RNCM Undergraduate Prospectus 2014-15

UNDERGRADUATE PROSPECTUS 2014 – 15

My tiMe at the RNCM has pRovided Me with oppoRtuNities to play with the Most taleNted youNg MusiCiaNs. My peeRs fRoM both the ClassiCal aNd the populaR MusiC peRfoRMaNCe pRogRaMMes CoNtiNue to aMaze aNd iNspiRe Me, whiCh Makes it a pleasuRe to be paRt of this College.

JaMes stuttaRd BMUS (HONS), SAxOPHONE

CoNteNts

welcome to the RNCM 4student life at the RNCM and in Manchester 6the platform 8Chamber Music 12Jazz 13historical performance 14school of academic studies 15

bachelor of Music with honours 16

graduate diploma of the RNCM (gRNCM) 20bachelor of Music Musb (hons)

bachelor of arts with honours 22popular Music performance

school of Composition 26school of keyboard studies 30school of strings 34school of vocal studies and opera 38school of wind, brass and percussion 44

facilities and Resources 52living here 54student support 56international students 58your future 60how to apply and entry Requirements 62fees and financial support 67key dates 69how to find the RNCM 70

The RNCM is in its fifth decade, but with a rich history spanning back to 1893 when Sir Charles Hallé founded the Royal Manchester College of Music. In 1973 the institution merged with the Northern School of Music, and the RNCM was born. Today, the College is a thriving, forward-thinking conservatoire with around 450 staff and 700 students from 50 different countries.

The College promotes the highest standards of musical achievement and academic enquiry, and encourages entrepreneurial skills and creativity. As a student at the RNCM you will receive intensive musical training, a thorough academic grounding and a wealth of music-making opportunities, all of which will help prepare you for a career as a professional musician.

Performance is at the heart of everything we do at the RNCM. The College holds a unique position as both a conservatoire and a performance venue, which means that you will receive unrivalled performance opportunities and first-hand experience of the music profession. We stage more than 450 events each year,

providing our students with opportunities to perform regularly to public audiences and to work alongside professional musicians and visiting artists.

Through the College's wide-reaching partnerships, our students are able to enjoy a range of opportunities which enrich their learning experience. We are proud of our links with renowned orchestras, ensembles and arts organisations such as the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Hallé, Manchester Camerata, the Black Dyke Band, Foden's Band, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Netherlands Wind Ensemble, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Opera North, all of whom offer invaluable work experience to our students through our Professional Experience Schemes.

The College also collaborates with leading educational partners, The University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and Access to Music, to deliver the GRNCM/MusB, teacher training and BA Popular Music Performance courses respectively. Internationally, the RNCM is partnered with many leading institutions

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THE ROyAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC IS AN INTERNATIONALLy-ACCLAIMED CONSERvATOIRE LOCATED IN THE HEART OF MANCHESTER, WITH A REPUTATION FOR ATTRACTING TALENTED STUDENTS, AND DISTINGUISHED TEACHERS, CONDUCTORS, AND COMPOSERS FROM ALL OvER THE WORLD.

welCoMe to the RNCM

across the world, providing you with opportunities to study abroad and further enrich your learning experience.

Our students thrive in this stimulating yet friendly and supportive environment; in the 2012 National Student Survey, the RNCM received an overall satisfaction score of 87%, ranking the College as Manchester’s best higher education

institution for overall student satisfaction.

Choosing where to train as a professional musician is a major decision, so why not come and visit us, and meet our staff and students. Attend an Open Day, or apply for an advice audition to see if it’s a place where you’ll thrive too.

We look forward to welcoming you to the RNCM.

Discover more at www.rncm.ac.uk

The RNCM and Manchester is a fantastic place to be a musician and a student. The College, our staff and students are an integral part of the vibrant music scene in the city. The RNCM enjoys strong links with the professional orchestras in Manchester: the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata, which is resident at the College. The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester’s stunning, state-of-the-art international concert venue, is located near to the College and is where our students perform an annual end of year concert. Our Popular Music students also perform in contemporary venues across the city such as Band on the Wall and Matt and Phred’s Jazz Club, among many others.

In addition to being one of the UK’s top conservatoires, the RNCM is recognised as one of the North West’s leading performing venues. The RNCM hosts a diverse and expansive artistic programme which provides a platform for our students to develop their incredible talent, and a stage for world-class performers to showcase their work.

There is a wealth of leisure and entertainment opportunities to choose from in your free time outside of College, with something to cater for all tastes and budgets.

As the UK’s most popular student city, the student experience in Manchester is hard to beat. Manchester offers all the benefits of a cosmopolitan city, yet is compact, easy to travel around and with a relatively low cost of living for a major city, particularly compared to London. Manchester is also served by excellent public transport facilities and is well connected by rail, bus and air, making it easy to get out and about to explore the city and beyond.

Weekends can be spent relaxing in one of the city’s diverse range of restaurants, cafés and bars, or exploring shopping complexes, art galleries and museums. you can also take part in a range of the regular social activities organised by the RNCM Students’ Union, the student community to which everyone belongs.

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THE RNCM IS PROUD TO BE LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE EDUCATION qUARTER IN THE WORLD-LEADING CITy OF MANCHESTER. vIBRANT, DIvERSE AND ENERGETIC, MANCHESTER IS INTERNATIONALLy-RENOWNED AS A CULTURAL HUB WITHIN EUROPE, AND ENJOyS A REPUTATION FOR BEING A CENTRE FOR CLASSICAL AND CONTEMPORARy MUSIC.

studeNt life at the RNCM aNd iN MaNChesteR

Without the RNCM, Manchester's musical life would be drastically curtailedpaul driver, The Sunday Times

The RNCM Students' Union exists to represent and support you, and to make sure that your time at the RNCM is the best that it can be. We hold many events throughout the year so you can have fun and socialise with other students, including Freshers’ Week to welcome you to the College and introduce you to the city. We also organise societies including SU Football, SU Art Club, The RNCM SU Bach Ensemble, and many more! We look forward to welcoming you to Manchester and the RNCM.

amy webber Students’ Union President, 2013/14

In collaboration with nine orchestras and ensembles in the UK and continental Europe, two Brass Bands, Opera North and the European Chamber Music Academy, each year around 200 of our students participate in auditions, education projects and public performances with our professional partners in an unparalleled range of opportunities.

The RNCM is proud to collaborate with:

academy of ancient Music, Cambridge

bbC philharmonic, Manchester

black dyke band, bradford

Chamber orchestra of europe

european Chamber Music academy, vienna

foden’s band, Manchester

the hallé, Manchester

the Mahler Chamber orchestra, berlin

Manchester Camerata

Netherlands wind ensemble, amsterdam

opera North, leeds

the orchestra of opera North, leeds

Royal liverpool philharmonic orchestra

Through The Platform you will have the opportunity to work with world-renowned tutors through a variety of projects, such as:

• Undertaking Professional Experience Schemes with our partners

• Participating in rehearsals taken by teams of orchestral principals

• Attending seminars led by international tutors who regularly visit the College, which focus on a professionally-relevant topic such as orchestral and audition techniques in different European countries

• Taking part in projects focusing on historical performance, ranging from chamber music to opera

• Participating in unique large-scale events in unusual locations around Manchester which have included Imperial War Museum North, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station and victoria Baths

• Taking part in professional recording projects

• Overseas tours with a number of ensembles, which have recently included Italy, China and USA

In short, you will receive an unrivalled breadth and depth of immersive learning experiences which will develop your skills as a professional musician. For further details and developments, visit www.rncm.ac.uk/theplatform

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THE RNCM’S INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR ENSEMBLE AND vOCAL TRAINING

the RNCM as a peRfoRMaNCe veNue

Performance sits at the heart of the RNCM experience; no other UK conservatoire offers such a range of performance opportunities to its students. The RNCM is ranked as the UK’s 7th busiest performance venue in the PRS for Music Report 2012, and each year a diverse range of performances are held in our world-class facilities, ranging from classical orchestras, jazz and world music through to rock and pop. This extensive artistic programme provides students with numerous public performance opportunities, while offering the chance to experience live music-making of the highest quality on-site.

peRfoRMaNCe oppoRtuNities

All RNCM students will have the opportunity to participate in a broad range of performance activities including orchestral and chamber projects, opera, chamber music and smaller-scale solo and duo opportunities. you will also have the chance to be inspired and to learn from some of the world’s leading musicians through a series of masterclasses, lectures and festivals.

oRChestRas aNd eNseMbles

you can expect to enjoy a range of performance opportunities as soon as you become an RNCM student. These range from short intense projects focusing on individual works, to in-depth exploration of repertoire with guest conductors and artistic directors. Examples of recent performance opportunities include:

• Performing with the RNCM Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Concert Orchestra, String Orchestra, RNCM Brass Band, RNCM Wind Orchestra, and RNCM Big Band

• Working with high-profile visiting conductors including Sir Mark Elder CBE, yan-Pascal Tortelier, vassily Sinaisky, Mark Shanahan and Jac van Steen

• Working with eminent visiting composers such as Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Judith Weir, Magnus Lindberg, and Steve Reich with the New Ensemble

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RNCM opeRa

Both singers and instrumentalists have many opportunities to take part in our wide-ranging opera programme. We have a strong tradition of success in the field of opera and deliver award-winning productions which attract national reviews. Recent productions have included Barber’s vanessa, Britten’s Albert Herring, Handel’s Xerxes, Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (The Return of Ulysses) and Shostakovich’s Paradise Moscow, as well as a full programme of staged opera scenes.

solo aNd duo publiC peRfoRMaNCe

All RNCM students have the opportunity to present solo or duo programmes to a public audience through our lunchtime concerts. The Spotlight series offers students the chance to propose programmes

that complement the evening concert programme, and each year 90 such projects are presented as free Spotlight events. This is in addition to an internal series of performance platforms.

festivals

The RNCM hosts an exciting range of festivals and instrument days, which range from celebrations of the work of a composer, to entire weekends devoted to specific instruments. RNCM students are an integral part of these festivals, as performers, audience members or participants in a masterclasses delivered by high-profile guest artists. Annual events include the Chamber Music Festival, Festival of Brass, Day of Percussion, Saxophone Day, Keyboard Weekend, Strings Weekend, Day of Song and Wind Weekend.

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THE PLATFORM

I am currently on the Hallé and BBC Philharmonic Professional Experience Schemes. They provide excellent opportunities to play with such amazing and established orchestras. I have been able to gain greater insight into how professional orchestras work and have learned so much about good orchestral playing; there are very subtle skills to playing in an orchestra, and taking part in the schemes have really helped me further these skills, and also draw attention to new ones that I need to develop.henry Clay GRNCM/MusB, Oboe

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SECTION TITLE

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Chamber music is at the heart of everything we do at the RNCM and you will be given valuable opportunities to develop your ensemble skills through masterclasses, coaching and performance.

The RNCM is the only UK conservatoire to have a dedicated team of chamber music specialists delivering regular and structured tuition throughout your course. Tutors include former and current members of the Lindsay, Chilingirian, Talich, Takács and Skampa String quartets; Gould and Manchester Piano Trios; Ensemble 360, Zephyr Winds and Apollo Saxophone quartet. Masterclasses are given by artists such as Gábor Takács-Nagy, Christoph Richter, Marco van Pagee, Endellion quartet, Hansjörg Schellenberger and Reiner Wehle.

The Studio has close links with chamber music organisations throughout the world leading to exchange visits with many international groups. As the only UK member of the European Chamber Music Academy, each year a number of the finest young ensembles from Europe join RNCM ensembles for concerts and lessons with distinguished visiting artists and teachers.

