In memory
The Royal College of Music was saddened to learn of the deaths of those within the RCM community.
Lady Connie Middleton
Lady Connie Middleton, a longstanding champion of the Royal College of Music, beloved philanthropist and ardent supporter of music education, passed away peacefully aged 93 on 3 August 2023.
Her funeral took place at Holy Trinity Church in South Kensington on 22 August, followed by a reception at the Royal College of Music, where Lady Middleton’s family, friends, and members of the RCM community gathered to pay their respects and share memories.
Lady Middleton will be fondly remembered for her dedication over many years to the Royal College of Music, an institution that held a special place in her heart. A regular attendee at College events, there was nothing she liked more than listening to the musical talents of the students on show.
Her commitment to this passion was evident in the countless ways she contributed and made a lasting impact. She supported many fundraising initiatives, including the Soirée d’Or Gala, the establishment of the modern legacy programme, and contributions to the More Music Campaign.
All of these initiatives helped in promoting her principal aim of expanding the family of RCM supporters whilst at the same time being a committed champion of music education both in the UK and abroad. These efforts have helped to support many talented music students in their studies and will continue to do so in the future.
As a member of Council, Vice-President, and a longstanding advocate of the RCM, Lady Middleton‘s impact on the institution cannot be overstated. In recognition of her exceptional leadership, philanthropy, and dedication to talented students, she was honoured with a Fellowship of the Royal College of Music in 2001.
The Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall is another lasting testament to her skills in attracting benefactors to support the ambitious plans of the RCM. It was therefore a fitting venue for her memorial reception for those who knew her best to raise a glass to her memory.
Connie (as she was known to so many of us) was a true friend of the College and will remain an inspiration to future generations of musicians and philanthropists.
Michal Kaznowski
Michal Kaznowski, a beloved cello teacher at the Royal College of Music Junior Department for 17 years, passed away in May 2023 at the age of 69.
After learning the cello with his father, formerly a professional cellist in Poland, Michal was taught at the Menuhin School. He later studied at the Royal Academy of Music, and then with André Navarra in Germany. He also studied with the Romanian cellist Radu Aldulescu.
An esteemed orchestral player, Michal was Principal Cello of the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet and then Associate Principal in the BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra. From 1979 to 1983 he was Principal Cello of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle, and at the time was the youngest person to be awarded such a senior orchestral position in the UK.
In 1988, Michal became a founding member of the Maggini Quartet, and performed with the ensemble throughout Europe, North America and the Far East for 35 years. The Quartet recorded over 35 discs of 20th-century British repertoire and won the Gramophone Award and the Diapason d’Or for their recording of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ Naxos Quartets.
A dedicated teacher, Michal joined the RCM Junior Department (JD) in 2006, and prior to this had taught at the Purcell School for 15 years. He also conducted the Esher and Ditton Youth Orchestra for 15 years and taught at Wells Cathedral Specialist Music School with Amaryllis Fleming.
[image1]
Niel Immelman
Niel Immelman, South African pianist and revered piano professor at the Royal College of Music, passed away in June 2023. His relationship with the RCM spanned over 40 years.
Niel first started learning the piano with his mother Nettie Immelman while growing up in South Africa and went on to study at the Royal College of Music under Cyril Smith, graduating in 1969.
While still a student at the College, Niel was invited to perform with the London Philharmonic Orchestra by the late Bernard Haitink, who described him as ‘a great talent’. This debut launched a hugely successful career that took Niel all over the world, performing with leading orchestras and conductors including Sir Adrian Boult, Aldo Ceccato, Louis Frémaux, Sir Charles Groves and Walter Susskind.
In 1980, Niel became a professor of piano at the Royal College of Music, and in 2000 he was made a Fellow of the College. His students included Ivana Gavrić, Clara Rodriguez and Mark Viner, and Niel often served on juries of international competitions and gave masterclasses at many of the leading conservatoires. His extensive repertoire ranged from the English virginalists to the present and his acclaimed recordings include the complete piano works of Josef Suk, the first in recorded history.
