Royal College of Music

The Royal College of Music (RCM) is one of the world’s great conservatoires, training gifted musicians from all over the world for international careers as performers, conductors and composers. The RCM is rated top conservatoire for performing arts in Europe and second worldwide in the 2017 and 2018 QS World University Rankings.

Founded in 1882 by the then Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), the RCM has trained some of the most important figures in British and international music life, including composers such as Holst, Vaughan Williams and Britten; conductors such as Leopold Stokowski, Sir Colin Davis and Sir Roger Norrington; singers such as Dame Joan Sutherland, Sir Thomas Allen and Alfie Boe, and instrumentalists such as James Galway, John Lill and Natalie Clein.

With 750 students from more than 60 countries studying at undergraduate, masters or doctoral level, the RCM of the 21st century is a vibrant community of talented and open-minded musicians. RCM professors are musicians with worldwide reputations, accustomed to working with the most talented students of each generation to unlock their artistic potential.

The RCM's learning and teaching is now being transformed by digital technologies, including a pioneering blended learning programme for one-to-one instrumental teaching, a sophisticated internal video platform for teaching, research and archiving, targeted use of low latency videoconferencing technology for long-distance teaching, rehearsing and performing, and an extensive series of live streamed masterclasses and concerts produced in-house and broadcast globally via YouTube and Facebook.

In 2017 the RCM embarks on More Music, an extensive development programme which includes transforming its historic London campus. The project will create two new concert halls, a new museum of music to house the College's world-class instrument collection, and improve facilities for students and visitors.

In January 2017, the RCM signed an historic agreement with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to establish a new Joint Institute in China. This will be the first such partnership of any UK music conservatoire.