The annual Chamber Music Festival, the largest of its kind in Europe, attracts a truly international following. Recent festivals have featured the Borodin, Henschel and ysaÿe String quartets, the Amelia Piano Trio, Rachael Podger and Jane Manning, among many others.

RNCM alumni are members of highly successful chamber groups including the Gould Piano Trio, Apollo Saxophone quartet, Tokyo, Elias and Navarra String quartets, Bones Apart and Haffner Wind Ensemble.

AT THE RNCM yOU WILL BENEFIT FROM A THRIvING PROGRAMME OF CHAMBER MUSIC COACHING DELIvERED WITHIN THE RNCM INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER MUSIC STUDIO, LED By THE CELLIST OF THE TALICH qUARTET, PETR PRAUSE, AND PIANIST JEREMy yOUNG.

staffinternational Chair in Chamber Musicfrans helmerson

artistic director of international Chamber Music studio petr prause

head of international Chamber Music studio Jeremy young LRAM, ARAM

ensemble in Residence talich string Quartet

Junior fellows in Chamber Music sitkovetsky piano trio

tutors in Chamber MusicRobert buckland GRNCM, PPRNCM, FRNCMlevon Chilingirian ARCM, FRCM, HonPhDpeter Cropper FRNCM, FRAMemma ferrand DipRAM, ARAM, LRAM, FRNCM pavel fischerben frith BA, ARCM Melinda Maxwell BA, HonARAM, LTCL, ARCMprofessor John Miller MA, FGSM, FRNCMCraig ogden BA(Mus), PGDipRNCM, PPRNCM, FRNCM simone Rebello GMusRNCM, PPRNCMdr tim Reynishsimon Rowland-Jones ARCM thomas schulze

ChaMbeR MusiC

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The College offers specialist jazz-based instrumental tuition in jazz and Latin percussion, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, piano, flute and double bass. you will also be offered options to pursue a deeper understanding of jazz techniques and gain first-hand experience of the demands of the music industry through jazz electives within your Academic Studies and Professional Skills activities.

Tuition is delivered by a team of musicians who are prolific on the professional jazz scene and well-respected as music educators. Our students benefit from classes with world-renowned visiting artists such as Bob Mintzer, Chris Potter, victor Mendoza, Kenny Wheeler and Tim Garland, the College’s Research Fellow in New Music. you may also take part in a series of masterclasses with high-profile international artists such as Evan Parker and Jerry Bergonzi and regular gigs with the Jazz Collective and the RNCM Big Band. The Big Band has recently performed alongside guests including John Taylor, Gwilym Simcock, Alex Wilson, Mike Walker, Nikki Iles, Colin Towns and Clare Teal.

A number of our alumni are enjoying success as performing jazz musicians: the Beats & Pieces Big Band, the Claire James Trio, the Jack Davies Big Band and GoGo Penguin.

THE RNCM PROvIDES yOU WITH MANy OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND yOUR EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF JAZZ STyLES AND IMPROvISATION.

staffCo-ordinator of Jazz studies, tutor in Jazz saxophone and improvisationMike hall BSc, PGDipRNCM

Research fellow in New Musictim garland

tutor in percussiondavid hassell HonARAM

tutor in double basssteve berry

tutor in Jazz pianoeileen guppy MA, GCLCM, ARCM, LRAM, LGSM

tutor in Jazz trumpet steve waterman GTCL, HonARAM

international tutor in Jazz tromboneJiggs whigham

tutor in Jazz saxophoneJulian argüelles

tutor in Jazz flute Rowland sutherland

tutor in Jazz improvisationCarl Raven BMus, PPRNCM

Jazz

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The Historical Performance Teaching Fellows coordinate and coach student groups in a wide variety of music from the Baroque cantata and trio sonatas through to chamber music of the 18th and 19th centuries. Cross-school groups are particularly encouraged to increase experience of working with all instrumental and vocal disciplines. For keyboard players the skills associated with continuo playing, figured and unfigured bass realisation, harmonisation and sight reading, are developed from the first year as these are crucial to understanding so much of the music-making of the 17th and 18th centuries. There are plenty of opportunities, both internal and external, for performances of the repertoire studied.

Students also benefit from masterclasses, concerts and tuition from world-renowned artists such as Mahan Esfahani, Emma Kirkby, Orlando Consort, Dufay Collective, Joglaresa, I Fagiolini and Charivari Agréable.

The College has an extensive collection of instruments available for student loan, including a complete baroque string orchestra, a full range of keyboard instruments including harpsichord, chamber organ and fortepiano, and baroque and classical woodwind and brass instruments. Our team of specialist tutors offer expert tuition on historical instruments, and this is available to all students.

The College is also home to the RNCM Collection of Historical Musical Instruments, which compr ises in excess of 300 instruments.

AT THE RNCM yOU WILL BE GIvEN THE CHANCE TO DEvELOP yOUR SKILLS ON BOTH MODERN AND HISTORICAL INSTRUMENTS, AND ENHANCE yOUR KNOWLEDGE OF EARLIER PERFORMING STyLES, REPERTOIRE AND TECHNIqUES.

staffteaching fellows in historical performanceRoger hamilton MA, MA, ARCMharvey davies GRNCM

tutor in baroque and Classical violindr pauline Nobes MusM(Perf), PGDipRNCM, MusB, GRNCM, PhD, ARCM

tutor in baroque violaannette isserlis

tutor in baroque Cellosusan sheppard ARAM

tutor in baroque and Classical oboeanthony Robson LRAM, ARCM

tutor in baroque bassoonpeter whelan

tutor in hand hornRebecca goldberg GMusRNCM, PPRNCM, PGDipRNCM

tutor in sackbutt and Classical trombonesusan addison ARCM

histoRiCal peRfoRMaNCe

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RNCM graduates are sought-after in the profession owing to the high calibre of both their performance and academic skills. Staff are research active in the fields of performance and composition, musicology and music psychology, drawing on their expertise to provide you with the highest quality teaching informed by cutting-edge research.

In years 1 and 2 of the BMus (Hons) programme you will take units in Historical and Contextual Studies, Musicianship and Language of Music as well as Performance and Repertoire Studies (which extends into years 3 and 4). In the later stages of the programme you can tailor your studies according to your interests, choosing from a wide selection of specialist electives.

If you continue your studies to undertake a postgraduate programme at the RNCM, the MMus offers a thorough grounding in the principles of practice-based research, after which you can elect to study options in which you apply such research, including Lecture Recital, Performance Theory and Practice and independent projects.

ACADEMIC STUDIES UNDERPIN UNDERGRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE STUDy AT THE RNCM. THEy ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT EvERyTHING yOU LEARN AND RESEARCH IN PRINCIPAL STUDy, TO GIvE yOU A SIGNIFICANT EDGE IN THE PROFESSION.

staffdean of academic studiesdr Martin harlow BA, MPhil, PhD, Dip.NCOS, FRNCM, ARCM

dean of Research & enterpriseprofessor Richard wistreich MA, MA Music, PhD

associate dean of Research and enterprise & director, Centre for Music performance Researchprofessor Jane ginsborg BA (Hons), DipGSMD, BA (Hons), PhD, CPsychol

senior lecturer, bMus (hons) Course leader dr lois fitch BA (Hons), PhD

lecturer in Music, assistant Course leader bMus (hons)Michelle phillips BA(Hons), MA

senior lecturer, pgdip/MMus Course leader dr fabrice fitch MMus, PhD, Premier Prix de Composition (Conservatoire National de Région, Bordeaux)

tutor in Composition, assistant Course leader, Mperf Course leader pgdip/MMusdr david horne BMus, PhD

senior lecturer, gRNCM Course leader dr simon parkin MusB, GRNCM, PhD, ARCM

director of professional studies kate buchanan BMus, FHEA

For a full list of Academic Studies staff, visit www.rncm.ac.uk

sChool of aCadeMiC studies

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bachelor of Music (hons)

Four years, full-time

480 credits

CUKAS Code: 300F

Application deadline: 1 October 2013

The BMus (Hons) course at the RNCM will give you the opportunity to develop and fulfil your potential as a performer or composer, and will equip you with the employability skills and experience needed to excel in your future career as a musician.

The three key areas of the degree interrelate to combine intensive training in performance or composition with academic rigour and first-hand knowledge of the profession. The majority of the programme is focused on developing your skills in your Principal Study, applying them to professional development, and contextualising Academic Studies.

pRiNCipal study (240 credits)

Principal Study forms the core of all College activity. you will receive a weekly lesson with one of our internationally-renowned tutors, as well as regular performance classes or composition workshops to develop your skills as a performer or composer to the highest level. Activities such as masterclasses with world-class visiting musicians, the College’s annual Chamber Music Festival, special events in your School, and the College’s many ensembles will support your technical, musical and creative development.

pRofessioNal developMeNt aNd skills (100 credits)

Professional Development and Skills run throughout the course. As part of your work-related learning in years 3 and 4, you will undertake at least one placement, choosing from a range of exciting education and outreach projects, arts administration opportunities, and our Professional Experience Schemes, which enable you to audition to work with one of our partner orchestras or ensembles (see page 8 for details). Composers can receive credit for external commissions and benefit from extensive outreach work.

The key principle underlying your professional development will be to draw upon every aspect of the curriculum, and to

baCheloR of MusiC with hoNouRs

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BACHELOR OF MUSIC

enhance this with the entrepreneurial skills, business skills and the professional experience you will need to enable your vision for your future to become reality.

CoNtextual leaRNiNg: aCadeMiC studies (140 credits)

you will attend classes in musicianship, which include how to improvise and build on your aural awareness, historical and contextual studies led by specialist staff with expertise in repertoire across the centuries and styles, performance and repertoire classes in which you explore interpretative issues, and language of music classes where you will learn how the music you play works and how to write sophisticated music in two and four parts.

Later in the programme, a series of electives is offered by leading researchers in music, including exploring issues in historical and contemporary performance practice, composition, notation, orchestration, music and other arts (painting, architecture, cinema), music for the stage, arranging and many more. The ethos is to provide you with the highest quality teaching underpinned by cutting-edge research, all of which is designed to complement your practical work and future career aspirations. The menu of electives also establishes as many links as possible with RNCM Performance and Programming and its programme of events.

exChaNge oppoRtuNity

During your time at the College you can broaden your horizons further by studying abroad for a term or full academic year. Exchanges usually take place in year 3 of the Bachelor of Music programme. We currently have partnership links with institutions across Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, South America and the USA.

For more information about exchange opportunities visit the International pages of our website www.rncm.ac.uk/international or email [email protected]

My experience at the RNCM so far has been a big learning curve, but a rich, varied and inspiring experience full of laughter as well as the hard work! Each day is busy, jam-packed with chamber music and orchestral rehearsals, private lessons, personal practice, lectures, tutorials, group percussion classes and concerts. No two days are ever the same – I’m never bored at the RNCM; the opportunities are all there for you to take.

delia stevens BMus (Hons), Percussion

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additioNal QualifiCatioNs

Throughout your degree studies you will be offered opportunities to work towards other externally-recognised qualifications including the ABRSM’s Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM), Fellowship of the Royal Schools of Music (FRSM), and the ABRSM Certificate of Teaching (CTABRSM), at reduced cost. These qualifications will give you additional accreditation when you graduate and are very important to enhance your employability.

