The Royal College of Music and Saline royale Academy launch new partnership

Thursday 12 January 2023

The Royal College of Music (RCM) is delighted to announce a new partnership with the Saline royale Academy located on a recognised UNESCO world heritage site in Arc-et-Senans, Franche-Comté, France.

This initiative offers talented, young musicians the opportunity to collaborate with global peers whilst learning from a collective of inspiring teachers in a technologically advanced environment.

Two RCM students, selected by their professors, will experience life at Saline royale Academy in February and April each year. The individuals will enjoy an intensive programme of activity including access to musicians and pedagogues, which have included Miriam Fried, professor of violin at New England Conservatory in Boston, Clive Greensmith, professor of cello and chamber music at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, Lars Anders Tomter, professor of viola at the State Academy in Oslo and pianist Nelson Goerner.

Students will also gain access to a digital library of over 300 online masterclasses and interviews including selected classes from the RCM, with 400 new videos added to the online catalogue each year. During the residency, students will receive coaching for international competitions alongside focused tuition.  In a reciprocal arrangement, students attending the Saline royale Academy will be invited to the RCM in London’s South Kensington to take part in a week of performance activities.

The partnership also offers a chamber residency in late October 2023 in Arc-et-Senans coached by, amongst others, cellist Marc Coppey, Artistic Director of the Academy.

Stephen Johns, Artistic Director at the RCM, shares:

'We are delighted to be working with Saline royale Academy. We believe that bringing our talented young students to such a beautiful place, learning from some of the very best musicians of today with time to explore extensive resources including a huge catalogue of digitally enhanced masterclasses, can only enhance their learning and creativity, inspiring them to move forward to become the next generation of outstanding classical musicians.'

Marc Coppey, Artistic Director at the Saline royale Academy, commented;

'The Saline Royale Academy is looking forward to developing a partnership with the RCM, illustrating at its best our ambition to develop a unique catalog of online masterclasses given by some of the most internationally sought-after professors, designed to support young talented musicians with different backgrounds in their search to become accomplished musicians.

We are also proud to welcome students and professors from the RCM in the Saline royale, for masterclasses and concerts given in this unique UNESCO heritage monument, giving them opportunities to meet and collaborate with artists from all over the world.'

More detail about the partnership is here or if you are interested in studying at The Royal College of Music in London, find out more here.