chairman, Lord Black of Brentwood. Legacy Ensemble members were treated to lunch followed by performances from current scholars who have benefited from the generosity of gifts in Wills. Ensemble members also took part in behind-the-scenes tours of the Britten Theatre and the newly equipped Performance Studio, where they saw first-hand the innovative technologies that enhance students’ performance experience.
George Campbell (third-year undergraduate pianist) who performed at the Legacy Ensemble lunch, commented: ‘I am lucky enough to be supported by the Hilda Houssart Award, which has supported many RCM piano students. I feel very fortunate to be the recipient of such a meaningful gift which has enabled me to be here today and given me the most incredible experiences during my time at the RCM.’
We would like to thank all members of our Legacy Ensemble for their generosity. Gifts of all sizes play an essential role in supporting future generations of talented young musicians. To discuss leaving a gift in your Will to the College or for more information please contact Natalie Matias (natalie.matias@rcm.ac.uk / 020 7591 4761) or visit ww.rcm.ac.uk/legacies
Adonation of over £1 million from the Victor Ford Foundation on behalf of Ramona and Trevor Swale will support jazz musicians and performances at the Royal College of Music. The gift will endow the new Ramona and Trevor Swale Jazz Scholarship, supporting senior College students and providing bursaries to young jazz musicians studying at the RCM Junior Department.
RCM Council Member Ruth Keattch comments: ‘This generous gift will raise the status and reach of jazz musicianship at the College, providing opportunities for students from all backgrounds. It is such a privilege for the College to be able to honour the memory of Ramona and Trevor Swale in this way.’
Born in 1933 in present-day Pakistan, Ramona Swale moved to England and trained as a pianist at the Northern School of Music, before pursuing a teaching career in Croydon, where she met her husband Trevor, a baritone saxophonist. The pair played in jazz bands together throughout their careers, working with celebrated jazz musicians including Harry Beckett and Barbara Thompson.
The donation will also support jazz performances at the College through The Victor Ford Swale Jazz Fund. The Fund has already supported several events, including the RCM Jazz Orchestra at the College’s annual Festival of Percussion in May, which featured musical director of Ronnie Scott’s Big Band, Peter Long.
The Victor Ford Foundation was founded in 1992 by his wife Lillian in memory of Dr Victor Gerald Ford, a mathematician and lecturer, to support young people in further education in the arts. Victor and Lillian had no children but were accomplished musicians themselves. The Foundation was supported by Trevor and Ramona Swale, who left their estate to the Foundation in the 1990s.
A trumpeter with the RCM Jazz Orchestra at the 2023 Festival of Percussion, which was supported through a new donation
When Oscar-winning actor Cate Blanchett needed coaching for her role in Tár, she turned to conductor and RCM Opera Studio teacher Natalie Murray Beale. Natalie tells Upbeat about working with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, her role in shaping the film’s soundtrack and her own journey to becoming a conductor.
Natalie Murray Beale had no idea that she would pursue a career in conducting when she first embarked on her musical training. ‘The decision to become a conductor did not spring from the idea, but from the doing,’ she recalls. After training as a pianist, Natalie joined the music staff of Welsh National Opera, working with singers and the orchestra daily. Eventually, she was encouraged to step onto the podium – and has never looked back. ‘I have never stopped being intrigued by the craft, complexity and mystery of conducting,’ she explains.
It’s this craft that takes centre stage in the 2022 film Tár, directed by Todd Field and starring Oscar-winning actor Cate Blanchett as fearsome fictional conductor Lydia Tár. Natalie acted as advisor to Cate Blanchett, working closely with her to create a distinctive and authentic performance.
Natalie’s own conducting style is the result of many different influences. Soon after embarking on her conducting work, she was awarded a scholarship by the London Symphony Chorus, learning from conductors
such as Mariss Jansons and Sir Colin Davis. ‘I spent a great deal of time in rehearsals with the London Symphony Orchestra,’ she says. After several years as an Assistant Conductor at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen then agreed to become her mentor. ‘I worked with him for several years, taking over from him when required. From there I led my own work, conducting opera, concerts and for film.’
She brings this variety to her work at the Royal College of Music as a member of the Opera Studio staff. ‘I might be working one-to-one with vocal students in preparation for an opera production or honing their specific repertoire. I also lead a module for Masters pianists in playing orchestral scores and working towards a career in opera.’
One RCM project that was particularly meaningful for Natalie was conducting a programme of new operas by composition students. ‘From hearing the composers and librettists pitch their ideas, to having their vision fully realised on stage accompanied by fantastic scenography, I remember very clearly the spirit of the performance and the commitment and passion of the singers and musicians.’
It was during the production of A New Dark Age at the Royal Opera House in 2020 –during which she became the ninth woman to ever conduct on the main stage – that Natalie became involved in Tár. She and Cate Blanchett are friends, and Natalie invited her to see the show. ‘Being such a tumultuous year Cate miraculously was in the UK. She spoke to me shortly afterwards about Tár and asked if I could help her with the role.’
Renowned for her method acting, Cate Blanchett was immersed in her preparation for Tár – for which she also learned German from scratch. ‘Cate is a great intellectual, a curious person and a masterful performer. She is someone who always shows up and who wants to learn –everything. No stone unturned!’ says Natalie. The film was released in the US in 2022, and garnered much critical acclaim, receiving six Academy Award nominations, and with Cate Blanchett winning the 2023 BAFTA for Best Actress. Yet the film also received its share of criticism for Lydia Tár’s manipulative character and her shocking fall from grace.
What is striking about Tár is the use of music, with its lengthy live sequences filmed with the Dresden Philharmonic. ‘There is around 25 minutes of live music in the movie, which is very rare,’ explains Natalie. Lydia Tár is shown leading rehearsals for Mahler’s Symphony no 5 as well as the Elgar Cello Concerto.
‘I was very involved in the selection of the Mahler and Elgar excerpts in close discussion with Cate and the director Todd Field,’ Natalie says. ‘Todd called me up when he was editing and said, “Natalie, it’s so good I want to use all of it.” That was incredible to hear.
‘[Todd] was so excited about shooting the orchestra scenes, and I find it very moving how he captured the beauty and discipline of music-making.’
Portraying this expertise with someone who’d never conducted before – incorporating not only technical elements but the character’s personal journey – presented a great challenge for Natalie as a teacher.
