There are just a few hours to go until we’re live with Beethoven’s Symphony no 1 and Louise Farrenc’s Overture no 2, performed by RCM musicians Side by Side members of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Tune in from 6pm: youtube.com/live/aP4Avua...
There are just a few hours to go until we’re live with Beethoven’s Symphony no 1 and Louise Farrenc’s Overture no 2, performed by RCM musicians Side by Side members of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Tune in from 6pm: youtube.com/live/aP4Avua...
A white woman with blonde hair smiling, wearing a black sequin top and a necklace. She is holding a historical clarinet.
Wishing Katherine ‘Waffy’ Spencer a warm welcome to the RCM’s Historical Performance Faculty!
Joining us as a historical clarinet professor, Katherine holds principal clarinet positions in many orchestras and has made numerous BBC Radio 3 solo broadcasts.
Find out more: bit.ly/rcm-hp-clari...
Dancer raises arms before orchestra and pianist surrounded by low lighting
Bridging Worlds at the RCM, 7 May🎟️
Experience brand-new music where Western classical meets global traditions
Curated by @royalalberthall.bsky.social Associate Artists Rushil Ranjan & Abi Sampa, with @rncmlive.bsky.social, Trinity Laban and the Sunshine Orchestra
www.rcm.ac.uk/events/detai...
A man wearing a gown holding a medal shaking hands with King Charles III who is wearing a suit. Her Majesty The Queen can be seen in the background speaking to another man wearing a robe with grey hair and glasses, whose face is not visible.
Three men wearing robes stood in an ornate room. The man in the centre is holding a medal in a case, and the man on the right is holding a scroll.
Congratulations to colleagues in the Royal College of Music’s Centre for Performance Science, who were awarded their prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education by Their Majesties The King and Queen yesterday for its transformational and innovative work!
#QEdPrizes
A student playing a harpsichord while reading a score on a tablet, with students playing recorders, chamber organ and string instruments in the background
Handel, with care! Here are some of our Historical Performance students rehearsing Acis & Galatea by Handel, who was born on this day in 1685, ahead of their stunning performance of the work last Friday.
Find out more about Historical Performance at the Royal College of Music 🎻 www.rcm.ac.uk/hp/
🎻Celebrate women in music with Esther Abrami, “the leading violinist of a new generation of classical music fans” (Harper's Bazaar).
Forbes' 30 Under 30 and @rcmlondon.bsky.social graduate is back in London!
📅 5 March @frenchinstituteuk.bsky.social
🎟️ www.institut-francais.org.uk/events-agend...
A group of six people wearing black stood outside 10 Downing Street.
A white woman sat at a grand piano and a black woman stood holding a clarinet smiling, in a room with red wallpaper and portraits on the walls.
Three people stood smiling at the camera, dressed smartly.
Two young men sat playing classical guitars.
Last week we held a special event at 11 Downing Street to celebrate the RCM’s educational partnerships 🎉
Featuring inspiring performances from RCM students, it was fantastic to celebrate the work of the RCM in an iconic setting.
There are just a few hours to go until we’re live with the RCM Symphony Orchestra and Lawrence Renes for Bruckner’s monumental Symphony no 7!
Join us for this epic work full of blazing themes and spacious textures. Tune in from 7.30pm: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ewx...
Find out more about improvisation at the RCM in Upbeat magazine: bit.ly/RCMimprov
11.02.2026 10:30 — 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Dr Gerardo Gozzi and RCM students during an improvisation class, smiling and playing a variety of instruments
Don't miss our latest Music and Ideas talk: Mozart Improvised, Why Don't We? Today at 5.15pm in the Performance Hall, Dr Gerardo Gozzi and RCM students explore the Royal College of Music's unique improvisation course, and how it equips musicians for versatile careers. www.rcm.ac.uk/events/detai...
11.02.2026 10:30 — 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
A drawing of a woman with dark hair, hoop earrings and a pinafore next to an artwork of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, a black man wearing a beige patterned jacket with an orange patterned background.
Unsung: Treasures of the RCM opens today at the RCM Museum! Discover the untold stories of the RCM's diverse community and an array of musical curiosities. 🔍
Learn more: bit.ly/rcm-unsung
📷: © Yvadney Davis, Milein Cosman/The Cosman Keller Art and Music Trust
A young man and woman holding RCM acceptance letters and smiling. The boy is holding a bassoon and the girl is holding a bass trombone.
Two young musicians from the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra in Canada have gained places at the RCM from September 2026! 🎉
Amy Robichaud and Alexander Urbina auditioned in Toronto. Many congratulations to them both.
Learn more: bit.ly/rcm-nbyo-2026
Seven characters, four seasons, and one pretend gardener...
Immerse yourself in tangled vines of playfulness and poignancy in Mozart’s La finta giardiniera – our spring opera is on sale now!
Book for performances on 16, 18, 20 and 21 March: bit.ly/rcm_opera
A woman wearing black clothes with long black hair playing a Steinway piano. A man dressed in a black suit is sat in the background watching.
A man wearing a suit with a bow tie and glasses holding a conducting baton in the air.
A woman wearing a black dress playing the violin, with another woman holding a violin gesturing towards her. A man is sat at the piano in the background.
Congratulations to the RCM musicians nominated for BBC Music Magazine Awards! 🎶
Nominees from the RCM include current student Jeneba Kanneh-Mason and alumni Gerald Finley, John Wilson, the Marmen Quartet, Alina Ibragimova and Nigel Short’s Tenebrae.
