Royal Gala at Windsor Castle
Friday 17 May 2019
On Thursday 16 May 2019, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, President of the Royal College of Music (RCM), held a special gala concert at Windsor Castle.
The concert showcased some of the RCM’s most acclaimed alumni, including Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Sarah Connolly and conductor John Wilson, performing alongside Maxim Vengerov, Polonsky Visiting Professor of Violin, and the talented young musicians in the RCM Chamber Orchestra.
The evening included a performance of Haydn’s Overture to an English Opera ‘Windsor Castle’ and saw RCM Director, Professor Colin Lawson accompanying Dame Sarah Connolly on the basset horn. The event was also an opportunity to celebrate the achievements so far of the More Music: Reimagining the Royal College of Music Campaign.
Building work for the RCM’s More Music building development is now well underway This includes new state-of-the-art facilities, including two new performance spaces, practice rooms and social spaces, a new home for the Royal College of Music Museum and an improved accessible entrance to the College.
As well as redeveloping the campus, the More Music Campaign will fund a wide range of projects which will further support students and enhance the College’s programmes and outreach offerings. More Music will not only transform the learning environment for students but also expand its scholarship provision and public engagement programme, allowing more people than ever before to connect with the UK’s leading conservatoire.
Of the £25 million target for the construction element of the Campaign, £20 million has been raised so far. Of the overall Campaign target, 75% has been raised.
Professor Colin Lawson, Director of the Royal College of Music comments: ‘I am delighted with the More Music Campaign’s progress so far and grateful for each and every contribution we have received. The excitement of seeing the new facilities taking shape is palpable amongst the RCM’s students, staff and visitors alike. We look forward to our reimagined RCM and all the new creative opportunities it will bring.’
Campaign Chairman, Geoffrey Richards, comments: ‘We are hugely grateful for the generous support of our patrons and sponsors in helping us to reach this crucial stage of the Campaign. We now look to music-lovers everywhere to make a once-in-a-generation contribution to the future of the RCM, so that we can continue to nurture the best musical talent for years to come.’
The More Music: Reimagining the Royal College of Music Campaign building development has been made possible through the generosity of many supporters. In particular, the RCM would like to thank Founding Patrons including the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), Kingdom Music Education Group, Rena Lavery HonRCM & Sandro Lavery, Ruth West HonRCM & Dr Michael West and the Garfield Weston Foundation for their significant contributions.