‘The conducting had to be authentic, and it couldn’t be a standardised or romantic view of a conductor, or we could have easily fallen into caricature. We began with questions – Who am I talking to? Where are they? What do they need from me? What am I trying to express?’
‘We discussed when she might use a baton, or not. When she might choose to stand or sit. What impression Lydia Tár wants to make in her first rehearsal with the orchestra,’ Natalie recalls. ‘You never see her conduct a performance in the film, and yet we wanted to hint at what that performance might look like.’
And while Natalie’s approach to teaching the technical elements was the same as with her other students, contributing to building a fictional character was a learning experience.
‘It was extremely valuable to explore the subtext with Cate, and what is behind the notes. We musicians can be inclined to be rather literal, which is a particular skill, but also a weakness,’ she says. ‘Working with Cate reminded me of the importance of physical freedom, spontaneity and to continue to change and not become set in one’s ways.’
Working on Tár also served as an important reminder that women are still the minority on the podium. ‘During the process we discussed many, many great conductors together – Haitink, Gergiev, Bernstein to name just a few. It was shocking though to realise, even today, how few women have had the opportunity to conduct a professional audio or video recording of Mahler’s Symphony no 5.’
Does Natalie have any advice for women pursuing a career in conducting? ‘Learn from others but don’t copy. Study, interrogate, and think about what your offer is, what you want to say. The answer might be very simple. Connect with people, even if that seems difficult at first and you are the only woman in the room – by the way, this will probably happen.’
In the months following the release of Tár, Natalie has been in New Zealand conducting a production of Così fan tutte for New Zealand Opera and has been involved in more film work. ‘I’m thrilled to be engrossed in more great stories,’ she says. Natalie also appears on the Tár concept album conducting excerpts from Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the London Symphony Orchestra.
From opera to Hollywood, if there’s anything that Natalie’s varied work has shown, it’s that a musical career can bring many possibilities. ‘Go into your work to discover the kind of conductor you are or want to be. The answers are always in the work itself,’ she advises. ‘Be yourself and bring your most diligent, intelligent and expressive self to the podium.’
And her learnings from Tár are significant. ‘Stay curious, and remember, there is never one way to do things.’
On a sleepy Sunday morning in May, the Royal College of Music’s performance spaces were buzzing with activity. 160 local young musicians aged 8 to 18 were singing and playing together, rehearsing for the grand finale of a two-year performance project, Music Makes Me
RCM Sparks, the RCM’s learning and participation programme, was a partner on this project in collaboration with the Royal Albert Hall and the Tri-Borough Music Hub (TBMH) – the organisation that provides music education services to the West London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and the City of Westminster.
Music Makes Me, which involved 950 pupils coming together from 40 local schools, culminated in a performance at the Royal Albert Hall in June. The vibrant production told the story of a 16-year-old neurodivergent girl and the importance of music in her life – representing an estimated 15–20% of children in the UK who think, feel or behave differently to their peers, with neurodiverse traits including dyslexia, ADHD and autism.
It’s a moving message of accessibility and collaboration – and a principle that defines the many projects offered through RCM Sparks.
RCM Sparks provides opportunities to engage with music education where it is needed most, running hundreds of workshops and live music experiences each year. The focus is on children, young people and families from low income-households, groups underrepresented in higher education and children and young people with disabilities.
RCM Sparks’ outreach work takes places in three main areas: in local schools, supporting music delivery and teacher training; in the community, which includes regular activities offered through community centres; and through partnerships, working with other arts organisations who have different but complementary expertise to create unique projects.
‘The work of RCM Sparks is built on a strong foundation of partnership working,’ says Hayley Clements, Head of Learning and Participation. ‘It’s about sharing knowledge, good practice and, importantly, the work is informed by a dialogue between all stakeholders.’
The Tri-Borough Music Hub is one of RCM Sparks’ strategic partners, and the College works closely with the Hub in its delivery of music education services to over 56,500 pupils. It serves an area of stark inequality: Kensington is home to some of the wealthiest residents in the country, yet 29% of pupils in the Tri-Borough area access Free School Meals.
In this context, projects like Music Makes Me, which champion those who may struggle to have their voice heard within society, are even more significant. And with 17 original songs, live animations, and
seven professional actors – in addition to almost a thousand schoolchildren – it was a memorable and unique experience for its performers.
To deliver such projects, RCM Sparks and the TBMH provide each other with mutual support. ‘RCM Sparks helps support the delivery of the music curriculum in local schools, and offers venues for performances, training and workshops – such as for the Music Makes Me rehearsals in May,’ says Stuart Whatmore, Head of the Tri-Borough Music Hub. ‘Without the support of the RCM, the event would not be what it was!’
In return, the TBMH provides experiences for current RCM students and recent alumni. The Hub organises teaching and observation placements and access to training and development. Music Makes Me was one such opportunity, with 15 RCM student mentors supporting young musicians as they worked towards the main performance.
‘Working on Music Makes Me as a regular RCM mentor was such a fulfilling experience,’ says third-year undergraduate Rubie Besin. ‘From weekly mentoring sessions to group rehearsals, I had the chance to observe first-hand the excitement that the children built towards the performance in such a big venue as the Royal Albert Hall. As a mentor, I could really feel the team of RCM students getting stronger together, allowing the children to have greater confidence in us and reach their full potential.’
This is a crucial part of RCM Sparks’ work, with 145 RCM students receiving practical training experience in the 2022/23 academic year.
Following Music Makes Me, new partnership projects are on the horizon. Musical Senses, a project for young people who have visual, hearing or multi-sensory impairments, has been developed in partnership with TBMH, ABRSM and the Tri-Borough Music Trust.
The scheme aims to provide training for teachers, show positive role models, and address the physical barriers that pupils with sensory needs face when engaging with music. A pilot interactive workshop will be held on 12 July where all the musicians –young people and professionals – are either vision impaired or hearing impaired.
‘We hope to learn first-hand how best to offer a truly accessible musical experience
at the Royal College of Music campus by bringing together the partners’ knowledge and the knowledge of those with lived experience,’ Hayley says.
The project is adding to the roster of existing RCM Sparks initiatives delivered with its partners, reaching all ages and abilities. The London Early Years Foundation/RCM Musical Futures programme provides musical training for Early Years practitioners in nurseries; Get, Set, Play!, founded in 2017, offers free family activities in community settings in lower socio-economic areas of the Tri-Borough; while IntoUniversity provides music-making experiences for young people in five London boroughs who would not normally engage with higher education.
