.jpg)
Welcome to Upbeat!
Share #UpbeatOnline
A warm welcome to the autumn edition of Upbeat magazine.
During my first full term at the Royal College of Music, I have been hugely inspired by the quality and variety of music making taking place throughout the College. Music always played a central role in my life, and you can find out more about my background in our Meet the Director feature.
There is much to celebrate in this edition of Upbeat, in which we look back at the tremendous summer BBC Proms performance given by the RCM Symphony Orchestra in the Royal Albert Hall and repeated at the closing concert of the Helsinki Festival. The programme featured The Planets by RCM alumnus Gustav Holst, whose 150th anniversary we celebrate with an Upbeat feature exploring his life. There’s also a specially commissioned video of RCM pianists Ayane Nakajima and Louis-Victor Bak performing the two-piano version of ‘Mars’. Much of the original manuscript of The Planets two-piano score is cared for in the RCM Library, and our Librarian Peter Linnitt offers us some insights into how the College came to be in possession of such a remarkable item.
The RCM’s BBC Proms performance also featured a new commission by alumna composer Lara Poe, and we highlight a few of her fellow alumni blazing a trail in the field of composition in our list of Ten Composers to Watch. We also celebrate the vital work of the RCM’s Creative Careers Centre at it turns 25 including an interview with pianist Ivana Gavrić, one of many past students to have collaborated with the Creative Careers team.
There’s all the latest news from RCM students, staff and alumni, an opportunity to remember those connected to the RCM who are sadly no longer with us, plus we highlight a great way to support students through the annual Big Give Christmas Challenge.
Please continue to send us information about your recent projects and collaborations; we love to receive your news! Do send your updates for the next issue to news@rcm.ac.uk by Friday 17 January 2025.
And, finally, do keep a watch over the coming weeks for announcements of forthcoming performances in the Spring Term. I hope you’ll be able to join us either in person or for one of our live-streamed performances in the New Year.
Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy remainder of the year, filled with the joy of music.
James Williams LVO FRCM, Director
==============================================
Upbeat is published as a printed magazine in the Summer Term. If you currently receive the printed version and would like to support our commitment to sustainability, we encourage you to switch to the digital version. To arrange this please email DAE@rcm.ac.uk
James Williams is the Director of the Royal College of Music.
.jpg)