Paola Quaglia (née Blake)
Paola Quaglia, inspirational Italian language coach at the Royal College of Music, passed away in September 2023.
With a true passion for music and the voice in particular, Paola Quaglia started teaching at the RCM in 2002. A trained singer with many roles in her repertoire, she combined her technical expertise, in-depth knowledge of the Italian vocal singing style, and artist management experience in the classical music industry to become one of the RCM’s most trusted Italian language coaches.
Paola regularly coached at a number of prestigious institutions including the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, La Monnaie, Opera de Lille, Scottish Opera, Opera North, WNO, Opera Holland Park, Garsington Opera, The Grange Festival, GTO, ETO, Raymond Gubbay and BBC Singers. For eight years, she also managed opera singers working for a leading UK classical artists agency.
Paola additionally coached for recordings with Deutsche Grammophon and Sony, working with singers like Rolando Villazón, Anna Prohaska and Simone Kermes, and conductors Sir Antonio Pappano, Teodor Currentzis and Jonathan Cohen amongst others.
RCM Head of Vocal & Opera, Nick Sears, says: ‘Countless RCM singers have cause to be grateful for all of Paola’s expertise, encouragement and passion for the artform, and she will be greatly missed by us all’.
Ryland Davies
Ryland Davies, much-loved operatic tenor and renowned teacher who taught at the Royal College of Music for 20 years, passed away in November 2023 at the age of 80.
Born in Wales to a steelworker and his wife, Ryland had no musical training prior to entering the Royal Manchester College of Music (now the Royal Northern College of Music) at the age of 17. He studied with the legendary Frederic Cox, who encouraged his innate musicality and natural phrasing to be fully expressed.
In 1964 Ryland made his debut in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville with Welsh National Opera, as well as joining the chorus at Glyndebourne. After winning the John Christie Award at Glyndebourne in 1965, he maintained a close relationship with the Festival, where his flexible, Italianate tenor voice shone in operas by Mozart, Donizetti and Britten. An impressive array of lead roles included performances with the Royal Opera House, the Salzburg Festival and the Met. Ryland regularly sang as a soloist in oratorios, and collaborated with exceptional artists including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Montserrat Caballé, Sir Colin Davis and Sir Simon Rattle.
A highly-respected and sympathetic voice teacher, Ryland taught at the RCM between 1989 and 2009, and at the Royal Academy of Music, the RNCM, and the Reina Sofía School of Music in Madrid. His students included Ian Bostridge, David Butt Philip and RCM alumnus, Jacques Imbrailo.
Javier Álvarez
Javier Álvarez, Royal College of Music alumnus and former professor, died aged 67 in May 2023.
Javier Álvarez entered the National Conservatory of Music in his native Mexico City at age 18, where he studied clarinet. He went on to the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, where he gained a Masters degree in music theory and composition, then joined the Royal College of Music, studying with John Lambert.
Javier’s music has been performed by leading orchestras around the world and, in 1993, he composed the score for Guillermo del Toro’s horror film, Cronos.
From 1993 to 1999, Javier was a Fellow of Mexico’s National Endowment for the Arts and Culture. He was a founding member of Sonic Arts Network and Artistic Director of the Society for the Promotion of New Music. He taught composition at the Royal College of Music, along with City University, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the University of Hertfordshire and Malmö Academy of Music.
After 25 years in England, Javier returned to Mexico where he served as Dean of the Conservatorio de Las Rosas and Director of the Escuela Superior de Artes de Yucatán.
Darell Moulton
Darell Moulton, Royal College of Music alumnus and Piano Technician, passed away aged 79 in May 2023.
Darell Moulton studied singing at the Royal College of Music with Redvers Llewellyn and Lyndon van der Pump. Upon being awarded an ARCM in 1971, he was appointed as the RCM’s Assistant Piano Tuner/Repairer, going on to become Piano Technician in 1986 following the death of George Menhinick.