These projects all support the goal of creating learning pathways – clear routes for children in music education from the youngest ages through to postgraduate level. ‘One of the primary goals is to strengthen the pipeline of creative young musicians of the future engaging with the RCM,’ explains Hayley. And RCM Sparks’ partnerships with other organisations are a key part of broadening this reach – ultimately ensuring music remains important in young peoples’ lives. ‘Through working together, we’re creating something greater than the sum of its parts.’
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A previous event staged with the Tri-Borough Music Hub at the Royal Albert Hall
Photo: Sheila Burnett
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An RCM student mentor working with RCM Sparks participant
83% of participants from underrepresented groups
2,700+ children and young people have accessed a live music experience
100+ practical workshops for children, young people and families
145 RCM students taking part as mentors
The stage of Coronation Concert on 7 May, which took place in the grounds of Windsor Castle
Photo: PA Image/ Alamy Stock Photo
Opposite King Charles III and Queen Camilla process past the Westminster Abbey Choir, directed by RCM alumnus
Andrew Nethsingha (pictured centre)
Photo: PA Images/ Alamy Stock Photo
In May, millions around the world watched as Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned in Westminster Abbey, followed by a celebratory concert in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
Taking their place at the heart of this celebration was a roster of Royal College of Music students, professors and alumni, who featured prominently across the Coronation weekend. Upbeat hears more about their involvement in the momentous occasion.
‘It’s a real privilege and an honour to play in a once-in-a-generation event,’ says violist Declan Wicks in an interview with the BBC.
On 7 May, Declan performed in the Coronation Concert in a string quartet formed of current RCM students, as part of a moving rendition of ‘Somewhere’ from Bernstein’s West Side Story The broadcast was watched by 12.3 million people – and the performance was significant for more than one reason.
‘I played on a cello that belonged to His Majesty,’ explains cellist in the quartet, Marion Portelance, in the same interview. ‘It’s even more special because it’s the cello that he was playing when he was studying at Cambridge.... It’s the experience of a lifetime.’
King Charles III became President of the RCM in 1993, taking over from Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and has visited the College on many occasions, meeting students and staff and conferring honours to musicians. In 2021, he officially opened the RCM’s new facilities built as part of the More Music redevelopment. Royal College of Music students, professors and alumni were invited to participate as both performers and composers across the Coronation weekend, building on this longstanding relationship.
It’s a real privilege and an honour to play in a once-in-a-generation event.
Declan Wicks, RCM undergraduate violist
The Coronation ceremony on 6 May – watched by 20 million people in the UK – was directed by Master of the Choristers of Westminster Abbey and RCM alumnus, Andrew Nethsingha. Andrew followed in the footsteps of Dr William Mackie, another RCM alumnus who directed the Coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth in 1953.
Andrew conducted the five new commissions in the main service, including a specially commissioned Agnus Dei by composer and RCM alumnus Tarik O’Regan, and an anthem by alumnus Andrew Lloyd Webber.
In the Westminster Abbey choir was current RCM Junior Department student Jacob Bailey, who has been a chorister with His Majesty’s Chapel Royal for three years. ‘I was immensely proud of my contribution to this momentous occasion in British history,’ he says. ‘As a chorister, to be able to sing at a Coronation is simply the highest honour.
‘In the weeks running up to the Coronation, we had almost daily rehearsals. I was fortunate enough to meet Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, John Rutter and Roxanna Panufnik,’ Jacob reflects. ‘I thoroughly enjoyed singing all the wonderful songs in the service – especially Zadok the Priest which has been sung at every Coronation in Great Britain since 1727.’
The service also featured a number of musicians associated with the Royal College of Music, including a two-part composition Alleluia (O Clap your Hands) and Alleluia (O Sing Praises) by RCM Visiting Professor and Fellow Debbie Wiseman. RCM Head of Brass Jason Evans performed as a member of the Coronation Orchestra, with many other RCM staff also performing.
The Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle was the first event of its kind held in the castle grounds. RCM students Declan and Marion, alongside Katherine Yoon (first violin) and Betania Johnny (second violin), appeared in a specially created one-off performance combining music, dance, art and theatre in celebration of King Charles III’s Royal Patronages.
The quartet performed a new arrangement of the iconic song from West Side Story with the Chorus of The Royal Opera and a visual backdrop projected onto Windsor Castle created by students from the Royal College of Art. The performance included choreography
from The Royal Ballet’s principal dancers, Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambé, with excerpts from Romeo and Juliet by Royal Shakespeare Company actors Ncuti Gatwa and Mei Mac.
Also in the line-up was bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, who has an Honorary Doctorate from the Royal College of Music, and tenor Andrea Bocelli, who supports the RCM through the Andrea Bocelli Foundation-Community Jameel Scholarship.
‘We are honoured and delighted that performers from the Royal College of Music were chosen to represent Royal patronages in the Coronation Concert,’ says Stephen Johns, RCM Artistic Director.
‘King Charles III has been President of the RCM for 30 years, and his obvious and deep love of music has been a great support and inspiration for generations of students.’
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Four alumni composers have started their own podcast, Composers in a Jukebox Levent Altuntas, Darren Sng, Luke Mombrea and Jolene Khor started the podcast to explore media composition and interview industry professionals. The first seven episodes are out now on Spotify and cover various aspects of composing for stage and screen, as well as an interview with Tony Award–nominated composer Lindsay Jones.
Grammy Award–nominated conductor Anthony Inglis has published his autobiography, entitled Sit Down, Stop Waving Your Arms About! The book charts Anthony’s journey from studying at the RCM to conducting many famous orchestras and soloists, travelling the world and working across many genres. The book has a foreward by Katherine Jenkins OBE and is available to buy on Amazon.
Soprano Robyn Allegra Parton has released a new album on Orchid Classics, Burnished Gold The album explores lieder from 1900s Vienna, including songs by Richard Strauss, Alma Mahler-Werfel, Johanna Müller-Hermann and Erich Korngold, and features RCM Collaborative Piano professor Simon Lepper.
Pianist Melanie Spanswick’s three-book series Women Composers – A Graded Anthology For Piano (published by Schott Music) recently won a Presto Music Award for best ‘New Series of the Year’. Melanie has also written the bestselling three-book series Play it again: PIANO, and her compositions have been included in the Edition Schott Series, where she is one of only a handful of featured women composers.
