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...

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

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

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.

‘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

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

A world of music awaits you ✨ Booking is now open for our Spring Season – join us for riveting events ranging from chamber masterpieces to disco classics, and dazzling jazz arrangements to musical theatre tunes. Browse all events and book your tickets now: www.rcm.ac.uk/events

We did it!🎉 Thanks to your generosity, the RCM Big Give Christmas Challenge 2025 raised £226,594 (with Gift Aid) for the RCM Scholarships Fund🎶 Your support helps talented young musicians access the world-class training they deserve. Thank you✨

Another amazing review of the RCM’s Opera Studio production of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, this time from The Observer! Read about the confidence and impressive musicality of the cast and RCM Opera Orchestra in the full review ⬇️ bit.ly/4rMkBJ4

A Christmas classic, reimagined! ✨ Our percussion students bring new sparkle to ‘In The Bleak Midwinter’ in this special arrangement by RCM student Guy Courtie. Wishing you all a joyful and uplifting festive season filled with music and cheer! #RCMChristmas #ChristmasCarols

'A life-changing experience!' 💫 In the latest edition of #RCMUpbeat magazine, Dr Ingrid Pearson describes her unique instrument-making adventure, when she crafted a chalumeau (an early reed instrument) from boxwood to brass keys. Find out more! 👉 bit.ly/Upbeat_chalumeau

The RCM’s Big Give Christmas Challenge 2025 is live!🎄 We’re aiming to raise £200,000 for scholarships at the Royal College of Music and your gift will go twice as far. Every donation made this week will be matched £1 for £1. 🎁 Donate today: bit.ly/RCM-big-give