Eric Whitacre named as Ambassador for Royal College of Music Creative Careers

Monday 6 February 2023

The Royal College of Music (RCM) is delighted to announce that Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre will become an Ambassador for RCM Creative Careers. 

Eric Whitacre will offer in-person and online careers events for RCM students and graduates focusing on the topics of entrepreneurship, innovation, self-promotion and building a creative career, the first of which will take place at the Royal College of Music on Monday 13 February. Additionally, he will mentor and advise students on the L7 Professional Project module. His first mentee, John Griffith, is a composer and choral conductor who is currently working on establishing a new choir as part of this module. 

Building on his existing relationship with the Royal College of Music, Eric Whitacre will further enhance innovation of the Creative Careers Centre services. The Creative Careers Centre is of huge benefit to students and recent RCM graduates and offers resources and guidance as well as a broad range of professional opportunities, assisting to bridge the gap between education and the professional world. The Creative Careers Centre enables musicians to gain hands-on experience and develop new skills, helping them cultivate an entrepreneurial mind-set and build a significant professional portfolio. 

A leading composer, Eric Whitacre’s works include Deep Field which became the foundation for a collaboration with NASA, the Space Telescope Science Institute and 59 Productions. His ground-breaking Virtual Choirs united 100,000 singers from more than 145 countries, and he has given keynote addresses for many educational and global institutions including the influential TED conference.

Eric Whitacre commented: “I am thrilled to be able to join the Royal College of Music in supporting such exceptional young students in their future career. As it turns out, there is no single career path for artists anymore, at least not in the traditional sense, and this is good news! It means that a student has more opportunity to create the career they have always wanted, and that the profession they craft for themselves can be a natural extension of their artistry and their art.”

Diana Roberts, Head of Creative Careers Centre, commented: “As a leading creative figure in our industry, we are delighted that Eric has become our Ambassador for RCM Creative Careers and the vital work we do in preparing musicians for a lifelong and purposeful career. As our world recovers from such devastating times, it’s never been so important to connect with other creatives, collaboratively innovate our ideas, and inspire the next generation. That’s what this new partnership signifies.”

Eric Whitacre’s role complements the RCM Accelerate scheme which supports up to 12 graduating RCM students each year with funding for a new creative project, social enterprise or business idea. Successful applicants receive grant funding and mentoring and are supported by violinist Nicola Benedetti and the Benedetti Foundation as Ambassadors for RCM Accelerate. 

Find out more about what is offered by the Creative Careers Centre here.