Sir James Galway performed alongside American pop superstar Lizzo at New York fashion event the Met Gala. Lizzo is a four-time Grammy Award–winning singer and flautist, and credits Sir James Galway with sparking her interest in learning the flute as a child after hearing The Man With the Golden Flute. They performed a duet of Flight of the Bumblebee at the event in May, which was attended by many of the world’s most high-profile celebrities.
A new musical theatre piece by alumnus composer Alex Ho had its premiere in April at Concertgebouw Brugge as part of All Arias Festival. Untold was co-created with Olivier Award–nominated choreographer and creative director Julia Cheng and explores ideas of belonging in response to the marginalisation of transnational Chinese communities in the west through music and movement. The piece had its Dutch premier at O.Festival Rotterdam in May.
Paul Keohone recently made his professional conducting debut with Mozart's Requiem and Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass with the City of Glasgow Chorus and the Orchestra of Scottish Opera. In November, he will conduct Verdi’s Requiem at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, leading the combined 200-singer strong choirs of the City of Glasgow Chorus and Leeds Festival Chorus with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera.
Three string quartets formed at the RCM – the Oriole Quartet, Marmen Quartet, and current RCM String Quartet Fellows, the Alkyona Quartet – recently visited Melbourne for performances at the Australian National Academy of Music’s ‘Quartetthaus’, a unique, rotating pop-up venue. Aron Tringali has been the artistic director of the Jorma Panula Foundation and the founder and conductor of Siamo Orkest in The Hague, The Netherlands since 2021. Along with Mozart’s 40th and Schubert’s fifth Symphonies, he recently conducted and played Haydn’s Piano Concerto no 11 in D major with Siamo Orkest.
Conducting alumnus Nicolò Foron won the Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition in March, having competed against 80 other young maestros from across the UK and Europe. As part of his prize, Nicolò will take-up a year-long contract as Assistant Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra.
This year’s prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Awards saw collaborative piano alumnus George Ireland compete for the Help Musicians Accompanist’s Prize, accompanying vocal alumna Rebecca Leggett in the competition final at Wigmore Hall. Rebecca was recently announced as one of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s ‘Rising Stars of the Enlightenment’ alongside fellow alumnus Laurence Kilsby. Rebecca and Laurence will embark on a two-year programme for emerging singers, supporting their professional development and including numerous performance opportunities with the OAE.
RCM Opera Studio alumna Julieth Lozano
Rolong won the Audience Prize in the 40th annual BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition in June. Julieth was one of 16 singers from around the world taking part, having graduated from the RCM with both a Masters and Artist Diploma in Opera in 2018.
Pianist Emily Hoh won the Collaborative Piano Prize at this year’s Royal Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition. Emily accompanied current RCM student Dafydd Jones in the Singers Section Final with an ‘impressive performance’ according to the judges. Emily is currently accompanist-in-residence at Westminster School.
Conductor Pablo Urbina took home Third Prize at the Siemens Hallé International Conductors Competition in March. The Guardian reported on the final, saying: ‘Pablo Urbina had arguably the hardest task with Sibelius’ Symphony no 3. The organic growth and the work’s obdurate formal puzzles were skilfully unlocked by Urbina, drawing a buoyant response from the players.’
Viola alumnus Nicholas Bootiman has been appointed as section leader for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Nicholas previously held a principal position with the Philharmonia Orchestra for over a decade and enjoys a dual career as a violist and conductor.
The English Symphony Orchestra (ESO) has named Zoë Beyers as its new Principal Artist. Zoë has been the orchestra’s concertmaster since 2017. Her role now expands to include artistic leadership and she will perform regularly with the orchestra as a soloist, as well as directing the ensemble.
The ESO has appointed another RCM alumna as its Artist in Residence: violinist Esther Abrami will feature as a soloist across the 2023/24 concert season and join forces with the ESO Youth Programme to inspire the next generation of musical talent.
Conductor John Sutton was awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours List. John has directed choirs and orchestras since the 1970s and has raised thousands for various charities through his work, including as Musical Director of the Voices for Hospices Choir and Sinfonia.
Amos Miller has been appointed as Head of Brass, and will take up his post in September 2023. Amos has been Head of Brass at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire since 2018. He is a founder member of internationally acclaimed brass ensemble Onyx Brass and Principal Trombone with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, and has played on hundreds of film soundtracks including Paddington and Harry Potter
Piano professor Dina Parakhina’s new CD of Medtner Piano Sonatas has been published by Piano Classics and is available online, including on Spotify and Apple Music. The recording features op 25 no 1, known as the ‘Fairy Tale’ Sonata, as well as Six Fairy Tales op 51.
At Florilegium’s Wigmore Hall concert in April, Professor Ashley Solomon (Chair and Head of Historical Performance) released a new CD, the second recording in a series for Channel Classics using original 18th-century flutes from the private collection belonging to Peter Spohr. The album includes six flute
concerti on six different flutes made of ivory, porcelain and gold, boxwood and ebony. Together with Florilegium, Ashley has recently recorded Volume 3 which will be released in early 2024 and includes RCM alumni Rowan Pierce (soprano) and Agata Daraskaite (historical violin).
Violin professor Madeleine Mitchell’s new album, Violin Conversations, was released by Naxos in June and includes seven world premiere recordings. It features works by RCM professor Errollyn Wallen, the late Joseph Horovitz and alumnus Richard Blackford, and includes Madeleine’s live recording with the late Andrew Ball, former RCM Head of Keyboard, of Rawsthorne’s Violin Sonata for the BBC Millennium series.
Alongside RCM piano professor Nigel Clayton, Madeleine also opened the Easter Festival at St John’s Smith Square on 2 April. The pair also performed on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune, including a new work, dedicated to Madeleine, for solo violin by Michael Berkeley – Notes on the Loss of a Friend: In Memoriam Nicholas Snowman
Collaborative piano co-ordinator Simon Lepper performed in a recital at the Vocal Arts DC (Washington) with opera singer Elizabeth Llewellyn, featuring songs by RCM alumnus and composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, which the pair have also recorded.
Research from the Centre for Performance Science (CPS) continues to explore how music can support new parents. A recent article by CPS colleagues Professor Rosie Perkins, Dr Neta Spiro and Dr George Waddell has been published in Public Health, showing that online songwriting can reduce symptoms of postnatal depression and loneliness among new mothers.