Also in 1971, Darell began an impressive 50-year career as a voice teacher at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), where his students included Kenneth Branagh, Ralph Fiennes, Timothy Spall and Ben Whishaw. He was additionally the voice co-ordinator at the Webber Douglas Academy for 30 years, taught at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and was vocal advisor to the Arts Council of Great Britain.
In 2015, Darell was in the audience at the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall to see his nephew, Chris Moulton, awarded an HonRCM for services to the College as its Head of Keyboard Technical Services. Darell had received the same honour himself 21 years earlier.
[image3]
David Gorringe
David Gorringe, RCM Theatre Co-ordinator from 1980 to 2009, has passed away aged 80.
David Gorringe dedicated almost 29 years to the Royal College of Music, working in the role of Theatre Co-ordinator from April 1980 until his retirement in January 2009. David studied with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Sir Thomas Allen at the London Opera Centre, and brought his experience of working at Sadler’s Wells to discussions about the plans for the RCM’s Britten Theatre, which was designed by Sir Hugh Casson and opened in 1986. David was made HonRCM in 2001.
He is remembered fondly for his good humour, regaling fellow RCM staff with stories about ghosts in the Britten Theatre. He had a cameo role in the RCM production of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, when he was drafted in to play the body of Buoso Donati – for which he had to lie perfectly still while students, including Jonathan Lemalu, would whisper jokes to him and try to make him laugh. Before he retired, he left a good luck message in spray paint on the back of the safety curtain in the Theatre, which is still there.
After leaving the RCM, David moved to Gainsborough in Lincolnshire with his civil partner, Ken. David was an active member of his local churches, with roles as a reader and server in St Mary’s Church, Hanwell, and at All Saints’ Church in Gainsborough. He enjoyed travelling, and during his retirement starred in and directed performances with passengers on a round-the-world cruise and on a cruise around Africa.
David’s partner Ken has said that David’s time at the RCM was his happiest and most fulfilling. RCM Front of House Manager, Mark Traves, says of David that ‘he will be greatly missed by all who knew him.’
[image2]
Sir Peter Walters
Sir Peter Walters, long-time supporter of the Royal College of Music, died aged 92 in July 2023.
Sir Peter Walters was Chairman of BP from 1981 to 1990 and laid the foundations for the company’s transformation into a world-leading oil company. He was born in Birmingham in 1931, and won a place at King Edward’s School before going on to study Economics at Birmingham University. He joined BP in 1954 after national service with the Royal Army Service Corps, and also had a longstanding connection with the Police Foundation which culminated in his becoming its president in 2001.
Sir Peter and Meryl, Lady Walters, have been dedicated supporters of the Royal College of Music for over 20 years. They have generously given financial assistance through the scholarships programme, played host to students in offering them a home from home, and have been instrumental in shaping RCM events including the successful Soirée d’Or at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Promenade event in the beautiful surroundings of their home in West Sussex.
Lily Harriss, RCM’s Director of Development, says, ‘Sir Peter’s legacy at the RCM is one of enduring impact, nurturing talent, and fostering a lasting sense of community with our students and with our faculty and staff. We are delighted to continue that great philanthropic work and support with Lady Walters, and we were honoured she chose the College to host Sir Peter’s Memorial Concert’.
[image4]
Hazel White (née Bole)
Hazel White, Royal College of Music alumna, died aged 100 in May 2023.
Hazel White (née Bole) studied at the Royal College of Music from 1942 to 1946, having already gained her first diploma in both piano and violin whilst at school in Wales. Despite the war, Hazel was determined to attend the RCM and her parents gave her permission on the understanding she would send a daily telegram to let them know she was safe. Whilst studying, she took part in fire watch duties on the College rooftop.
Hazel studied piano with Kendall Taylor and violin with Herbert Kinsey. For other subjects, she counted famed composers Vaughan Williams, and conductors Sargent and Boult as her mentors. She won the Leverhulme Exhibition in 1944 for her piano performance of Brahms’ Rhapsody in G minor.
Hazel married in 1950 and spent 16 years in Australia where she had four daughters before returning to Britain. She died peacefully, surrounded by her family.
[image5]