📸: Chris Christodoulou
A mean wearing a black and gold top looking to the side, a woman wearing a red and cream ballgown smiling, a man wearing a hat, glasses and a gown signing a book
Congratulations to the RCM alumni nominated for the 2026 RPS Awards! 🌟
RCM musicians feature in 7 out of the 12 categories, including Mark-Anthony Turnage CBE, Louise Alder, Hugh Cutting and Nicholas McCarthy.
Find out more: bit.ly/rcm-rps-2026
📸: Chris Christodoulou
@royalphilsoc.bsky.social
A man with a beard wearing glasses, a woman with long hair and folded arms smiling, and a man holding a conducting baton
We’re delighted to announce the appointment of Vasily Petrenko and Speranza Scappucci as International Visiting Artists and Martyn Brabbins as a professor of Conducting from September 2026!
Read more: bit.ly/rcm-int-visi...
📸: Ian Ehm, Ben Ealovega, tarlova
Priority booking is now open for the RCM Opera Studio's spring production: Mozart’s La finta giardiniera 🌱
Be surprised, amused and entertained in this spirited production of love, jealousy and passion.
16, 18, 20 and 21 March – RCM Friends book now: bit.ly/rcm_opera
Pink blossoming trees
Sounds of Blossom returns to Kew Gardens this spring! 🌸
From 14 March to 6 April, Kew's blossom hotspots will be brought to life with new compositions created by seven RCM composers, written to evoke the energy and rhythms of springtime. Learn more: bit.ly/rcm-kew-2026
📸: RBG Kew
@rbgkew.bsky.social
Louise Alder in blue dress with golden cape raising her arms and smiling at the Royal Albert Hall audience, an orchestra behind her
Your time to shine! ✨ Send us your news for the spring edition of Upbeat, the Royal College of Music’s termly magazine, by Friday 23 January.
We welcome updates from all alumni, students and staff at news@rcm.ac.uk
📸 alumna Louise Alder, Last Night of the Proms, Chris Christodoulou
A man wearing a robe signing a book and smiling at the camera. He is sat at a desk in front of a navy blue background with a trophy and bouquet of flowers on the side of the desk.
We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of John Wallace CBE.
John was one of the UK’s finest trumpeters and taught at the RCM for many years.
In 2007 he received an RCM Fellowship for his profound impact on music and education.
Image © Chris Christodoulou
A collage of four images, including a man wearing a suit playing the violin, a woman with long pale hair looking to the distance, a woman with dark brown hair wearing a green dress holding a violin, and a black and white photo of a man looking at the camera with the top of a cello in view.
Congratulations to Aries Chow, Krissi Georgieva, Ugne Liepa Zuklyte and Niccolo Citrani for gaining places on LSO's String Experience!
These RCM students will gain work experience by playing in rehearsals and concerts with the LSO.
📷: E. Blazevic, Oukool Creative, Giulio Gennari
Explore our MSc in Performance Science 👉 bit.ly/rcm-msc-perf...
09.01.2026 11:10 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
A room with students sat facing a screen showing a full concert hall. A man is stood at the front speaking in front of a grand piano.
The RCM is delighted to announce the 1851 MSc Studentships, supported by the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851. The 1851 MSc Studentships will offer four full-fee studentships in 2026/27 and are open to MSc applicants eligible to pay home fees. Find out more: bit.ly/rcm-1851-stu...
09.01.2026 10:59 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0
The front of the Royal College of Music building from a side angle, obscured by trees, greenery and lampposts.
The Royal College of Music has been ranked the number one conservatoire for sustainability in People & Planet’s University League Table for the fourth year running! 🌱
Find out more about sustainability at the RCM: bit.ly/4jwmA0r
Curious about conducting?
At this year's Festival of Conducting on Sunday 1 February, join #RCMSparks for an exciting chance to conduct a live ensemble and explore how conductors bring music to life!
Open to ages 15-18. Learn more & apply by Friday 23 January: bit.ly/getwiththebeat
A woman with grey hair sat signing a book in front of an organ. Two men wearing robes are standing either side.
Congratulations to the 25 individuals who received honorary awards for their outstanding contributions to music, music education and the RCM.
Dame Janet Baker CH and Mark-Anthony Turnage CBE were among the celebrated musicians receiving awards.
Find out more: bit.ly/4j7wFkq
Woman with dark hair knotted on her head wearing dark music-themed costume while carrying two violins
Look back on another outstanding term at the Royal College of Music with Upbeat magazine's roundup of recent successes! Explore extraordinary achievements from across the RCM community of students, staff and alumni 🎉
Catch up with all the latest news 👉 bit.ly/UpbeatUpdates
That’s a wrap! As our Autumn Term comes to a close, we're taking a look back at another brilliant season – thank you to all who joined us in person and online.
Our social media will be taking a break over the festive period, but we’ll back in the new year with more to share with you.
Young tuba player with long dark hair looking up at a clarinettist in the foreground
‘It gives you a new perspective!’ Discover improvisation at the RCM – a unique part of our curriculum, encouraging students to let go of traditional notation, open their ears and expand their horizons.
Find out more in #RCMUpbeat magazine: bit.ly/RCMimprov
Three men and one woman wearing suits holding a guitar in a museum, smiling at the camera
Kurt Cobain’s world-famous guitar has been donated to the Royal College of Music!
Plans are in development for the guitar to appear in an international touring exhibition from 2026.
Read more about the generous donation: bit.ly/4aJx2zo
#KurtCobain #Nirvana #Rock