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Welcome to the spring edition of Upbeat magazine.
It's been another successful term, with the Royal College of Music recently announced as global No. 1 institution for performing arts in the 2023 QS World University Rankings by Subject – the second consecutive year the College has placed first in this prestigious league table.
I am immensely proud that the RCM has been recognised in this way once again and thank our staff and students for their hard work in achieving this accolade.
The RCM’s mission is to empower our students to become the next generation of musical leaders, and this issue of Upbeat magazine will explore the ways the College is helping to shape our graduates’ bright futures.
In this edition, we’ll hear about some of the initiatives offered by our innovative Creative Careers Centre, see the impact of the More Music Campaign, and recognise the successes of many of our wonderful alumni.
Shaping Bright Futures
- Watch an interview with Grammy Award–winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre, who shares insights from his career and how he will be working with the Royal College of Music in his new role as Ambassador for RCM Creative Careers.
- Discover how participants of the Creative Careers Centre’s RCM Accelerate scheme are pursuing their unique, entrepreneurial business ventures.
- Lily Harriss, RCM Director of Development, reflects on the impact of the More Music Campaign for our students and the role of philanthropy in the College’s history.
Our alumni community
- Former RCM Council Member John Nickson pays tribute to the late Peter Jonas – RCM alumnus, renowned opera impresario and general director of English National Opera – ahead of the publication of a new biography.
- Hear the latest updates from RCM alumni around the world.
- Many former students will recall photographer Chris Christodoulou, who is celebrating 40 years of capturing events at the Royal College of Music. He revisits some of his favourite images from the last four decades.
News
- Discover new developments in College, including a grant for 3D modelling for the RCM Museum and a new international partnership with the Saline royale Academy in France.
- See how staff and students focused on sustainable practices in this year’s Green Week, part of the College’s commitment to becoming net zero by 2035.
- Find out how much was raised in last year’s Big Give campaign – one of the most successful to date – and learn more about a new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Visiting Artists Fund established by Lady Robey OBE HonRCM.
- Keep up to date with news from current students and staff and pay tribute to the lives of those associated with the College.
As ever, we would love to hear news of your recent projects and collaborations. Please send your updates for the next issue to news@rcm.ac.uk by Friday 12 May.
Upbeat is published as a printed magazine in the Summer Term – if you don’t currently receive the printed edition, please email DAE@rcm.ac.uk.
And, finally, I encourage alumni to keep in touch and make the most of the RCM’s vibrant global network. Do join our dedicated LinkedIn group, and keep an eye out in April for a new Graduate Profiles page on our website, where you can discover more stories from across the community.
Professor Colin Lawson CBE FRCM, Director
Professor Colin Lawson is the Director of the Royal College of Music.