Alongside, research by Caitlin Shaughnessy, Professor Rosie Perkins and Andrew Hall at CW+ (the charity for the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust), has investigated what RCM graduates learnt from taking part in a project offering personalised, live music online to patients on the antenatal wards at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. The research, published in Musicae Scientiae, revealed that this work requires communicative and musical versatility as well as the ability to connect and empathise through music.
Dr Yuiko Asaba recently joined the RCM as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Global Research Fellow. Yuiko is a tango violinist and her research projects centre on Argentine tango in Japan and China as a window into the rarely investigated East Asia-Latin America musical nexus, bridging dance studies, East Asian and Latin American studies, and migration studies. Her forthcoming book offers the first in-depth study on Japan-Argentina musical connections dating from the 1910s up to the present. Yuiko is also co-leading two research projects that are funded by the European Union.
Former Head of Brass Peter Bassano has released a new book, Before the Music Stopped, which explores the music profession from 1965 to 2000 and touches on Peter’s days at the RCM as both student and professor. Peter is descended from a long line of prominent Venetian court musicians and delves into his fascinating family history in another of his publications, Shakespeare and Emilia. The book explores the life of his ancestor Emilia Bassano, who was identified as the ‘Dark Musical Lady’ of the Shakespeare sonnets. Both books are available on Amazon, where they have received multiple five-star reviews. Composition professor Kenneth Hesketh contributed to BBC Music Magazine’s anniversary articles on the composer Henri Dutilleux, published in May. Additionally, an interview with Belgian conductor Erik Desimpelaere will be published in the summer edition of Winds Magazine, discussing the commission of Kenneth’s 2022 work Along Dark Paths and its performance at last year’s World Music Contest in the Netherlands.
Kenneth's contributing chapter for the Cambridge Companions to Composition, Out of one, many, will be released later this year. He was also commissioned to write a fanfare in celebration of the 900th anniversary of St Bart’s Hospital and Church, which was performed at a concert hosted by Simon Callow and the City Music Foundation in June.
The new critical edition of Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem has recently been completed, edited by RCM Visiting Research Fellow Michael Musgrave and German scholar Michael Struck of the Johannes Brahms Gesamtausgabe (JBG). This is the most extensive volume to appear in the new critical edition of Brahms’ works [Johannes Brahms Gesamtausgabe]. It involved the examination of every source relevant to the publication within Brahms’ lifetime and is the result of many years of collaboration. A copy of the new score is now in the RCM Library for students to examine an extensive example of modern critical editorial scholarship.
In April, repertoire professor Norbert Meyn hosted German Ambassador to the UK, Miguel Berger, for a tour of the Music, Migration and Mobility exhibition in the RCM Museum. The exhibition, which ran from January to May this year, explored the lives and legacies of émigré musicians from Nazi-Europe in Britain. Vocal Faculty Assistant Olivia Grant completed a cycle ride from London to Brighton in June, raising money for the British Heart Foundation. If you’d like to support her, there’s still time to visit her Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/Olivia-Grant6
Below middle Marie Sklodowska-Curie Global Research Fellow, Dr Yuiko Asaba
Below RCM Head of Historical Performance, Professor Ashley Solomon
Second year Masters clarinettist Adam Lee has been appointed Principal Clarinet No 2 of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, taking up the position in July this year. He is also currently on trial with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House for the position of Principal Clarinet.
Doctoral student Juliet Petrus was named a Next Generation Leader by the influential Chinese-American organisation Committee of 100. Juliet is a specialist and trusted Western interpreter of Chinese art song; her research at the RCM focuses on pedagogical methods to address the challenges faced by Western-language speakers learning to sing in Mandarin, and vice-versa. Juliet travelled to New York to receive the award in May.
The recipient of the Alastair Jackson International Opera Award is Australian soprano Georgia Melville, who will join the RCM Opera Studio in September following the completion of her Masters and a summer season with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera chorus. The Award is Australia’s most valuable vocal scholarship and provides financial support for study in the UK for at least one year.
Zone One Brass, formed of RCM students, alumni and freelance players, led by Rich Ward (RCM Junior Department orchestral tutor), won the Brass Band National Championships Regional Contest for London and South Counties, qualifying them for finals at the Royal Albert Hall in October. They also won prizes for Best Trombones and Best Euphonium, and second year postgraduate student Jack Wilson won Best Cornet.
Music Education student Xenia Horne delivered a ten-week project in partnership with the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge which was shortlisted for the Family Learning Awards. The project invited new parents and their babies to explore the museum collections through musical play, creating musical journeys and micro songs. Following the success of the project, a further workshop was included in the Cambridge Festival.
Three works by doctoral candidate Jorge Pinto Ramos were performed in Ponta Delgada, Azores in January, and a piece commissioned by Ricardo Pires featured on his newly released album, Windsor Project. Jorge’s piece Keep Up! for alto saxophone and live electronics is part of his research at the RCM, where he explores new methods of orchestration, focusing on the influence of electronics on orchestration practice.
In April, the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra performed at the Royal Albert Hall with Maxim Vengerov, Sandra Lied Haga and RCM violin students Mira Marton, David Horvat, Elif Cansever, Lucilla Mariotti, Deniz Sensoy, Esther Park, Molin Han, Annissa Gybel and Ilai Avni. The concert was a celebration of the music of Brahms and was conducted by Marios Papadopoulos.
Saxophonist Sophia Elger was invited by the Bath Festival Orchestra (BFO) to perform in their B-Side Lunchbreaks concert series at Bow Church in East London. Before performing some of her favourite solo repertoire, Sophia spent time with students from the Bobby Moore Academy. The BFO’s B-Side initiative sees musicians deliver free coaching to local secondary school students, followed by a free concert.
RCM students had success at the final of the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Awards, held at Wigmore Hall in April. Masters tenor Dafydd Jones won the Ferrier Loveday Song Prize, while Masters soprano Matina Tsaroucha won Joint Second Prize.
Dafydd will also perform the title role in Albert Herring for Opera North next season, and recently made his international debut at the Bregenzer Festspiele.
Pianist Aidan Chan was awarded the 2023 Royal Dublin Society Music Bursary, the largest annual award in Ireland. The Bursary will support Aidan’s future development and see him perform a solo recital at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris and a concert with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland.