3-yeaR iNteNsive pathway

The College offers, for outstanding candidates, a three-year pathway through the BMus (Hons) course. Normally ten places will be available to applicants who can demonstrate outstanding academic and practical ability, as well as exceptional maturity, at audition and interview.

At present, all applicants to the BMus (Hons) will initially apply and audition for the four-year route. Following audition and consideration of musical and academic ability by interview, selectors may invite candidates onto the three-year pathway.

The three-year pathway is also intended to enable such exceptional students to be able to apply for and progress to the one-year MMus at the College and so potentially enter the profession after four years of conservatoire level training, rather than the usual five or six.

baCheloR of MusiC with hoNouRs

I chose to study at the RNCM because of its fantastic teachers, world-class facilities, and its friendly atmosphere. The high academic and practical demands of the 3 year BMus (Hons) course are challenging, but they’re also extremely stimulating and motivating. Whatever our musical interest, we can explore and develop it regardless of its genre. Chamber music is my particular passion, and here at the College I’m given abundant opportunities to pursue that passion.

victor lim 3-year BMus (Hons), Piano

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graduate diploma of the RNCM (gRNCM)

bachelor of Music Musb (hons) (the university of Manchester)

Four years, full-time

CUKAS Code: 399F


This course offers a unique opportunity for students with outstanding practical and academic ability to gain the advantage of simultaneous study at both a world-class conservatoire and a world-class university. Students study on two distinct programmes alongside one another: the Graduate Diploma of the RNCM (GRNCM) and the Bachelor of Music degree (MusB (Hons)) of The University of Manchester. In the first three years both programmes are studied concurrently, with the final year spent solely at the RNCM.

The GRNCM builds on your ability as a performer or composer, while the MusB (Hons) complements this study with scholarly practical education. The Graduate Diploma consists of two key areas: Principal Study in Performance or Composition and Professional Development and Skills. All performance tuition, coaching, chamber ensembles and most orchestral playing opportunities are provided by the College throughout the four years.

The MusB (Hons) of The University of Manchester is a highly-regarded degree programme involving the interrelated study of musical performance, composition and musicology. Full details of the MusB (Hons) programme are available on the University’s website www.arts.manchester.ac.uk/subjectareas/music/undergraduatestudy

gRaduate diploMa of the RNCM (gRNCM)

baCheloR of MusiC Musb (hoNs) (the uNiveRsity of MaNChesteR)

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GRADUATE DIPLOMA OF THE RNCM (GRNCM)

BACHELOR OF MUSIC MUSB (HONS) (THE UNIvERSITy OF MANCHESTER)

shoRtlistiNg aNd auditioN ReQuiReMeNts

Applicants should submit an application form along with a short recording of at least two contrasting pieces (maximum 15 minutes) for the purposes of shortlisting. Shortlisted applicants will be auditioned at the RNCM and interviewed at the University in December. Composers’ portfolios are assessed by a panel with selected candidates being called for an audition and interview.

exChaNge oppoRtuNity

you can broaden your horizons by studying abroad for one term of your fourth year. We currently have partnership links with institutions across Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada, South America and the USA.

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bachelor of arts (hons) popular Music performance*

Three years, full-time

CUKAS code: 201F

360 credits


* This course is subject to final validation

principal study available in

vocals

Piano/Keyboard

Guitar

Bass Guitar

Drum Kit

The BA (Hons) Popular Music Performance degree provides intensive training for instrumentalists and singers with a high level of performing ability who intend to work as freelance musicians in the popular music industry, or to prepare for postgraduate study. Students on the programme will be in the unique position of studying popular music within one of the world’s leading conservatoires, in the centre of Manchester’s dynamic musical landscape.

The course is delivered at the RNCM and Blueprint Studios, where you will work with teaching staff who are highly-respected academics and active professionals in the music industry, working as session musicians, recording artists, composers, musical directors, writers, managers, promoters and performers in their own right.

pRiNCipal study

Principal Study focuses on your technical instrumental/vocal development through individual and group tuition. you will gain skills in effective practice strategies leading to solo performance recitals, and ensemble rehearsal techniques leading to live and studio performances. you will also learn how to integrate music technology into performance in both live and studio settings. In year 3 you will devise, produce and deliver a final major performance project.

MusiCiaNship

Musicianship underpins your technical and practical skills development through the study of music theory, aural perception, transcription, sight-reading and improvisation. you will apply these to your original work in the composing, arranging and musical direction modules, in which you will also be encouraged to explore interpretative and theoretical skills.

baCheloR of aRts with hoNouRs populaR MusiC peRfoRMaNCe

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BACHELOR OF ARTS (HONS) POPULAR MUSIC PERFORMANCE

pRofessioNal developMeNt aNd skills

Professional Development gives you the knowledge and skills to establish and sustain a career as a self-employed freelance musician. you will study music business, finance, self-promotion, marketing and networking and music teaching, and you will be encouraged to explore employment opportunities. you will also gain a contextual understanding of the historical, psychological, sociological and political elements of the popular music industry, alongside the development of academic research, writing and presentation skills.

RNCM was my first choice because it offered the perfect course for me – the right balance between performance, theory and professional skills including finance, event management and online training, to prepare you to be a musician in the real world. The College has everything I need: the facilities are fantastic, and the café area is a great place to meet up with other students from both the popular and classical courses.

James paul BA (Hons) Popular Music Performance, Electric Guitar

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you will be actively encouraged to develop your own collaborative performance projects throughout your studies. you will have opportunities to work with students on the BMus programme with classical and jazz backgrounds, and with students at the School of Sound Recording. you will also have opportunities to audition for prestigious conservatoire ensembles such as the RNCM Session Orchestra, Gospel Choir and Big Band.

Students have recently performed with high-profile artists including Craig David, Tinchy Stryder and Cee Lo Green; toured with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, the international tour of Thriller Live; and appeared alongside violinist David Garrett at the 2011 Royal variety Performance at Manchester’s Lowry Theatre. The Session Orchestra has appeared at the Liverpool Echo Arena, opening the 2012 UK Music Student Awards, and will be performing at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the Music for youth Prom in November 2013.

For details about how to apply, entry requirements, advice auditions, audition fees and English language requirements see pages 62 – 68.

baCheloR of aRts with hoNouRs populaR MusiC peRfoRMaNCe

staffCourse directorandy stott BA, PGCE, MA

assistant Course directorkatie Chatburn BMus, LRAM, PGCE

senior lecturer, Musicianship tutor, Musical director, bass guitar tutordr Mauricio pauly MusB, MusM, PhD

Musicianship tutorRodrigo Constanzo MusB, MA

professional practice tutorhannah Mcguigan BMus

Musical director, drum tutorbryan hargreaves BA

vocal tutorNicki allan BA, PGCE

guitar tutorJohnny heyes BA

keyboard tutorMatt steele BA, MA

Find out more at www.rncm.ac.uk/popularmusic

kate NelsoN BA (HONS) POPULAR MUSIC PERFORMANCE, vOCALS

OUR INDIvIDUAL TUITION IS GIvEN By PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS WHO HAvE A WIDE UNDERSTANDING OF THE INDUSTRy, AND I HAvE THE OPPORTUNITy TO PARTICIPATE IN MASTERCLASSES AND WORKSHOPS DELIvERED By vISITING ARTISTS.

“ AS AN RNCM STUDENT COMPOSER, yOU WILL BE ENCOURAGED By THE SCHOOL OF COMPOSITION’S TEAM OF HIGHLy EXPERIENCED AND PROFESSIONAL TUTORS TO UNLEASH yOUR FULL CREATIvE POTENTIAL AND TO DEvELOP yOUR OWN PERSONAL STyLE. WE FEEL IT IS CRITICAL FOR yOU TO LEARN yOUR CRAFT By HEARING HOW yOUR COMPOSITIONS WORK IN PRACTICE, AND SO WE OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR EvERy PIECE OF MUSIC yOU WRITE TO BE PERFORMED AND RECORDED.”

PROFESSOR ADAM GORB, HEAD OF SCHOOL

pRiNCipal study available iN

Composition

ReCeNt sChool highlights

• Composer festivals focused on the works of Simon Bainbridge and Heiner Goebbels. All the festivals featured works by student composers.

• New Music North West celebrated the music and composers of the region in a week-long festival. The concerts featured the works of more than 60 composers, as well as the Manchester première of Head of School Adam Gorb’s new opera Anya 17.

• Many past and present composition students have gone on to work with leading orchestras including the London Sinfonietta, the London Symphony Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra.

sChool of CoMpositioN

26

Find out more at www.rncm.ac.uk/composition

JaCk sheeN GRNCM/MUSB, COMPOSITION

yOU CAN PURSUE yOUR OWN INDIvIDUAL MUSICAL INTERESTS HERE, WHETHER THAT IS EXPERIMENTING WITH NEW COMPOSITIONAL TECHNIqUES, WRITING AN OPERA OR SETTING UP A NEW ENSEMBLE.

Throughout your degree you will receive individual tuition and a technical class each week, alongside tuition in electro-acoustic composition, seminars, and regular composers’ ‘laboratories’ where you will work alongside RNCM contemporary music ensembles.

you will also have opportunities to be inspired by world-renowned tutors, including HK Gruber, the RNCM’s International Chair in Composition. In recent years, student composers have worked with high profile ensembles including the BBC Singers, Manchester Camerata, and the Apollo Saxophone quartet; and the RNCM’s regular Composer Festivals have attracted celebrated composers including Magnus Lindberg, Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Louis Andriessen, Judith Weir and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, all of whom have worked with Composition students.

For general programme information applicable to students across all schools, please see the Bachelor of Music and GRNCM/MusB pages.


you will regularly have your work performed in public concerts. you will work closely with the specialist New Ensemble and other groups dedicated to the performance of new music. Three times each year, the RNCM Brand New Orchestra is available for rehearsals, performances and recordings of student orchestral compositions.

sChool of CoMpositioN aluMNi

Our alumni have established highly successful international careers as award-winning composers; receiving commissions for festival, orchestral and solo works; composing for opera, music theatre and Hollywood films, and even celebrating as Cultural Olympiad composers. They include Sally Beamish, Benjamin Wallfisch, Simon Holt, Emily Howard, Ian vine, Tim Benjamin, Larry Goves, Martin Butler, Ailís Ní Ríain and Peter Meechan.

Recent alumni gaining notable success in the New Music world include Gavin Higgins, Lucy Pankhurst, Steven Daverson, Matthew Sergeant and Laura Bowler.

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29

SCHOOL OF COMPOSITION

staffhead of schoolprofessor adam gorb MA, MMus, ARAM, FRNCM

director of Contemporary MusicClark Rundell BMusEd, FRNCM

international Chair in Compositionhk gruber

tutors in Compositionprofessor gary Carpenter LRAM, ARCMprofessor adam gorb MA, MMus, ARAM, FRNCMdr larry goves BMus, MPhil, PhDdr david horne BMus, PhDdr emily howard MA, MMus, PhDpaul patterson FRAM, FRSA, FRNCM

visiting tutors in Compositionsimon bainbridge FRCM, HonRAMtim garland

tutor in electro-acoustic Compositiondr thomas scott GRNCM, MusB, MusM, PhD

Composition enquiries: [email protected]/course enquiries: [email protected]

My College experience has been highly productive so far. Within my first two years I’ve had two orchestral works performed, as well as numerous smaller scale pieces, experimenting with a range of styles and aesthetics. The RNCM also encourages its students to create projects outside of College. This has allowed me to co-found a contemporary music group which is gaining national recognition.

vitaliya glovackaite BMus (Hons), Composition

“ The School of Keyboard STudieS offerS experT one-To-one TuiTion, ouTSTanding faciliTieS and an abundance of performance opporTuniTieS To enSure our STudenTS are challenged and SupporTed in reaching Their full poTenTial. aS an inTernaTionally diverSe School, we welcome STudenTS and TuTorS from around The world, all conTribuTing differenT STyleS and approacheS To Teaching and enhancing The learning experience.”

graham ScoTT, head of School

PrinciPal study available in

pianoaccompaniment*organharpsichord

school of Keyboard studies

30

recent school highlights

• The third rncm James mottram international piano competition took place in November 2012 with the finals accompanied by the Royal Liverpool philharmonic orchestra and broadcast on classic fm. The distinguished jury of Pascal Devoyon, Peter Frankl, Gabriel Kwok, Pascal Rogé, Ory Shihor, ilana vered, ying wu and graham Scott gave masterclasses at the college.

