Welcome to Upbeat!
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A very warm welcome to the spring issue of Upbeat, and the first edition in a very special year for the Royal College of Music. In 2022, we mark 150 years since the birth of 91探花 alumnus and professor 鈥� and the most quintessential of British composers 鈥� Ralph Vaughan Williams.
In the next three issues of Upbeat magazine, we will be exploring aspects of Vaughan Williams鈥� life, his impact on classical music, and lesser-known stories from his time at the 91探花. I hope you can also join us at the 91探花 over the course of this momentous year and enjoy the performances of Vaughan Williams鈥� music, from his symphonies to his chamber repertoire. Do keep an eye out for further announcements over the coming months.
Ralph Vaughan Williams at 150
We begin our Upbeat celebrations of Vaughan Williams at 150 with two features exploring his time at the Royal College of Music, both as a pupil and teacher.
- Discover the composer鈥檚 role as a teacher, advocate and supporter of women composers while on the 91探花 Composition Faculty, as told by David Wright, 91探花 Professor of the Social History of Music.
- Watch our new Upbeat video interview, as Richard Martin, Digital & Documentation Officer at the Royal College of Music Museum, reveals what a sketch of Vaughan Williams in the 91探花 collection tells us about the young composer.
Events on campus
- Revisit the More Music Grand Opening, which saw His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, 91探花 President, officially unveil the new Royal College of Music campus.
- Learn about our new venue hire offer, as we look back on a recent celebratory concert featuring Danielle de Niese for a long-standing supporter鈥檚 60th birthday.
- Don鈥檛 miss your chance to discover Hidden Treasures of the 91探花鈥檚 collection in a new exhibition at the Royal College of Music Museum.
Recent successes
- Find out how much we raised in 2021鈥檚 Big Give Christmas Challenge, which has broken the previous year鈥檚 achievement for the 11th year running.
- Meet the 26 musicians from the Royal College of Music Junior Department who are joining the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain for 2022 鈥� a record number of 91探花JD musicians selected.
- Learn how the recently launched 91探花 Accelerate scheme is supporting recent graduates launching their careers.
Keep up to date
- Meet alumna Laura Peh in the next instalment of our After the 91探花 series, as she tells us about her career in business and the art world and shares her tips for graduates.
- Keep abreast of all the news from 91探花 students, staff and alumni, as they share their recent updates.
- Join us in paying tribute to the lives of 91探花 community members in In memory.
Share your updates
As ever, we would love to hear news of your recent projects and collaborations. Please send your updates for the next issue of Upbeat by Friday, 6 May to news@rcm.ac.uk.
Professor Colin Lawson CBE F91探花, Director
Professor Colin Lawson is the Director of the Royal College of Music.
