Dr Jonathan Cole and William Mival each appointed to a Personal Chair in Composition at the Royal College of Music
Monday 22 July 2024
The Royal College of Music (RCM) has appointed Dr Jonathan Cole, Head of Composition, and William Mival, Composition professor, to Personal Chairs in Composition.
Director Professor Colin Lawson comments: ‘I am delighted that Professors Cole and Mival have been recognised in this way. They have each made an incalculable impact on the work of the Royal College of Music, playing a large part in making our Composition Faculty a natural first choice for young talent from across the globe, within an institution that has achieved for three successive years the No. 1 position in the QS World University Rankings for the Performing Arts.’
Professor Jonathan Cole joined the Royal College of Music in 2005, becoming Head of Composition in 2022. He is known for his strikingly original contributions to British contemporary music and has written for ensembles and orchestras globally. A dedicated educator, he has worked with emerging composers throughout his career, including co-leading the LPO Young Composers Scheme.
Composer, broadcaster, writer and teacher, Professor William Mival has served the Royal College of Music as an inspiring teacher since 1989, leading the Composition Faculty between 2004-2021. His music has been performed all over the world from London’s Barbican Centre to the Sydney Festival, and he is a frequent broadcaster and respected critic.
The principal criterion for appointment to a Personal Chair at the Royal College of Music is distinguished achievement in research and innovation, with an outstanding contribution to the furtherance of knowledge or its application, creativity or artistic insight.
The Royal College of Music’s internationally renowned Composition Faculty has trained some of the world’s leading composers including Benjamin Britten, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Anna Meredith, Helen Grime and Dani Howard to name a few. Faculty members work closely with students to explore what it means to be a composer in today’s society, offering distinctive courses such as Composition for Screen. By collaborating with talented performers, students develop their musical voice, gaining the confidence and knowledge needed to thrive as independent, creative artists.
Find out more about Composition at the Royal College of Music.
