The RCM is pleased to welcome flautist Amy Yule, piccolo player Kathleen Stevenson, oboist Philippe Tondre, bassoonist Theo Plath and the Alinde Quintet to its Woodwind Faculty as International Visiting Artists from September! Find out more: bit.ly/rcm-ww-iva

Wimbledon starts today! Did you know that Royal College of Music alumni Benjamin Britten and Frank Bridge were both tennis fans? Look out for the printed summer edition of Upbeat magazine next week, featuring articles on the surprising connections between music and sport. What's not 'two-love'?

The Royal College of Music has launched a pioneering new songwriting collaboration with the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, bringing together student composers and performers with patients to create a collection of original songs. Learn more: bit.ly/rcm-rhn

Dr Ingrid Pearson has been awarded a £100,000 research grant by UKRI to explore how additive manufacturing (including 3D printing) can be used to produce playable replicas of historical woodwind instruments at the RCM 🪈 Discover more: bit.ly/rcm-ukri 📸: Chris Christodoulou

The Royal College of Music is delighted to welcome new professors Neal Davies, Robert Murray, Benjamin Appl, Arwel Treharne Morgan, Neil Baker and Matthew Marriott to the Vocal & Opera Faculty this September! Find out more: bit.ly/rcm-vocal26

The RCM is delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Martyn Brabbins, Professor Neta Spiro and Professor Tania Lisboa to Personal Chairs in their fields, and Dr George Waddell as Reader in Performance Research and Innovation. Find out more: bit.ly/rcm-appoints

Discover stories of migrant musicians from Nazi Germany in this new animation, based on research from the RCM. The video celebrates the impact of the Music, Migration and Mobility project, showing how exiled composers reshaped Britain’s musical life. Learn more: bit.ly/rcm-mmm-26

Today we mark the centenary of the birth of composer Joseph Horovitz, a much-loved member of the RCM Composition Faculty for nearly 60 years. Joe's legacy is celebrated in the largest composer archive housed by the RCM Library, now available to explore online. Find out more: josephhorovitz.co.uk

The winner of the Royal College of Music's Larks Ascending composition competition, inspired by Eurasian Skylark recordings to highlight the species' long-term decline in the UK, has been announced:

We’re thrilled to welcome drummer Jas Kayser and timpanist Tomohiro Ando, who will be joining the Timpani and Percussion Faculty as International Visiting Artists from September! Learn more: bit.ly/rcm-percussi...

We’re delighted to announce the winners of this year’s CAVATINA Intercollegiate Chamber Music Competition 🎶 First Prize ⋅ Trio Rossetti from the Royal College of Music 🥇 Second Prize ⋅ Chiarina Trio from the Royal Northern College of Music 🥈
 


We've loaned some items from our collection for the Royal College of Music’s exhibition! @rcmlondon.bsky.social Shared Airs: Our Thriving Folk Musics explores the world of contemporary folk traditions, celebrating how and why folk music continues to evolve, live and thrive. bit.ly/rcm-shared-a...

Feeling inspired by Bridging Worlds at RCM last week ✨ It was a joy to bring together @royalalberthall.bsky.social Associate Artists Rushil Ranjan & Abi Sampa with students from RCM, Trinity Laban, @rncmlive.bsky.social and the Sunshine Orchestra, celebrating music and movement across cultures 🌎🎶

The 2026 BBC Proms are here – and RCM musicians feature from the First to the Last Night! 🌟 World premieres, BBC commissions, leading conductors and star soloists showcase the breadth of RCM talent across the season. Find out who performs this year: bit.ly/rcm-proms-2026

The RCM Museum's upcoming exhibition, Shared Airs: Our Thriving Folk Musics, explores the world of contemporary folk traditions, celebrating why folk music continues to thrive. The exhibition is free and opens on Tuesday 19 May. Learn more: bit.ly/rcm-shared-a... 📸: Ellen Seidell

For visitors who are joining us for #RCMOpenDay tomorrow, please make sure to check tfl.gov.uk/tube-dlr-ove... for live travel updates. For further travel details, please see our visitor information page. We look forward to welcoming you to the Royal College of Music tomorrow👋

Inspired by Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, five RCM composers create new works using recordings of lark song. The works will be performed for a special panel including Nicola LeFanu on 29 April. Learn more: bit.ly/rcm-larks 📸 of RVW: Gerald Festus Kelly, RCM Museum Collection

The RCM Museum is now on the Bloomberg Connects app! With the Bloomberg Connects app, you can explore the musical treasures of our museum and discover 500 years of music-making history straight from your phone, wherever you are in the world. Learn more: bit.ly/rcm-bloomberg

We're still basking in the glow of a sparkling Spring Term at the Royal College of Music! Take a look back at just some of the recent achievements of our staff, students and alumni: bit.ly/UpdatesSpring26 #RCMUpbeat

‘I threw myself in at the deep end!’ From studying at the RCM, to juggling parenthood and further study, to walking the red carpet, Alexandra Harwood’s inspiring career as a screen and ballet composer is testament to her skill and determination. Meet Alex in #RCMUpbeat: bit.ly/AlexHarwood #acgas

Priority booking is now open for our Summer Season! If you are an RCM Friend, take advantage of the seven-day priority booking period and secure your seats for captivating concerts and events this summer. Want to become an RCM Friend? Learn how at www.rcm.ac.uk/support/frie...

‘Sing for the love of singing itself!’ Countertenor and RCM alumnus Hugh Cutting on how the Royal College of Music changed his worldview, why competitions aren't everything, and the sheer joy of singing. Find out more in the latest edition of Upbeat magazine: bit.ly/HughCutting

The RCM has been ranked the No. 1 UK institution for Music and Performing Arts in the QS World Rankings! 🎉 The RCM’s success belongs to our exceptional students, faculty and staff, whose artistry and commitment define the RCM as a global leader. Read more: bit.ly/rcm-qs26 📸: Chris Christodoulou

Announcing our Summer Season of events! ☀️ Journey across the world with music shaped by folk traditions this summer at the Royal College of Music, with concerts and events for all to enjoy. Booking opens on 8 April, or 1 April for priority bookers: www.rcm.ac.uk/events/

Absolutely delighted to be featured on Upbeat magazine!

Welcome Spring with a brand-new edition of Upbeat magazine! ✨ bit.ly/UpbeatSpring26 On the theme of Stage & Screen, this issue features interviews with three stellar RCM alumni: screen composer Alexandra Harwood, countertenor Hugh Cutting, and pianist @cyrillibrahim.bsky.social

That’s a wrap on #RCMGreenWeek 2026! We’ve loved putting the spotlight on sustainability at the RCM through inspiring activities, such as such as gardening for wellbeing, nature-inspired improvisation and free bike maintenance. Learn more about Green Week: bit.ly/rcm-green-week

It’s Green Week at the Royal College of Music! 🌳 From 16 to 22 March, the RCM is hosting a range of activities for staff and students to get involved with sustainability, from practical tips to music-making sessions based on environmental themes. Learn more: bit.ly/rcm-green-week

Sounds of Blossom at Kew Gardens is now open! 🌸 Visitors can immerse themselves in Kew’s world-renowned magnolia and cherry blossom collections whilst hearing evocative soundscapes written by RCM composers. Find out more: bit.ly/rcm-kew-2026 📸: RBG, Kew @rbgkew.bsky.social

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...

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...

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...

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

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...

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...

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 [email protected] 📸 alumna Louise Alder, Last Night of the Proms, Chris Christodoulou

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

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

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...