RCM ensemble Astatine Trio won the SEAM Prize for commitment to contemporary music at this year’s Lyon International Chamber Music Competition. The Trio is comprised of pianist and cellist Berniya Hamie and violinist Julia Błachuta, who are both third-year undergraduates, and 17-year-old RCM Junior Department cellist Riya Hamie
The Kleio Quartet, featuring Masters violinist Katherine Yoon and alumna Yume Fujise, won First Prize and the prize for best performance of a commissioned piece at the Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition in Copenhagen. The Kleio Quartet recently held a Residency at Snape Maltings’ Britten-Pears
Festival in Aldeburgh and have a series of residencies hosted by the Strijkkwartet Biënnale Amsterdam over the next two years.
Mezzo soprano Annabel Kennedy won First Prize in the RCM’s Brooks-van der Pump English Song Competition. Annabel was also recently announced as one of Glyndebourne’s Jerwood Young Artists for 2023, alongside fellow RCM Opera Studio colleague, bass-baritone Jamie Woollard. Jamie will also join the Jette Parker Artists Programme of the Royal Opera House for the 2023/24 season.
Middle Australian soprano
Georgia Meville
Below
Jack
From becoming an RCM Friend to leaving a gift in your Will, there are many ways you can support the Royal College of Music. For more information, please visit www.rcm.ac.uk/ support
Alternatively, contact the Development team at dae@rcm.ac.uk
Music has the power to transform lives. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, generations of gifted students from around the world have been nurtured and trained at the Royal College of Music. We would like to thank all those listed below, as well as those who wish to remain anonymous, who have made donations of £1,000 or more between 1 March 2022 and 31 March 2023.
We would also like to thank those who have pledged a gift to the RCM in their Will. The RCM Legacy Ensemble was launched in 2019 to acknowledge the generosity of those who pledge a gift to the RCM in their Will and to celebrate the life-changing impact of the bequests we receive.
Founding Patrons
The Estate of George Frederick Burgan
The Estate of Basil Coleman
Victor Ford Foundation on behalf of Ramona & Trevor Swale
The Croucher Hong Kong Charitable Trust
The Estate of Christopher Hogwood CBE HonDMus
Kingdom Music Education Group
Sandro & Rena Lavery HonRCM
The Leverhulme Trust
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Geoffrey Richards HonRCM & Valerie Richards
The Estate of Neville Wathen
Ruth West HonRCM & the late Dr Michael West
Garfield Weston Foundation
The Wolfson Foundation
Leadership Supporters
The Estate of Jill Anderson
Jane Barker CBE FRCM
Blüthner Pianos
Andrea Bocelli Foundation
G & K Boyes Charitable Trust
The Derek Butler Trust
Philip Carne MBE HonRCM & Christine Carne
Meredith & Denis Coleman
Colt Clavier Collection Trust
The Estate of Thomas Cottrell
The Estate of John & Marjorie
Coultate
The Estate of Jocelyn Cruft
The Estate of John & Sylvia
Daughtry
The Estate of Margaret Dewey
The Foyle Foundation
The Estate of Albert Frost
The Harry & Gylla Godwin Charitable Trust
HEFCE
Linda Hill HonRCM & Tony Hill
The Victor and Lilian Hochhauser Foundation
Sara Nelson Horner
The Humphrey Richardson Taylor Charitable Trust
Community Jameel
Kirby Laing Foundation
Leonora Countess of Lichfield
The Linbury Trust
Philip Loubser Foundation
The Estate of William Mealings
The Mirfield Trust
The Polonsky Foundation
Pureland Foundation
The Julia & Hans Rausing Trust
The Reed Foundation & The Big Give Christmas Challenge
The Estate of Michael Rimmer
Victoria, Lady Robey OBE HonRCM
The Estate of Emma Rose
The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851
The Segelman Trust
Dasha Shenkman OBE HonRCM
The Estate of Gerald Charles Webster
The Estate of Nancy Ann Wolfers
Principal Supporters
Amaryllis Fleming Foundation
Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne
Jane Avery in memory of Robert Avery
C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik AG
Lord Black & Mark Bolland
Ian Boag
The Estate of Heather Curry
Peter & Annette Dart
The Drapers’ Company
The Fishmongers’ Company
Martin Fraenkel
J Paul Getty Jr Charitable Trust
The Harbour Foundation
The Headley Trust
Jules Hess and the late Tony Hess
HSH Dr Prince Donatus von Hohenzollern
JMC
The Estate of Frida Betty Koganovitch
John Lewis Partnership
The Estate of Sir Neville Marriner FRCM
Rosemary Millar HonRCM & Richard Millar
Michael & Dorothy Needley
John Nickson & Simon Rew
Oak Foundation
The Estate of Sheila & Christine
Partridge
The Charles Peel Charitable Trust
Pro Musica Ltd
The Estate of Prudence Raphael
née Gaffikin
The Estate of Charles Stewart Richardson
Leopold de Rothschild 1959
Charitable Trust
Roland Saam
The Estate of Humphrey Searle
CBE FRCM
Alethea Siow & Jeremy Furniss
Miss Kathleen Beryl Sleigh
Charitable Trust
The Peter Sowerby Foundation
Steinway & Sons
Ian & Meriel Tegner
The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation UK
Mrs Lynette Tiong
The Estate of Ivor Charles Treby
The Estate of Gweneth Urquhart
Van Cleef & Arpels
Vaseppi Trust
Sir Siegmund Warburg’s Voluntary Settlement
Bob & Sarah Wigley
Henry Wood Accommodation Trust
The Worshipful Company of Musicians
Major Supporters
The Victor Dahdaleh Foundation
Andrew Darke
Petronella Dittmer
E B M Charitable Trust
Richard Goulding
The late Dr Martin Schwartz
The Steel Charitable Trust
Suha Yusuf Charitable Trust