• The School held a weekend long festival of Nordic composers.

• Alumna Maya Irgalina gave a recital at the Wigmore Hall.

• Students won prizes in major competitions such as the Bosendorfer/Yamaha competition in Arizona, the Stefano Marizza competition in Trieste, brant international piano competition, beethoven intercollegiate Competition to name a few.

• Alumna Alexandra Dariescu was invited by András Schiff to make her debut at carnegie hall in new york.

• 12 postgraduate students performed on the main stage at the Bridgewater Hall in the Debussy Reflections festival organised by Noriko Ogawa.

* Available at undergraduate level from year 3

find out more at www.rncm.ac.uk/keyboardstudies

toM hiCks GRNCM/MUSB, PIANO

THE FRIENDLy AND SOCIABLE ATMOSPHERE AT THE COLLEGE COMBINED WITH AN INSPIRING FACULTy ALLOWS yOU TO ADvANCE AND MATURE AS A MUSICIAN.

32 leaRNiNg iN the sChool of keyboaRd studies

At the RNCM, students are trained to be employable when they graduate. There is a healthy sense of competition due to the number of internal prizes, awards and competitions on offer which result in many performance opportunities. Coming from London, I wanted to explore a new environment in order to broaden my horizons not just musically, but also socially. The RNCM has proven to be the ideal place to do that.

tyler hay BMus (Hons), Piano

Throughout your degree you will receive regular tuition and classes from your tutor, alongside a weekly performance class, internal recitals, competitions and a student-led showcase recital series.

The RNCM has one of the most impressive piano fleets in Europe. The standard and number of instruments available to you is exceptional; each piano tutorial space has two Steinways and all other rooms are equipped with yamahas.

As well as studying with our own highly experienced tutors, you may also take inspiration from our masterclasses and talks from world-renowned visiting artists. Including Alfred Brendel, András Schiff, Jean Efflam Bavouzet, Pascal Rogé, Richard Goode and Stephen Hough.

For general programme information applicable to students within all schools, please see the Bachelor of Music and GRNCM/MusB pages.


you will have many opportunities to perform within the College in public festivals, concerto auditions, chamber music, recitals and numerous competitions. Extensive external professional engagement opportunities are also on offer throughout your degree.

sChool of keyboaRd studies aluMNi

In celebration of our 40th anniversary, the College hosted many of our most distinguished alumni involving them in concerts, classes and adjudications. These included Stephen Hough, Peter Donohoe CBE, Steven Osborne, Ian Fountain, Mark Anderson, Jin Ju, Martin Roscoe and vovka Ashkenazy.

33

SCHOOL OF KEyBOARD STUDIES

staffhead of school graham scott GMusRNCM, PPRNCM

deputy head of school helen krizos LMusA

international Chair in piano studies stephen hough

international visiting tutors in piano Michel Beroff phillipe Cassard Nelson goerner FRNCM

international tutor in organthomas trotter

international tutor in fortepiano studies stefano fiuzzi

international tutor in harpsichordterence Charlston

visiting tutor in song duosJulius drake FRAM

principal study piano tutors benjamin frith BA, ARCM John gough GMusRNCM, PPRNCM, ARCM, FLCM paul Janes MusB, GRNCM, PPRNCM helen krizos LMusA peter lawson GRSM, ARMCM sally ann Macleod PPRNCM Murray Mclachlan MA, LRAM dina parakhina PGDip, MDip (Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory) paul Roberts ARAM, FGS dr stephen savage PhD graham scott GMusRNCM, PPRNCM Colin stonefrank wibautJeremy young LRAM, ARAM

tutor in Jazz piano eileen guppy MA, GCLCM, ARCM, LRAM, LGSM

tutor in Contemporary piano peter lawson GRSM, ARMCM

tutors in accompaniment John gough GMusRNCM, PPRNCM paul Janes MusB, GRNCM, PPRNCM dr david Jones BMus, MusM(Perf), PhD, PGDipRNCM

Coordinator of organ studiesdarius battiwalla BA, MusM, FRCO, PPRNCM

tutors in organ darius battiwalla BA, MusM, FRCO, PPRNCM simon lindley FRCO(CHM), FTCL, GRSM(Lond), ARCM, LRAM Jeffrey Makinson BMus, FRCO, PGDipRNCM, PPRNCM, PGCE, ARCM, LTCL

tutor in pedagogy helen krizos LMusA

tutors in subsidiary piano daniel browell benjamin powell BMus, MMus, PRNCM, MPhil

Staff Pianists Roderick barrand MusB, GRNCM, ARNCM harvey davies GRNCM Jonathan fisher BMus, MMus Jonathan gooing BMus (Hons), MMus, LRSM dr david Jones BMus, MusM(Perf), PhD, PGDipRNCM Miyako Machida PGDipRNCM, PPRNCM benjamin powell BMus, MMus, PPRNCM, MPhil stephen Reynolds GRSM, ARMCM Jonathan scott BMus, PPRNCM, ARCM, FTCL Ruth webb BMus, PPRNCM, PGDipalexis white BMus, MMus

School of Keyboard studies enquiries: [email protected]/course enquiries: [email protected]

“ THE SCHOOL OF STRINGS PROvIDES AN INSPIRING ENvIRONMENT IN WHICH TO PURSUE yOUR TRAINING TO THE HIGHEST LEvEL. OUR WORLD-CLASS FACULTy OF HIGH PROFILE STAFF STRIvE TO CHALLENGE, MOTIvATE AND SUPPORT yOU TO ENABLE yOU TO ACHIEvE yOUR FULL POTENTIAL. DURING yOUR TIME WITH US yOU’LL LEARN FROM SOME OF THE WORLD’S FINEST STRING TEACHERS, AND OUR INTERNATIONAL CHAIRS AND vISITING TUTORS DELIvER MASTERCLASSES THROUGHOUT THE yEAR.”

CHRIS HOyLE, ACTING HEAD OF SCHOOL


violinviolaCelloDouble BassGuitarHarp

sChool of stRiNgs34


• The annual RNCM Strings Weekend was a unique exploration of Beethoven’s string sonatas, featuring performances from RNCM students, alumni, tutors and special guests, including violinists Olivier Charlier and Peter Sheppard Skærved.

• World-renowned violist Garth Knox joins the School this year as International Tutor. Garth will establish a Creative viola Studio which will train high level students to be more effective learners, readers and improvisers, and more versatile performers.

• The Navarra String quartet, formed at the RNCM in 2002, was the inaugural recipient of the prestigious ChamberStudio Mentorship 2013 based at Kings Place, London. The programme will enable the quartet to study in-depth for a year with their chosen mentors, to undertake concert opportunities and to produce a professional recording.

Find out more at www.rncm.ac.uk/strings

blaize heNRy BMUS (HONS), vIOLIN

THE SCHOOL HAS TRAINED ME TO BECOME A DETERMINED, IMAGINATIvE AND vERSATILE MUSICIAN, AND IS THOROUGHLy PREPARING ME FOR THE MUSIC PROFESSION.

36 leaRNiNg iN the sChool of stRiNgs

I love the buzz at the RNCM and there’s always something going on, be it a distinguished international tutor giving a masterclass, a student concert, chamber music coaching with a renowned visiting quartet, or an orchestral rehearsal. In this environment everyone has the potential to thrive.

stephanie tress GRNCM/MusB, Cello

Throughout your degree you will receive regular instrumental tuition from your tutor. The School also has an open class policy and you will be encouraged to attend as many classes as possible given by tutors other than your own. High-profile staff and visiting tutors who have recently delivered masterclasses within the School include James Ehnes, Susie Mészáros and Maxim Rysanov.

you will take regular Performance classes which are scheduled for each student, and team teaching is an integral part of tuition in years 2, 3 and 4. you will prepare for a formal recital at the end of the year.

you will also undertake Academic Studies modules and electives from years 3 and 4.



you will receive a broad range of solo, chamber and orchestral performance opportunities through recital classes and Professional Experience Schemes with our professional orchestral partners (see page 8 for details). you will also enjoy opportunities to audition for RNCM orchestras and ensembles, internal competitions and participation in RNCM festivals and masterclasses.

sChool of stRiNgs aluMNi

Our alumni go on to establish themselves nationally and internationally as professional musicians and teachers, including Benedict Holland (violin), Philip Higham (cello), Thomas Kemp (violin), Louise Lansdown (viola), Peter Manning (violin), Li-Wei qin (cello), Hannah Roberts (cello), young Song (cello), Simon Turner (cello), Nicholas Trygstad (cello), Steven Wilkie (violin), and the Brodsky, Navarra and Sorrel quartets.

37

SCHOOL OF STRINGS

staffacting head of school Chris hoyle GRNCM, PPRNCM

international Chair in violin yair kless BA(Mus), MA(Mus)

international tutor in violingérard poulet

international tutors in violagarth knoxthomas Riebl

international tutor in CelloRaphael Wallfisch FRAM, FGSM

international tutor in double bassBožo Paradčik

tutors in violin leland Chen levon Chilingirian ARCM, FRCM, Hon PhD, OBE pavel fischer thelma handy DipRCM benedict holland PPRNCM thomas kemp MA, MMus, FRSA Mark knight AGSM Miranda playfair LTCLMaciej Rakowski MA Jan Repko Dip Sweelinck Conservatory (Amsterdam) yuri torchinsky PGDip, MDip Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatorysteven wilkie GMusRNCM, PGDipRNCM Catherine yates GMusRNCM(Hons), PPRNCM

tutor in baroque violin dr pauline Nobes ARNCM, GRNCM, MusM(Perf), MusB, PGDipRNCM, PhD

visiting tutor in violasimon Rowland-Jones ARCM

tutors in viola david aspin ARCM Mark knight AGSM alex Robertson GMusRNCM, PPRNCM asdis valdimarsdottir

tutor in baroque viola annette isserlis

tutors in Cello peter dixon FRAM, ARAM emma ferrand DipRAM, ARAM, LRAM, FRNCMkarine georgian Grad (Moscow) philip higham BMus, PGDip, International Artist Diploma RNCM Chris hoyle GRNCM, PPRNCMNicholas Jones ARCM hannah Roberts ARCM, PPRNCM, FRNCMgillian thoday LRAM, Konzert Dip (North West German Music Academy) Nicholas trygstad BMus ( Hons) eduardo vassallo Dip (Maastricht Conservatoire), Dip (International Menuhin Academy, Gstaad)

tutor in baroque Cello susan sheppard ARAM

tutors in double bass Roberto CarilloJiří Hudec

visiting tutor in guitar gordon Crosskey BSc, ARCM, FRNCM

tutor in guitarCraig ogden BA(Mus), PGDipRNCM, PPRNCM, FRNCM

tutor in harp eira lynn Jones GMusRNCM, MMus

tutor in dalcroze eurythmicskarin greenhead

School of Strings enquiries: [email protected]/course enquiries: [email protected]

“ THE RNCM SCHOOL OF vOCAL STUDIES AND OPERA IS RENOWNED AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST INSPIRING CONSERvATOIRES IN WHICH TO PURSUE vOCAL TRAINING. WE OFFER UNPARALLELED PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SINGERS TO DEvELOP yOUR MUSICIANSHIP AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS.”

