Royal College of Music

That’s a wrap on our 2025/26 events season! 🎶

It's been another wonderful year of performances, masterclasses, festivals and more. Swipe to see a few highlights in our ➡

1. A brilliant performance of Nielsen's Inextinguishable Symphony earlier this month with Ryan Bancroft
2. A series of brilliant festivals including Percussion with Dave Weckl as well as Woodwind and Brass, Conducting, Keyboard, Strings...
3. ...and another fantastic Chamber Festival, culminating in A Grand Night for Singing with Wayne Marshall OBE
4. A huge range of insightful masterclasses from musicians including Zlatomir Fung, Nicky Spence - tenor , Sir Stephen Hough and many more
5. Performing at Southbank Centre Queen Elizabeth Hall with the RCM Symphony Orchestra and Kahchun Wong – plus more concerts around London at Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall and Royal Albert Hall
6. New music in a collaborative cross-cultural performance, ‘Bridging Worlds’
7. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of Performance Science at the RCM as part of our Music and Ideas seminar series
8. Three wonderful opera productions from the RCM Opera Studio, including our most recent production of new operas by RCM composers in collaboration with Tête à Tête
9. A concert of Cuban-inspired music with The Sarahbanda

…and so much more! We’re looking forward to welcoming new students in September, and can’t wait to see what the new academic year brings 🎉

How do you prepare for performance? Whether it's playing music in a concert hall or football in a stadium, the RCM Centre for Performance Science is at the cutting edge of research into optimising these crucial moments.

In the latest edition of Upbeat magazine, find out how the CPS collaborates with experts from the worlds of sport and music and beyond to encourage peak performance, from building a supportive team around you, to tackling nerves and handling audience reactions: bit.ly/PerformanceScience2026

Tell us how you prepare for performance in the comments 👇

Top of the class! ✨

Following last week’s inspiring graduation ceremonies, the Royal College of Music has once again excelled in the National Student Survey, achieving outstanding results in teaching areas, academic support, wellbeing and resources.

The RCM Library received an almost perfect score of 97%, while communication about mental wellbeing support services achieved a 92% positive score, both exceeding averages across UK institutions and conservatoires.

Find out more about the fantastic results: https://bit.ly/rcm-nss-26

📸: Phil Rowley

📣 Applications to the Royal College of Music are officially open!

Apply for September 2027 entry via UCAS Conservatoires and take the next step towards your musical future.

Make sure to submit your application by 1 October 2026. For more information on how to apply, please visit https://bit.ly/rcm-apply-2027

As we prepare to welcome our students and their families to later this week, we're revisiting some memorable moments from last year's celebrations🎓

RCM alumni: can you spot yourself in any of these photos? We'd love to hear from you in the comments ⬇️

For those unable to join us in person for this year's , all ceremonies will be livestreamed via our website homepage.

Looking for summer activities with the kids?

Join us at the RCM Museum this July for exciting family-friendly events! Get involved with Morris dancing and folk fun, or be inspired by classical music at an interactive concert.

👯22 July: Mini Folk Dancers
A lively family session exploring traditional music and dance (ages 2–5)

💃23 July: Family Folk Dancing
Enjoy ceilidh dancing and singing in a playful introduction to folk music and dance (ages 5+)

👒28 July: Morris Dancing Fun
Learn about the different types of Morris dancing in a joyful session open to all ages and abilities!

🪇31 July: Family-Friendly Concert
Discover the colourful sounds of the woodwind family in a relaxed, interactive concert.

Learn more and book your tickets: https://bit.ly/4fm3qKc

Still on a high after that England World Cup game? ⚽ Keep the buzz going with the latest edition of Upbeat, the Royal College of Music magazine, this term focusing on music and sport! 💫

🏆 Knowing the Score: discover cutting-edge Centre for Performance Science research
🏆 In a League of His Own: meet alumnus Tony Britten, composer of the UEFA Champions League anthem
🏆 Team Players: sporting success across the College community

Pick up your copy at the RCM Box Office, or explore online: bit.ly/UpbeatSummer26

Tonight is the second performance of RCM Opera’s summer production Fantasy & Fairytales, join us to watch live on the RCM YouTube channel! 🪄

With five brand new short operas by RCM composers, the evening promises to take you to the farthest stretches of imagination encountering magical creatures and mystical lands. During the stream, hear from the composers as they share insights into each of their operas and how they came to be.

Tune in from 7pm: www.rcm.ac.uk/events/live

It’s opening night of the RCM Opera Studio’s summer production Fantasy & Fairytales, and the set and costumes are looking wonderful. Toi toi toi to the cast and crew!

There are just a few tickets remaining for shows this weekend – don't miss out, book yours now: https://www.rcm.ac.uk/events/festival-details/?id=RCM%20Opera

📷: Chris Christodoulou