Swire Charitable Trust
Kevin Thompson OBE FRCM and Patricia Thompson
The Robert Turnbull Piano Foundation
Supporters
The Aldama Foundation
Robert Anderson
The Robert Anderson Trust
Melanie Arora
In memory of Sabina and Francis Ashley
Tim Ashley & John Booth
Vivien & Peter Beckwith
Dr Linda Beeley
The Maria Björnson Memorial
Fund
Peter & Kirsty Brooks
Catherine Clarke
Noël Coward Foundation
Nicola Danciger and Dr Danielle Wise in memory of Leonard Marks
Fiona Dauppe & Michael
Petchey
Diane Davies
Sue Dibley
The Gilbert & Eileen Edgar Foundation
The Exilarch’s Foundation
The Patrick & Helena Frost Foundation
The Estate of Audrey Fryer
Faye Hamilton & John Stewart
L G Harris Trust
The Hedley Foundation
Hollick Family Foundation
The Honourable Society of the Knights of the Round Table
The Houston Family
The Estate of Elaine Hugh-Jones
Sir George Iacobescu CBE & Lady Iacobescu
International Music & Art Foundation
David James
Richard & Susan Jarvis
Karaviotis Foundation
Ruth Keattch
Christopher Kneale
David & Mary Laing
Lee Abbey London
The Lennox Hannay Charitable Trust
LIBER Foundation
London Women’s Clinic Foundation
In memory of Tony Luker
Lord and Lady Lurgan Trust
The Hon Richard Lyttelton
HonRCM & Romilly Lyttelton
The Helen Rachael Mackaness
Charitable Trust
The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust
The Estate of Sheila Melluish
The Mills Williams Foundation
The Howard & Abby Milstein Foundation
Family of Peter Morrison
Richard and Minako Mountford
Ofenheim Charitable Trust
Old Possum’s Practical Trust
Phillimore Trust
The Stanley Picker Charitable Trust
Richard Price FRCM & Sue Price
Russell Race
Rhona Reid Charitable Trust
Mark Redman
Hilda Scarth
The Estate of Richard Silver
South Square Trust
Peter & Dimity Spiller
Stephen Stuart-Smith
Janis Susskind OBE HonRCM
Betty & the late Robert Sutherland
Tait Memorial Trust
Anton Tasker
Rosemary Taylor
Rhoddy Voremberg FRCM
Anne Wadsworth OBE & Brian Wadsworth
The Wall Trust
Sir Peter & Lady Walters
Sir Guy Weston HonRCM
The Wyseliot Charitable Trust
Core Contributors
Abinger Hammer Village School Trust
Anglo-Norse Society
John & Halina Bennett
Richard Blackford
The Bliss Trust
Gary & Eleanor Brass
Anne-Marie and Christopher Braun
Rev Lyndon van der Pump FRCM & Edward Brooks FRCM
Andrew Bruce
Chapman Charitable Trust
Sir Anthony Cleaver FRCM & Lady Cleaver
The Estate of Roselyn Ann Clifton Parker
Elizabeth Davison
Douglas Downie & Kyra von Schottenstein
The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
The Ann Driver Trust
Dr Ian & Janet Edmondson
The Finzi Trust
Baroness Fleet CBE
Edward Fox OBE & Joanna David
Douglas & Adele Gardner
The Hon William Gibson
Peter Granger
Richard Hamilton
Harbinson Charitable Trust
Mike Harris
Lily Harriss HonRCM & Julian Harriss
The Derek Hill Foundation
Gillian Humphreys OBE
HonRCM & Peter J David
Clare Hyland
Il Circolo
Professor Pat Kendall-Taylor
The Estate of Courtney Kenny
James & Margaret Lancaster
Professor Colin Lawson CBE
FRCM
David & Sue Lewis
John & Jackie Lower
Charles & Dominique Lubar
Richard Mansell-Jones
David Mildon
Ellen Moloney
Music Talks
Keith O’Nions
The Risman Foundation
Linda Perez
P F Charitable Trust
PRS for Music Foundation
Catherine Quinn
Andrew Ratcliffe
Rotary Club London
Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
Alan Sainer
The David & Jennifer Sieff
Charitable Trust
Sarah Sillem
St Giles & St George Education Charity
Penny Streeter OBE
The Tamir-Sternberg Foundation
James Williams
Quentin & Sarah Williams
Moira Witty GRSM ARCM
The William Walton and La Mortella Trust
The Worshipful Company of Cutlers
The Worshipful Company of Saddlers
We are grateful to ABRSM for their significant contribution.
RCM Legacy Ensemble
Dr Emma Adlard
Mr Robert C Andrews
Christopher Ball
Sue Balston
Margaret Barfield
Mr Brian Barker
Mrs Jane Barker CBE FRCM
Elizabeth Bates
John Beech
Lady Eve Bergman ARCM LRAM
John Bertalot
Lord Black and Mr Mark Bolland
Mrs Elizabeth Blackman
Helen Brunner
Mrs Brenda Bunyan
Miss Valerie Byrom-Taylor
Sir Roger & Lady Carr HonRCM
Mr Chris Christodoulou HonRCM
Daphne Clarke
Sir Anthony Cleaver FRCM
Colin Coombs
Mr Colin Cree
Mr Paul Duffy
Mrs Marion Dyer
Mr John East
Mrs Catherine James Edwards
Scott Elkins
Baroness Fleet CBE
Iain Fowler HonRCM and Robert Rose
Pete Fozard
Sarah Gibb
Olivia Graham
Lady Victoria Harrison
Lily Harriss HonRCM & Julian Harriss
Mr Michael Hodges
Ms Poppy Holden
Susan Holland
David Holohan
Bryan Husband
Michael Kadwell
Karaviotis Foundation
Mr Ivan Katzen
Bryan Kelly
Professor Pat Kendall-Taylor
Mr Nicholas King FRCM
Mr Matthew Knight
Professor Colin Lawson CBE
FRCM
John Lawson
Kenneth and Daphne Midwood
Lorraine Migliorini
Miss Madeleine Mitchell FRSA
MMus GRSM ARCM
Ellen Moloney
Avril Nelson GRSM ARCM & Graham Fearnhead
Mr Grant Newman & Mr Neville McDonough
Mr John Nickson & Mr Simon
Rew
Michael Normington
Mr Humphrey Norrington OBE FRCM
Terry and Valerie Osborne
Mrs Katia de Peyer
Mrs Sue Pudifoot-Stephens
Dame Janet Ritterman DBE HonDMus
Victoria, Lady Robey OBE HonRCM
Mrs Hilda Scarth
Christopher Scott
Mr William & Mrs Valerie Shackel
Ms Barbara Simmonds
Stephen Stuart-Smith
Susan Sturrock HonRCM
Mr Robert Sutherland
Ms Frances Tait
Anton Tasker
Patricia and Kevin Thompson
Kyra von Schottenstein
Anne Wadsworth OBE & Brian
Wadsworth
Caroline Wallis-Newport
Timothy Wilcox
By leaving a gift in your Will you can play a significant role in helping the College to inspire and educate musicians of the future.