LyNNE DAWSON, HEAD OF SCHOOL


All voice types, covering the full range of repertoire

sChool of voCal studies aNd opeRa

38

Find out more at www.rncm.ac.uk/vocalstudiesandopera


• The RNCM has forged an exciting new partnership with Opera North. This partnership provides professional development opportunities for RNCM student singers, who experience auditions and mentoring from singers working at Opera North. The School recently produced an Opera Gala with the Opera North orchestra.

• RNCM alumnus Sipho Fubesi recently performed at London’s Wigmore Hall in celebration of The John Hosier Music Trust’s 10th anniversary, and also recently made his début at the Royal Opera House Linbury Studio Theatre in a new opera by Tarik O’Regan.

• The RNCM Day of Song, dedicated to the music of Benjamin Britten in his centenary year, includes performances of the full breadth of his vocal music. Highlights include appearances by tenor Jeffrey Lloyd Roberts and the RNCM International Chair in Singing, soprano Joan Rodgers.

Matthew palfReyMaN BMUS (HONS), TENOR

THE PROFESSIONAL AND SUPPORTIvE ENvIRONMENT IS BENEFITTING ME GREATLy, AND I’M ENJOyING THE COACHING AND PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES HERE.

you will have the opportunity to take part in a wide-ranging programme of opera, and will receive intensive training in all aspects of preparation for performance, including stagecraft, diction and language tuition.

The RNCM Theatre is an exceptionally well-equipped theatre, tailored for full-scale public productions. Our students enjoy outstanding performance opportunities and diverse repertoire, which have most recently included Barber’s vanessa, Britten’s Albert Herring, Handel’s Xerxes, Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (The Return of Ulysses) and Shostakovich’s Paradise Moscow.

Throughout your degree you will receive dedicated voice tuition. High-profile visiting tutors within the School include Joan Rodgers CBE, Roger vignoles, David Owen Norris, Anthony Spiri, Julius Drake, Thomas Hampson, Christopher Purves, Neal Davies, Catherine Wyn Rogers, Roderick Williams, John Fisher, David Gowland, Audrey Hyland, Martin Pickard, Paul Wyn Griffiths and Sir Mark Elder CBE.

We place particular emphasis on musicianship and ensemble skills. Teaching will include the full range of repertoire including lieder, Italian song, English song, French mélodies, oratorio, historical performance and opera. you will also receive coaching on a range of areas including performance, physical awareness, phonetics, chamber music, recitative and improvisation.

you will study a range of subjects including a year’s tuition in three languages: Italian, German and French, and receive tuition in languages for singing. Other subjects include Alexander Technique, diction and stagecraft and Feldenkrais. you will also take part in choral and ensemble classes to enhance your musicianship and sight-reading skills.


40 leaRNiNg iN the sChool of voCal studies aNd opeRa

The highlight of my time at the RNCM has been performing in the RNCM Operas in both the chorus and principal roles. Working with renowned directors and conductors has greatly developed my stagecraft and performance ability.Ruth betteridge BMus (Hons), Soprano


Performance opportunities within the College include weekly performance classes as well as recitals, masterclasses, festivals, operas and opera excerpts. There are also numerous competitions open to singers. you may audition with one or more of the major opera companies visiting the RNCM each year, and you are encouraged to audition for an Oratorio Showcase and for choral and ensemble showcases.

aluMNi

Our alumni have gone on to establish highly successful international singing careers, including Barry Banks (tenor), Katherine Broderick (soprano), Alice Coote (mezzo-soprano), Sara Fulgoni (mezzo-soprano), Simon Keenlyside (baritone), David Kempster (baritone), Jane Irwin (soprano), Darren Jeffery (bass-baritone), Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts (tenor), Dominica Matthews (mezzo-soprano), Alwyn Mellor (dramatic soprano), John Molloy (bass), Paul Nilon (tenor), Mary Plazas (soprano), Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano), Linda Richardson (soprano), Amanda Roocroft (soprano), Richard Wiegold (bass) and Louise Winter (mezzo-soprano).

More recent alumni who are currently establishing fine careers include Sipho Fubesi (tenor), Carolina Krogius (mezzo-soprano), Nadine Livingstone (soprano), John Pearce (tenor), Kathryn Rudge (mezzo-soprano), Helen Sherman (mezzo-soprano) and Camilla Souza (soprano).

41

SCHOOL OF vOCAL STUDIES AND OPERA

staffhead of vocal studies lynne dawson MIL

head of operastefan Janski LRAM, LUD, DipNCSD, FRNCM, FHEA

deputy head of vocal studies and opera susan Roper BA, Magister Linguae (Florence), PGDipRNCM

Head of Music Staffkevin thraves DipRCM, ARCM

international Chair in singingJoan Rodgers CBE

director, RNCM Chamber ChoirJamie burton

Chorus Master, RNCM Chamber Choirdr david Jones BMus, PGDipRNCM, MusM(Perf), PhD

international tutorsJulius drake FRAMJohn fisher BMus, LRAMdavid owen Norris (Professor of Musical Performance, University of Southampton)anthony spiri (Professor of Piano Chamber Music, Musikhochschule Cologne)Roger vignoles

principal study tutors david Maxwell anderson BA, DipRCM, PGDip lynne dawson MIL sandra dugdale AGSM Jeffrey Lawton FRNCM david lowe MA(Hons), HonARAMstuart Macintyre BA, FTCL, LLCM paul Nilon PPRNCMMary plazas GMus(Hons), PPRNCMNicholas powell

42

SCHOOL OF vOCAL STUDIES AND OPERA

principal study tutors continued deborah Rees PPRNCM sarah Rhodes AGSMsusan Roper BA, Magister Linguae (Florence), PGDipRNCM barbara Robotham ARMCM, FRMCM, FRNCM, FUCLanthomas schulze ann taylor GRNCM, PPRNCM, ALCM peter alexander wilson DipRSAMD louise winter GRNCM, PPRNCM

tutor in english song barbara Robotham ARMCM, FRMCM, FRNCM

tutors in french song lynne dawson MILhenry herford MA, ARNCM, GRNCM

tutors in italian song susan Roper BA, Magister Linguae (Florence), PGDipRNCM antonia sotgiu GRNCMpeter alexander wilson DipRSAMD

tutor in Russian song Nataliya kompaniyets-Jouri BEng(Hons), BA(Hons), PGDipRNCM, PPRNCM, PGCertPAE, FHEA

tutors in acting, stagecraft and dictiongarth bardsley MACaroline Clegg MAkevin Jonesdavid shirley

tutor in dalcroze eurhythmicskarin greenhead Dip. Sup. et Prix, Institut Jaques-Dalcroze, Genève, Suisse, GRSM, ARCM

tutor in feldenkraisRebecca Meitlis MA

tutors in historical performanceterence Charlstonharvey daviesRoger hamiltonannette isserlis

tutor in lieder studies thomas schulze

tutor in oratorio Mark Rowlinson MA, ARAM

tutors in operatic Repertory patricia MacMahon LRAM, ARCM, FRSAMD Martin pickard (Opera North)

tutors in opera and dramatic interpretation derek Clark (Scottish Opera)alexander Crowe MA, LRAM, FRNCMPaul Wynne Griffiths (Royal Opera House)stefan Janski LRAM, LUD, DipNCSD, FRNCM, FHEA

tutor in vocal healthfrances ascott BSc(Hons), MRCSLT

tutor in vocal Mechanicsstuart Macintyre BA, FTCL, LLCM

Music Staff Robin humphreys BMus, PPRNCM

tutor in Movement and dance bethan Rhys wiliam ARAD, AISTD, CertEd, TDLB D32 & 33, FHE

tutors in language studies frédérique guéry BA, MRES, MCIL, NRPSIJarmila hickman BA, MA dr beate peter BA, PhD, FHEA, PGCE, CELTAantonio tilli Dottore in Lettere Moderne (Chieti)

visiting Coaches alexander Crowe MA, LRAM, FRNCM isobel flinn audrey hylandRussell Medley GRNCM, ARNCM felicity palmer DBEMark shanahanRosemary walton

School of vocal Studies and Opera enquiries: [email protected]/course enquiries: [email protected]

“ IN THE SCHOOL OF WIND, BRASS AND PERCUSSION, WE WILL DEvELOP yOUR SOLO, ENSEMBLE AND CHAMBER MUSIC SKILLS THROUGH FIRST-CLASS TUITION AND By GIvING yOU THE WIDEST POSSIBLE RANGE OF PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES.”

DR PAUL GOODEy, HEAD OF SCHOOL, DEAN OF PERFORMANCE STUDIES


FluteOboeClarinetBassoonSaxophoneFrench HornTrumpet

TromboneTubaCornet*Tenor HornBaritone HornEuphoniumPercussion / Timpani

sChool of wiNd, bRass aNd peRCussioN

44

Doubling instruments may be the focus of students’ Principal Study at Postgraduate level only.

* incorporating optional soprano cornet and flugel horn


• The school announced a new partnership with Foden’s band offering exciting opportunities for RNCM brass students

• Aurora Percussion Duo (Delia Stevens and Le yu) and Tempest Flute Trio (Holly Melia, Helen Wilson, and Sarah Bennett) celebrated wins in the Royal Over-Seas League Ensemble Competition, in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Both ensembles were also selected for the Park Lane Group 2013 young Artists New year Series.

• The Borealis Saxophone quartet performed Per Nørgård’s Dancers around Jupiter as part of the BBC Proms 2012, the performance was also broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

• Second year trombonist Ryan Watkins was awarded the British Trombone Society young Player of the year Award.

Find out more at www.rncm.ac.uk/windbrassandpercussion

saRah beNNett BMUS (HONS), FLUTE

IT IS SUCH A FUN AND EXCITING SCHOOL TO BE A PART OF, WHICH ENCOURAGES ME TO BE AS CREATIvE AND IMAGINATIvE AS POSSIBLE WITH My PERFORMANCES.

The range of repertoire you will experience is broad. Whilst we place a strong emphasis on the performance of new music, we also nurture the established traditions of European wind, brass and percussion playing, including orchestras, other large ensembles, chamber music, historical performance and jazz.

Throughout your course you will receive individual tuition each week and many related performance activities, such as chamber music, orchestral auditions and creative leadership skills. you will also benefit from lessons on a doubling, associated or jazz instrument.

you will work with our international tutors, visiting tutors and guest artists who will lead masterclasses and workshops in their specialist areas. Our students have recently worked with high-profile musicians including percussionists Dame Evelyn Glennie, Nebojša Zivkovic and Damien Petitjean; oboists Françoix Leleux, Matz Pettersen and Dudu Carmel; horn players Irena Rieband, David Pyatt and Tim Brown; flautists Karin de Fleyt, Rachel Brown, Robert Winn, Sarah Newbold and Michael Cox; bassoonists Douglas Spaniol, György Lakatos and Carlo Colombo and clarinettists Stephan vermeersch, Matthias Müller and Cris Inguanti.



you will be offered a wide range of performance opportunities from the beginning of your studies. These will include solo recitals, masterclasses, RNCM orchestras, wind, brass and percussion ensembles, Brass Band, New Ensemble, Big Band, chamber music and competitions. Students also perform in specialist public focus days which include the Festival of Brass, Wind Weekend, Saxophone Day and Day of Percussion.

