From masterclasses and endowed professorships, to groundbreaking research and investment in digital technology, our academic initiatives will provide invaluable learning experiences, inspiring the young artists trained at the RCM and the audiences they reach during their careers.
Enquiry and innovation forms the backbone of the learning experience for all our students, who craft their own courses of study according to their needs and aspirations. The digital revolution provides us with a world of new opportunities by putting us in touch with global audiences for our students, whilst the RCM's research environment enables undergraduates to work alongside leading professors in music education, performance researchers and with other scholars and scientists.
'I think that, if you’re able to and you’ve been successful, you have some duty to try to help other people. To help them fulfil their dreams, to give them an opportunity.'
Michael West, More Music Founding Patron
Our research changes lives
Research at the RCM covers a wide range of topics, past and present, to better inform our understanding of the world tomorrow. Our researchers are investigating the influence of poets on the music of Johannes Brahms, documenting the lives of musicians displaced by the Second World War and their impact on British culture, and working alongside the National Trust to explore the role of music in the structure of the Georgian family home.
Together with our partners, we are developing dynamic new ways of teaching and learning that have an impact far beyond the world of music. Our flagship interdisciplinary research centre, the Centre for Performance Science, investigates every aspect of performance as well as the myriad of health and wellbeing benefits associated with music. These include the discovery that group singing ‘with baby’ could speed up recovery from postnatal depression, which is estimated to affect one in eight women, and that singing in a choir for just one hour boosts levels of immune proteins in people affected by cancer.
With your support we will help musicians to fulfil their potential with greater confidence, knowledge and awareness of their own health, as well as continuing to demonstrate the important impact music has on the wider world.
Find out more
Visiting artists
The RCM regularly invites renowned musicians from all over the world to share their expertise and insight with our students. Masterclasses are a vital part of our students’ professional and personal development, and our orchestral musicians enjoy expert leadership from some of the most respected conductors in the field. Your support can ensure that our masterclass programme continues to grow.
Maxim Vengerov
Dame Gwyneth Jones
Sir James Galway
Nicola Benedetti
Sir Thomas Allen
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Harlem Quartet
Stefan Dohr
Jonathan Lemalu
Digital futures
Technology facilitates collaboration, innovation and accessibility and enhances the performance experience for audiences and performers alike. By harnessing the power of 21st century technology we will secure our position as a truly global conservatoire and a world-leader in innovative use of digital technologies. Investment in our digital future will enable our students to reach wider audiences through new digital platforms and collaborate with leading musicians and educators around the globe.
Access to our collections
Our internationally significant collection of musical instruments, works of art and manuscripts is the most substantial research resource relating to the history of music held by any UK conservatoire. A digitisation project will allow audiences to discover our collections online and offer online teaching resources.