For more information on leaving a legacy to the RCM, please contact Natalie Matias, on natalie.matias@rcm.ac.uk
William Paton Brown studied at the Royal College of Music from 1953 to 1954 with Henry Holst and Hubert Dawkes. Born in Glasgow, he studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and joined the RCM after serving his National Service with the Salon Orchestra of the Grenadier Guards. From 1956 to 1962, he was a member of the Scottish (National) Orchestra, then the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra from 1962 to 1971. William was offered a week’s work with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in 1971 and subsequently become a member of the second violin section. He played with the LSO until his retirement in 1997. William was a keen writer of songs, poems and stories and his book, Quirky Quavers was published in 2016. He passed away in February.
Composer Andrew Downes was a student of Herbert Howells at the Royal College of Music in the 1970s. A pioneering voice in British music, Andrew was Head of the School of Composition and Creative Studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire from 1975 to 2002. Andrew’s compositions include the In the Cotswolds and Towards a New Age overtures, the Centenary Firedances for the City of Birmingham’s centenary festival in 1989, and anthems and song cycles broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and 4. Performers of his music include the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Andrew suffered from ankylosing spondylitis since his youth, and an accident in 2009 resulted in permanent paraplegia. Despite this, his creativity and joie de vivre remained, and he never stopped composing. Andrew passed away in January.
Paul Farmer MBE studied at the Royal College of Music from 1969 to 1972 and passed away earlier this year. Paul studied the organ with Richard Latham, and was organist at St Simon Zelotes, Cadogan Square. Success came in the field of education, with teaching posts including Head of Music at Holland Park Comprehensive (where he devised the first CSE exam in pop music), Head Teacher of Dick Sheppard School, Lambeth and later Headmaster of Sedgehill School, Lewisham. Paul also published several music education books which sold nearly half a million copies. He retired to Suffolk, where he became involved in local politics and was a Town Councillor for Bury St Edmunds. He was appointed MBE in 2013 for services to the community in Suffolk.
Suhail Saba FRCM was a generous supporter of the Royal College of Music, whose philanthropic initiatives provided opportunities for many RCM students. His contribution to the College was recognised in 1992, when he became a Fellow. Suhail was a partner of Saba IP, an Intellectual Property Law company based in the Middle East. He was a founding member and former President of the Association for the Protection of Industrial Property in the Arab World. Suhail was also a great lover of music, particularly the violin, and was a benefactor of several music institutes in the Middle East as well as the RCM. He died peacefully in February at the age of 95.
Neurologist and RCM supporter Dr Martin Samuel Schwartz was a great lover of music and regularly attended concerts at the College, as well as sponsoring students. Born in Baltimore, Maryland to a Jewish family, Martin’s father was a violinist who played for many years with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Martin himself trained as a doctor, interning in San Francisco before qualifying in Baltimore under Richard Mayer. Martin settled in London in the early 1970s, using the city as his base for travel all over the world with his partner, Lee. He wrote numerous academic papers on medical subjects and was still acting as an expert witness in court cases shortly before his death in November 2022.
Dr Roger Tebbet died in January following a long battle with cancer, aged 75. He studied at the Royal College of Music from 1966 to 1969. After graduating from the RCM, Roger received an MA and PhD from York University, where he studied under Dr Francis Jackson, Organist Emeritus of York Minster. Roger went on to teach at York University and Leeds College of Music. He was organist and Director of Music at Selby Abbey in Selby, North Yorkshire, from 1994 until 2020. Roger was also appointed Music Director of North Yorkshire community choral society The Easingwold Singers in 1994 and saw Dr Francis Jackson accept the commission of a new work for their 20th-anniversary concert.
Michal Kaznowski, a beloved cello teacher at the Royal College of Music Junior Department for 17 years, passed away in May at the age of 69.
After learning the cello with his father, formerly a professional cellist in Poland, Michal was taught at the Menuhin School. He later studied at the Royal Academy of Music, and then with André Navarra in Germany. He also studied with the Romanian cellist Radu Aldulescu.
An esteemed orchestral player, Michal was Principal Cello of the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet and then Associate Principal in the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra. From 1979 to 1983 he was Principal Cello of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle, and at the time was the youngest person to be awarded such a senior orchestral position in the UK.
In 1988, Michal became a founding member of the Maggini Quartet, and performed with the ensemble throughout Europe, North America and the Far East for 35 years. The Quartet recorded over 35 discs of 20th-century British repertoire and won the Gramophone Award and the Diapason d’Or for their recording of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Naxos quartets.
A dedicated teacher, Michal joined the RCM Junior Department (JD) in 2006, and prior to this had taught at the Purcell School for 15 years. He also conducted the Esher and Ditton Youth Orchestra for 15 years and taught at Wells Cathedral Specialist Music School with Amaryllis Fleming.
Isabella Song, one of Michal’s JD students, says: ‘Once in a lifetime do people get to meet such an amazing and charismatic teacher like Michal. He always guided me through each step of my cello journey and has made me who I am today. Michal was the wisest and most passionate musician I have ever known.’
Miranda Francis, Head of the RCM JD, says: ‘Michal was an extraordinarily gifted, intelligent musician and truly inspiring teacher. He enriched the lives of countless young musicians over his long and distinguished teaching career. He was a wonderful human and will be deeply missed by us all.’
Niel Immelman, South African pianist and revered piano professor at the Royal College of Music, passed away in June 2023. His relationship with the RCM spanned over 40 years.
Niel first started learning the piano with his mother Nettie Immelman while growing up in South Africa and went on to study at the Royal College of Music under Cyril Smith, graduating in 1969. While a student at the College, the late Bernard Haitink described him as ‘a great talent’ and invited him to perform with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. This debut launched a hugely successful career which took him all over the world, performing with leading orchestras and conductors including Sir Adrian Boult, Aldo Ceccato, Louis Frémaux, Sir Charles Groves and Walter Susskind. In 1980, Niel became a professor of piano at the Royal College of Music, and in 2000 he was made a fellow of the College. His students included Ivana Gavrić, Clara Rodriguez and Mark Viner, and Niel often served on juries of international competitions and gave masterclasses at many of the leading conservatoires. His extensive repertoire ranged from the English virginalists to the present and his acclaimed recordings include the complete piano works of Josef Suk, the first in recorded history.
Alumni: alumni@rcm.ac.uk
Supporting the RCM: 020 7591 4750 dae@rcm.ac.uk
Hiring RCM musicians: 020 7591 4367 diana.roberts@rcm.ac.uk The Royal College of Music is a registered charity. No 309268