We also offer the opportunity to audition for placements with our world-class partner orchestras and ensembles through our Professional Experience Schemes, see page 8 for details. Successful students work with the orchestra/band and receive mentoring support from professional players.

During your time at the College, you may also apply for external engagements. These opportunities range from background music with a chamber group through to full evening solo recitals.

46 leaRNiNg iN the sChool of wiNd, bRass aNd peRCussioN

aluMNi

RNCM School of Wind, Brass and Percussion alumni have gone on to establish highly successful international careers, including Stephanie Jones, fourth horn with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Andrew Nicholson, Principal flute with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra; Richard Brown, Principal trombone with the BBC Philharmonic; Tom verity, Principal E flat clarinet with Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra; Xiaodi Liu, Acting Associate Principal oboe with the Houston Symphony Orchestra; Luke Whitehead, contrabassoon with

the Philharmonia; Zhe Chen, clarinet with the Dunshan Wind Orchestra in Beijing; Zonghan Li, clarinet with the Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra; Lenny Sayer, second clarinet with the National Orchestra of Wales; Will Stafford, bass clarinet with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Ben Thomson, tuba with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Joao Mogo, trumpet with the Algarve Symphony Orchestra; Samuel Jacobs, Principal horn with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; and Russell Jackson, Principal trumpet with South Bank Sinfonia.

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SCHOOL OF WIND, BRASS AND PERCUSSION

The College has provided me with a solid preparation for life in the music profession. Through its strong connections and partnerships with professional organisations all over the world, I’ve been able to play with fantastic orchestras such as the Hallé, and perform at some of the world’s finest concert halls with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra – these opportunities would be difficult to find anywhere else!

andrew Mallon BMus (Hons), Tuba

48

staffhead of school and dean of performance studiesdr paul goodey BMus, MMus, DMus, DipRCM

deputy head of school and director of brass studiesprofessor John Miller MA, FGSM, FRNCM

director of percussion studiessimone Rebello GMusRNCM, PPRNCM

Consultant in woodwind studiesMelinda Maxwell BA, HonARAM, LTCL, ARCM

international Chair in brass studieshåkan hardenberger

international Chair in saxophonevincent david

international tutor in flutedr anders ljungar-Chapelon

international tutor in ClarinetReiner wehle

international tutor in bassoonstefano Canuti

international tutor in french hornfrøydis Ree wekre

international tutor in trumpetRex Richardson

international tutor in tromboneChris houlding

international tutor in Jazz tromboneJiggs whigham

international tutor in tubaJens bjørn-larsen

international tutor in percussionbirger sulsbrück

Musical director of RNCM big band & Jazz CollectiveMike hall BSc, PGDipRNCM

visiting tutor in flutepeter lloyd FRNCM, FGSM, ARCM

tutors in flutekatherine baker BMus, DipRAM, ARAM, FRAMwissam boustany PPRNCMRichard davis MMuslaura Jellicoe GMusRNCM, PPRNCMlinda verrier PPRNCM

tutor in piccolo and alto fluteJoanne boddington BMus, ARCM

tutor in baroque flute and ecosonicsdr stephen preston AGSM, PhD

tutor in Jazz fluteRowland sutherland AGSM

associate tutor in fluteNoémi györi

tutors in oboeJennifer galloway GMusRNCM, PPRNCMdr paul goodey BMus, MMus, DMus, DipRCMMelinda Maxwell BA, ARCM, LTCL, HonARAMhugh Mckenna LRAM, ARCM, ARAMJonathan small ARCMvalerie taylor ARAM, LRAM, ARCM

tutors in Cor anglaisthomas davey BMus, MMus, ARAMRachael pankhurst BMus, GRNCM, PPRNCM, LRSM

tutor in baroque oboeanthony Robson FRAM

tutors in ClarinetJohn bradbury MA, ARAMNicholas Cox MA, SolDip (Musikhochschule Hannover)professor linda Merrick GRSM, MMus, PhD, FRNCM, ARAM, LRAM, FLCM, FRSA, FHEA, HonvCMantonio salguero Montesinos Premio Extraordinario de Honor Fin de CarreraChristopher swann GRSM, LRAM

tutors in e flat ClarinetMandy burvillChristopher swann GRSM, LRAM

tutor in orchestral bass ClarinetColin pownall ARCM

tutor in solo bass Clarinetsarah watts BMus (Hons). LRAM, Tweede Fase (Rotterdam Conservatorium)

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tutor in early Clarinetdr lesley schatzberger BA(Hons), ARCM, DUniv

tutors in bassoon and Contrabassoonbill anderson ARAM, LRAMdavid Chatwin ARCMsimon durnford ARCMsteven Mageelawrence perkins GRNCMgraham salvage ARAM, LRAM, ARCM

tutors in saxophoneJulian argüellesRobert buckland GRNCM, PPRNCM, FRNCMCarl Raven BMus, PPRNCMandy scott GRNCM

tutor in Jazz saxophone and improvisationMike hall BSc, PGDipRNCM

tutors in french hornlizzie davis AGSMRebecca goldberg GRNCM, PPRNCM, PGDipRNCMtimothy JacksonJulian plummer GRNCM, PPRNCMlindsey stoker GMusRNCM, PPRNCM

tutor in hand hornRebecca goldberg GRNCM, PPRNCM, PGDipRNCM

tutors in trumpetJohn dickinsonMurray greig GMusRNCM, MMus, PPRNCMprofessor John Miller MA, FGSM, FRNCMRhys owens DipRCMtracey Redfern BMus, PPRNCM, PGDipRNCMgareth small GRSM, ARAM, LRAM, LTCL

visiting tutor in trumpetMark o’keefe DipCSM, ALCM, LTCL, FTCL, PPRNCM, MMus

tutor in Jazz trumpetsteve waterman GTCL, HonARAM

tutor in Natural trumpetdavid hendry GRNCM, PGDipRCM

tutors in CornetRichard Marshall BA, LRSMdr Roger webster MMus, PhD

visiting tutor in CornetMark wilkinson

tutors in trombonesimon Cowen BMusRoger Cutts AGSMRobert holliday GRNCM, PPRNCM

tutor in bass tromboneadrian Morris PPRNCM

tutor in sackbutt and Classical trombonesusan addison ARCM(Hons), HonRAM, HonLRAM

tutors in tubaewan easton MBERobin haggart BMus, LRAM, ARAMbrian kingsley ARCMleslie Neish BMus (Hons), PGDip, PPRNCM

tutors in euphonium and baritone hornsteven Mead BA, ALCM, FRNCMdavid thornton BA, PPRNCM

tutor in tenor hornleslie howie BMus (Hons), PGCEsheona white BA (Hons), PGCE

tutors in percussionelizabeth gilliver GMusRNCM, PPRNCMdavid hassell HonARAMpaul patrick LRAM, ARAMsimone Rebello GMusRNCM, PPRNCMandrea vogler BMus (Hons), PGDipRNCM

tutor in timpaniian wright FRNCM

SCHOOL OF WIND, BRASS AND PERCUSSION

School of Wind, Brass and Percussion enquiries: [email protected]/course enquiries: [email protected]

peRfoRMaNCe veNues

As a leading performance venue, the RNCM has outstanding professionally-staffed facilities which are unparalleled among conservatoires:

• The 466-seat RNCM Concert Hall, which offers a unique hexagonal performance space and Hradetsky Four Manual Concert Organ

• The 672-seat RNCM Theatre, one of the largest performance and recording spaces in Manchester

• The 120-seat Carole Nash Recital Room, a modern performance space with high quality acoustic properties and on-site recording studio

• The 150-seat Studio Theatre, a versatile studio space that offers a variety of set ups including theatre style and in the round

leaRNiNg ResouRCes

you will have access to a range of resources to help support your studies, including:

• Over 70 tutorial and individual practice rooms, and over 120 pianos

• Wi-Fi hotspots inside the College

• RNCM Moodle, the College’s virtual learning environment

• Composition students have access to a suite of new iMac machines in the Composition Labs

• A richly-stocked library with an impressive range of materials and online resources

RNCM libRaRy

The RNCM Library has a wide range of materials to support learning, research and performance, and is a key resource for all areas of your degree programme. Our knowledgeable Library staff have vast musical expertise and will help you make the best use of the resources available.

you will have access to over 90,000 catalogued items of books and printed music, 90 current journal titles and a reserve stock collection of 5,000 items. you will also have online access to e-books, databases, selected journals and audio-visual streaming services, as well as access to PCs with music software, listening stations and a viewing room.

you’ll be encouraged to make use of the Library’s archives and special collections. The RNCM Archives are of international importance, and the RNCM Collection of Historic Musical Instruments consists of over 300 instruments, which includes violins by Stradivarius and Guarnerius, and wind instruments from the 18th and 19th centuries.

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AS AN RNCM STUDENT yOU WILL HAvE ACCESS TO EXCELLENT FACILITIES, INCLUDING WORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCE vENUES AND A WEALTH OF LEARNING RESOURCES WHICH WILL SUPPORT AND ENABLE yOUR STUDIES.

faCilities aNd ResouRCes

Owned and managed by Liberty Living, the Hall offers a secure and convenient location for RNCM students to live. All first year students are able to live in the Hall if they choose. you can practise in your room between 9am and 9pm, and pianists can arrange to have a loan piano in their room.

The Hall is spacious and modern and includes:

• En-suite bathroom, internet access and telephone in every room

• Communal areas including a student common room with widescreen Tv and pool table

• A courtyard garden

• Guest flats for visiting relatives and friends

• A laundrette exclusively for the use of RNCM students

RNCM students occupy the majority of the 612 rooms in the Hall, providing the opportunity to be part of the student community as soon as you move in. Each room is housed within a flat of four with shared fully-equipped lounge/kitchen facilities. you can opt for a self-catering arrangement, or for a weekday catering

package which allows you to buy meals at food outlets in the College.

The welfare and support of RNCM student residents is overseen by two senior residents and a member of RNCM staff. The Hall has 24 hour security and swipe card access, ensuring a safe living environment.

Further information can be found on the Liberty Living website: www.libertyliving.co.uk

pRivate aCCoMModatioN

Alternatively, you may wish to rent accommodation in the private sector. RNCM students can benefit from our association with Manchester Student Homes (MSH), a university-run housing service for students who offer independent housing advice. All landlords advertising properties through this service are approved by MSH, ensuring that you are provided with quality accommodation and the best possible service. For more information, visit www.manchesterstudenthomes.com

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RNCM STUDENTS CAN ENJOy MODERN ACCOMMODATION IN SIR CHARLES GROvES HALL OF RESIDENCE, CONvENIENTLy LOCATED NEXT DOOR TO THE COLLEGE.

liviNg heRe

55

welfaRe, CouNselliNg aNd fiNaNCial guidaNCe

Our dedicated Student Services Team are your first point of contact if you need advice or guidance on anything from welfare to student finance, both before you join us, and during your time at College.

We also offer a free and confidential counselling service for RNCM students to discuss any personal concerns.

help foR studeNts with disabilities

The RNCM welcomes students with disabilities and specific learning difficulties. The College has a part-time Learning Support Tutor who provides one-to-one help with academic work as well as confidential guidance and support in other areas.

If you have a disability the RNCM will offer you support from the audition stage onwards.

If you would like to discuss any of your needs, email our Student Support and Welfare Administrator at [email protected] or telephone 0161 907 5219.

alexaNdeR teChNiQue

One-off or regular weekly Alexander Technique classes are available for a small charge. The Alexander Technique is a tried and tested approach for improving personal performance and avoiding undue physical effort or stress.

ChaplaiNCy

The College chaplains are available for confidential consultation on personal matters. There is also a chaplain specifically for international students and speakers of Mandarin Chinese. For more details visit www.stpeters.org.uk

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THE RNCM HAS A STRONG COMMUNITy OF STAFF AND STUDENTS, AND SERvICES ARE AvAILABLE TO SUPPORT yOU THROUGHOUT yOUR STUDIES.

studeNt suppoRt

57

SECTION TITLE

suppoRt seRviCes aNd welCoMe aCtivities

We have a great deal of experience in welcoming international students. you will be well supported even before you arrive in the UK, with comprehensive advice and guidance included in our pre-departure information.

When you arrive, our priority is to make you feel at home as quickly as possible, and to help you to settle into your new life at the College. you will be invited to special events and welcome activities during our International Induction week where you will meet current students and staff. The whole week is designed to help you make new friends and settle into student life here - it's also a lot of fun!

oN-site hall of ResideNCe

you have the option of living in Sir Charles Groves Hall of Residence, just two minutes' walk from the College building, where many RNCM international students choose to live. See page 54 for more information.

people to tuRN to

The RNCM will support you in a number of ways. We have a dedicated International Office, and our Students' Union organises social activities and events throughout the year, and also represents your views through an elected International Student Representative.

eNglish laNguage suppoRt

If English is not your first language, we have an English Language Tutor who can help you throughout your studies at the College. If your English is marginally below the entry level, you can participate in our intensive pre-sessional English programme which will run in July each year. Please see page 66 for more details. Once you have registered as a student, in-sessional English language support can be provided to help your written and spoken English.

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THE RNCM IS AN INTERNATIONAL CONSERvATOIRE, AND WARMLy WELCOMES STUDENTS FROM ALL OvER THE WORLD. THERE ARE 700 STUDENTS STUDyING AT THE RNCM, OF WHICH 200 ARE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS, REPRESENTING FIFTy DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. MANy OF OUR TUTORS ARE ALSO DRAWN FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE, CREATING A DIvERSE AND TRULy INTERNATIONAL ENvIRONMENT.

iNteRNatioNal studeNts

MaNChesteR – aN iNteRNatioNal City

Manchester is located in the North of England, about 200 miles (322 km) north of London - only two hours away by train. The city is a hub for international travel; Manchester International Airport provides direct flights to around 200 destinations worldwide. With a diverse range of cultures and excellent links to the rest of the world, Manchester maintains its reputation as an exciting and cosmopolitan city for students.

Across Manchester, you will find strong cultural communities living side by side. As home to many faiths, there are places of worship for all religions throughout the city. Manchester’s Chinatown is one of the largest in the world, while Rusholme is the place to enjoy South Asian traditions and cuisine.

Manchester is renowned as a thriving centre for live music, culture and the arts. Find out more at www.visitmanchester.com

the iNteRNatioNal soCiety

The RNCM has valuable links with the International Society of Manchester which may enhance your social and cultural experiences of living in the UK through its programme of activities. For more information visit www.internationalsociety.org.uk

how to apply

We accept applications from international students throughout the year. However, we would recommend that you submit your application by 1 October 2013 for entry in September 2014. For further information see How to Apply on page 62.

Find out more at www.rncm.ac.uk/international

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

As an international student I was amazed by the level of support I received from staff and local students. People are humble and willing to help with all the aspects of my studies and general life. Manchester is a busy student city so there are many activities and events going on which are a lot of fun and a great way to make new friends.

algirdas Matonis BMus (Hons), Euphonium

your degree is designed to help you to develop the confidence, drive, communication, and entrepreneurial skills needed to establish and maintain a successful career in a competitive market place.

pRofessioNal expeRieNCe aNd skills

The need to plan your career, develop professional experience and skills, and build professional networks while still a student is critical to your future success. At the RNCM we ensure that you are able to do this so that you are fully equipped for a freelance portfolio career that you might expect as a musician.

As part of your degree, you will have the following opportunities:

pRofessioNal expeRieNCe sCheMes

you will be able to audition for a place on one of the College’s highly regarded Professional Experience Schemes with the BBC Philharmonic, Hallé, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Opera North, and Black Dyke Band, among others. Please see The Platform information on page 8 for further details.

woRk expeRieNCe plaCeMeNts

Every BMus (Hons) student will undertake at least one placement during their studies. We offer a very large range of placement opportunities in the fields of music education, music administration/management, concert management, music marketing, and agency work. you apply and interview for these placements as if you were applying for a job in the music industry, enabling you to develop your application and interview skills.

RNCM outReaCh

Working in the wider community is an integral part of a musician’s career, whether as a freelance musician, or as part of an orchestra or opera company. The RNCM Outreach Team has established strong partnerships with schools, colleges and community groups throughout the region and initiates projects to provide you with the experience and necessary skills to work in the community. With the team’s support, you can be involved from the conception of an idea for a project through to the planning and delivery.

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AS A STUDENT AT THE RNCM yOU ARE ENCOURAGED FROM THE OUTSET TO LOOK BEyOND yOUR STUDIES TO yOUR FUTURE CAREER AND TO TAKE FULL ADvANTAGE OF THE MANy EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES AvAILABLE TO yOU IN THE REGION, NATIONALLy AND INTERNATIONALLy.

youR futuRe

eNtRepReNeuRial skills

To be successful in the music profession, it is important to have the entrepreneurial skills with which to develop, establish and sustain an active career. As a student at the RNCM you will be challenged continually to build your entrepreneurial skills and to establish and promote your individual identity as a musician.

paRtNeRs aNd MeNtoRs

Over the years, the RNCM has developed important professional partnership links which will provide you with valuable access to career advice and guidance, as well as crucial opportunities to network and foster contacts to enhance your employability when you graduate. you will have the opportunity to observe and participate with our partners in the wider community including the region’s music hubs, and organisations such as Brighter Sound, the Seashell Trust, Music Unlimited, Artis and Live Music Now. A full list of our partners can be found on our website www.rncm.ac.uk/about

exteRNal eNgageMeNts

The Professional Engagements Team coordinates over 350 external professional engagements each year for students with music clubs and societies across the North West and further afield, as well as with companies and event organisers. This service gives students the opportunity to perform publicly throughout their degree, gaining invaluable experience and also often earning some additional income.

gRaduate suCCess

An exciting range of career choices are open to you when you graduate from the RNCM, as demonstrated by the success of our alumni. Former students continue to excel as performers and conductors on concert platforms and in major opera houses around the world; as composers working with world-class orchestras and ensembles and for film and television; as music tutors, inspiring the next generation of young people in schools, music services and conservatoires; as freelance animateurs leading community outreach projects; as broadcasters holding high-profile positions; as session musicians touring with well-known pop and rock bands; and as leaders within the wider arts and creative industries and education sector.

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Whilst I can’t believe my studies at the RNCM are coming to an end, I’m really grateful to be part of such a wonderful department with such supportive and encouraging staff. It really has been the most wonderful time of my life

hanna-liisa kirchin, mezzo-soprano, completed her BMus (Hons) at the RNCM, followed by a Master of Music and a Postgraduate Diploma. Her final role as a student at the RNCM is Masha in Paradise Moscow.

befoRe you apply

you can find out more about the RNCM student experience by visiting our website www.rncm.ac.uk or coming along to one of our Open Days. The Open Days for 2014 applicants take place on 24 September 2013 and 29 April 2014.

you can find out more about Open Days and reserve your place on our website www.rncm.ac.uk/openday

adviCe auditioN

If you want to get a better idea of whether the RNCM is the right place for you, you can come along for an Advice Audition. These auditions cost £50* and usually take place between January and June by appointment only. £25 of the Advice Audition fee will be refunded if you apply for an entry audition within 12 months. Enquiries should be directed to Admissions: [email protected]

eNglish laNguage ReQuiReMeNts

For entrants who are not from a UK Border Agency (UKBA) designated majority-English speaking country, an English Language requirement has to be fulfilled, normally by 1 April in the year prior to entry. This will be a qualification recognised as equivalent to CEFR B2, e.g. IELTS 5.5 with no less than 5.5 in any skill.

The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) provides a basis

for the mutual recognition of language qualifications. For a list of accepted English Language qualifications under the CEFR, please visit the UK Border Agency website www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/new-approved-english-tests.pdf

CoMpletiNg youR appliCatioN

your application will be made through the Conservatoires UK Admission Services (CUKAS) website www.cukas.ac.uk

When completing your online application you will need the following information:

• the RNCM institution code R57

• course codes which can be found on the relevant programme pages, and on the CUKAS website. By completing your application via the CUKAS system you will be able to easily track the progress of your application, pay your audition fee, accept offers and confirm decisions online from anywhere in the world.

The deadline for UK/EU applications for 2014 entry is 1 October 2013.

Late applications may be considered subject to the availability of places.

iNteRNatioNal studeNts

We accept applications from international students throughout the year. However, we would recommend that you submit your application by 1 October 2013 for entry in

62 how to apply aNd eNtRy ReQuiReMeNts

* Based on 2013 figures

September 2014. you will need to apply via the Conservatoires UK Admissions Service (CUKAS) website www.cukas.ac.uk. If you have any problems applying via CUKAS or need any additional support when completing your application, you should contact [email protected]

auditioN fees

For most courses you will need to pay an audition fee online through the CUKAS website. Fees (2013 entry) are as follows:

bMus (hons) (single instrument) £55

gRNCM/Musb (hons) £55

ba (hons) popular Music performance £55

Late applicants will be charged an additional fee of £10.

the auditioN expeRieNCe

Auditions usually take place in December, though some international candidates’ auditions may be held later in the year. you will be notified of your audition date via the CUKAS Track system.

The audition is a competitive process and demand for places is very high. The minimum standard is Grade 8, but a higher level may be needed to be successful.

The format of auditions will vary according to Principal Study School, but generally you will be expected to prepare, in advance, up to three pieces contrasting in both period and style. The panel will be looking for your potential at audition, not a completed artist.

you should think about engaging the panel by keeping your performance fresh, with a wide range of mood and colour in your playing; and showing an understanding of today’s music profession. An accompanist will be provided as appropriate. For more information visit www.rncm.ac.uk/study-here/how-to-apply

If you have a disability for which special provision may be needed before or during your audition, please contact [email protected]

assessMeNt of aCadeMiC ability

you will also be assessed on your ability to successfully complete the academic requirements of the course primarily on the basis of your educational record and academic references. Some applicants may be asked to provide recent authenticated examples of their own work in history of music and theory, or take a short written test, or both. At least two weeks’ notice will be given in such cases.

NotifiCatioN of auditioN Results

you will receive notification of the result of your audition via the CUKAS Track system by the end of December 2013. If you are offered a guaranteed place, you will also receive an offer letter by post. If you are successful at audition and offered a place you are advised to confirm acceptance by 31 January 2014.

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HOW TO APPLy

bMus (hons) 4-year full-time CUKAS code: 300F

• A successful audition in the year prior to entry demonstrating a high standard of performance (composition ability for composers) and potential, of at least ABRSM Grade 8 standard. For full audition requirements please visit www.rncm.ac.uk

• At least 18 years of age on 31 December in the year of entry

• Passes at GCE A level (A2) in two subjects at grade E or above, normally including music, and passes in three different subjects at GCSE level (grades A*-C) or equivalents

• Candidates with Scottish, Irish or other equivalent qualifications should contact [email protected] or on +44 (0) 161 907 5260

bMus (hons) 3-year intensive pathway*

* At present, applicants for the 3-year pathway should apply for the standard 4-year BMus (Hons) on CUKAS. A separate course code may apply for 2014 entry. Please check the RNCM website at the time of application.

As well as meeting the standard requirements for the BMus (Hons), entrants to the three-year BMus (Hons) must also meet the following additional requirements:

• Passes at GCE A level (or equivalent) in at least three different subjects, normally including Music at grades AAB.

Pass in the Diploma in Music Performance of the ABRSM (DipABRSM), or a Level 4 equivalent, normally in the Principal Study instrument. This must be achieved either by 30 April prior to September entry to the programme, or by means of the annual special DipABRSM examination held at the RNCM (normally April/May with results in June).

gRNCM/Musb (hons) 4-year full-time CUKAS code: 399F

Entrance is highly competitive and applicants will normally demonstrate a record of practical and academic excellence. Applicants are expected to achieve the following minimum requirements for consideration for entry to the GRNCM programme:

• A successful audition by RNCM staff in the year prior to entry demonstrating a high standard of performance/composition ability and potential, of at least ABRSM Grade 8 pass

• Normally be 18 years of age by 31 December in the year of entry

• A successful interview by The University of Manchester

• Meet the detailed academic and language entry requirements of The University of Manchester MusB (AAA at GCE A Level including Music, ABRSM grade 8 pass. Please check The University of Manchester website for details.

64 eNtRy ReQuiReMeNts

ba (hons) popular Music performance 3-year full-time CUKAS code: 201F

• A high level of performing ability – equivalent to ABRSM/Rockschool/Trinity grade 8

• At least 18 years of age on 31 December in the year of entry

• Passes at GCE A level (A2) in 2 subjects, or a Rockschool Level 3 Music Practitioner qualification, or a National Diploma in a music related subject, or international equivalent

• 4 passes (A*–C) at GCSE including Maths and English

• Pass at ABRSM Grade 5 theory

• Candidates with Scottish, Irish or other equivalent qualifications should contact Admissions on +44 (0) 161 907 5260

• For full audition information and requirements please visit www.rncm.ac.uk/study-here and www.accesstomusic.co.uk

iNteRNatioNal eNtRy ReQuiReMeNts

• A successful audition in the year prior to entry demonstrating a high standard of performance (composition ability for composers) and potential

• At least 18 years of age on 31 December in year of entry

• The potential and ability to successfully complete the RNCM course

• Passes at GCE A level (A2) in two subjects at grade E or above, normally including music, and passes in three different subjects at GCSE level (grades A*-C) or equivalents, or for applicants with international qualifications, successful completion of university entry level education

• All teaching at the RNCM is carried out in English and you need to have sufficient fluency in both written and spoken English.

you will require proficiency in English as follows:

bMus (hons)

IELTS 5.5 or equivalent in each and every component (or CEFR B2).

gRNCM/Musb (hons)

IELTS 7.0 or equivalent, with at least 5.5 in each and every component. Please check The University of Manchester website for further details.

you will need to provide proof of your IELTS score or equivalent before 1 April 2014

you will also require confirmation that you have adequate funding to cover course fees and living expenses.

auditioNs

If you are unable to audition in person you will need to send an authenticated good quality recording of your audition pieces.

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ENTRy REqUIREMENTS

66

asia auditioNs

Each year, the RNCM holds overseas auditions in selected countries. you can access details of the audition dates and venues on our website. Applications and further details can also be obtained via our international agents:

China professor song yi [email protected] tel: +86 13911212507 or

+86 15901066228

korea Ms seungsil Chang [email protected] tel: +82 2 518 5133

pRe-sessioNal eNglish laNguage CouRse

If English is not your first language, we can provide you with further support through our pre-sessional English course. The course is aimed at students who have received an offer of a place to study at the RNCM but whose level of language falls marginally below the entry requirements for their course. The course usually starts in mid-July and will last for six weeks. It will improve your listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. The course also provides an introduction to the UK and British culture. The entry requirement for this pre-sessional course for the BMus (Hons) is IELTS 5.0 or equivalent with no component below CEFR B1, as specified by the UK Border Agency. For more information please contact [email protected]

useful CoNtaCts:

admissions/application enquiries: [email protected]

enquiries from international students: [email protected]

visa advice and information: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ visas-immigration/studying

www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/ immigration.php

tuitioN fee status

To determine the status of students for fees purposes, the RNCM follows regulations issued by the UK Government. Broadly, in order to qualify for UK and EU status you must have lived continuously in the UK or other EU country for purposes other than full-time education for at least three years prior to September in the year in which the course starts. If you do not qualify for UK and EU status, you will be enrolled as an international student.

eQuivaleNt aNd loweR QualifiCatioNs

According to UK Government policy, UK and EU students who are studying for a qualification which is at a level equivalent to, or lower than, a qualification which they have already gained, are not eligible for funding from the Higher Education Funding Council. you may therefore be charged the full international student tuition fee for your course of study.

payMeNt of tuitioN fees

Tuition fees are payable prior to registration at the start of the academic year. For UK and EU students the fee will normally be paid directly through the Student Loans Company, or the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. you will need to provide proof of this at enrolment.

For students paying fees themselves, it may be possible to pay by instalments. Students from outside the UK must pay fees in Pounds Sterling. Any bank charges incurred must be paid by the student.

fiNaNCial suppoRt foR iNteRNatioNal studeNts

There are a number of organisations to which international students can apply for financial support. A good place to start is the ‘Funding your Studies’ section of the British Council website www.britishcouncil.org

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FEES AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT

THE RNCM CHARGES TUITION FEES TO ALL STUDENTS FOR EACH yEAR OF STUDy. FEES FOR ALL UK AND EU UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ARE REGULATED By THE UK GOvERNMENT.

fees aNd fiNaNCial suppoRt

uNdeRgRaduate tuitioN fees peR yeaR* uk and eu students £9,000

fees for international and isle of Man/Channel island students: £16,100 *2014-15 fees are to be confirmed; 2013-14 fees are provided for reference

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fiNaNCial suppoRt foR uk aNd eu studeNts

UK students may be eligible for the following support:

• Student loan to cover tuition fees in full

• Maintenance loans or grants to help with accommodation and living costs

• For UK and EU students receiving a fee loan there is no payment of a fee to the College, the loan is paid back through the tax system after graduation

• Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant which is assessed on a sliding scale dependent upon household income. The Maintenance Grant may reduce the entitlement to the repayable maintenance loan. The Special Support Grant is available to students in receipt of means-tested benefits and is assessed on the same basis as the Maintenance Grant, however, it does not reduce the entitlement to the maintenance loan

• Possibility of support from the Access to Learning Fund for those with very limited means, or for students who experience unplanned financial difficulties

• UK students with disabilities can also apply for Disabled Students Allowance for some types of condition

• EU students can apply for a fee loan to cover fees in full

Please visit www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance to access further information on financial support for students.

RNCM sCholaRships

A number of Scholarship Awards are offered to applicants who demonstrate outstanding ability and potential at audition.

RNCM buRsaRies

uk and eu undergraduate students

The RNCM may provide bursaries of up to £1,200 (based on 2013/14 figures) according to individual students’ financial circumstances.

international students

International applicants to the RNCM may apply for bursaries towards the cost of fees and maintenance. These awards are limited in number and are allocated on the basis of need and merit. In return, students are expected to undertake directed activities for the benefit of the College.

NatioNal sCholaRships sCheMe

The College has a limited number of Scholarships to offer to undergraduate students resident in England only, under the Government’s new National Scholarship Programme. Further information about the National Scholarship Programme is available on our website.

key dates 2013/14

Cukas applications open Mid-June 2013

open day 24 September 2013 29 April 2014

Cukas applications deadline 1 October 2013

auditions December 2013

teRM dates 2014/15

induction week 15 – 21 September 2014

autumn term 22 September – 14 December 2014

spring term 5 January – 29 March 2015

Mid-year Recess 16 February – 22 February 2015

summer term 20 April – 5 July 2015

69key dates

useful CoNtaCts

Admissions Office: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)161 907 5260

International Office: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)161 907 5337

student finance Manager [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)161 907 5227

70

Cardiff195 miles

313Km

London200 miles/321Km

Edinburgh216 miles/347Km

Belfast

MANCHESTER

how to fiNd the RNCMManchester is located at the heart of the UK, and is easily accessible by air, road and rail. The city is at the centre of a busy motorway and rail network, and is home to a major airport, Manchester International Airport, which serves around 200 destinations worldwide.

London is a 2 hour rail journey away.

The RNCM is situated just 1 mile (1.6km) south of the city centre, and is a bus or train ride away from Manchester International Airport, and Piccadilly, and victoria rail stations. Oxford Road Railway Station is a 15 minute walk from the College.

Royal Northern College of Music124 Oxford RoadManchesterM13 9RDUK

Tel: +44 (0)161 907 5200Fax: +44 (0)161 273 7611www.rncm.ac.uk

MANCUNIAN WAY A57M

TO M602 (M60)

+ M6 NORTH

TO M56 + M6 SOUTH

TO A57, A628 + M67

A5103

Metrolink

WHITWORTH ST WEST

MED

LOCK

ST

CHORLTON ST

PRINCESS ST WHITWORTH ST

CHARLES STOXFO

RD ST

OXFO

RD RD

UPPER BRO

OK ST A34

KINCARD

INE RD

HIG

HER CA

MBRID

GE ST

GROSVENOR ST

BOOTH ST WEST

BRUNSWICK ST

ARDWICK GREEN SOUTH

DENMARK ROAD

DEA

NSG

ATE

LOW

ER M

OSLEY

ST

MOSL

EY ST

PORTLAND ST

DUCIE ST

FAIRFIELD ST

LON

DO

N RD

SACK

VILLE ST

OXFORDRD

MANCHESTERPICCADILLY

The RNCM is a Higher Education Corporation under the terms of the Education Reform Act 1988 and the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. It receives public funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

fReedoM of iNfoRMatioN aNd data pRoteCtioN

Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and also under the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998, individuals have a general right of access to information that is held by the Royal Northern College of Music. The RNCM is committed to openness in relation to both its staff and students and also to the general public, and insofar as is possible, will provide an applicant with any information they may request.

CoMMitMeNt to eQuality aNd diveRsity

The RNCM is committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity as an employer, higher education provider and as a performance venue. Our aim is that where possible our organisation will be truly representative of all sections of society and each will feel respected.

Our aim is to provide equality and fairness in all our activities and not to discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, gender and sexual orientation. We oppose all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination.

Every effort is made to ensure that the information in this Prospectus is correct at the time of going to press in March 2013. However, it is likely that changes will occur during the lifetime of this publication.

Photography by Paul Cliff, Jon Super and Daniel Walmsley

Compiled by RNCM Marketing and Communications

Design by Havas Lynx

Printed by Belmont Press

Tel: +44 (0)161 907 5200Fax: +44 (0)161 273 7611www.rncm.ac.uk

Royal Northern College of Music124 Oxford RoadManchesterM13 9RDUK

Documents

RNCM Undergraduate Prospectus 2014-15