The Royal College of Music is the world’s top performing arts conservatory [1]. It nurtures gifted musicians from all over the world, many of whom are at the forefront of musical life across the globe as soloists, composers, orchestral performers, musical directors, arrangers, teachers, and artistic leaders. The RCM is situated in the South Kensington district of London, directly opposite the Royal Albert Hall.
Opened in 1883 by the then Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), The Royal College of Music has trained some of the most important figures in British and international music, including composers and performers such as Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Leopold Stokowski, Sir Hubert Parry, Sir Colin Davis, Sir Neville Marriner, Dame Joan Sutherland, Sir Thomas Allen, Dame Sarah Connolly, Tarik O’Regan, Lord Lloyd Webber, Sir James Galway, Anna Meredith MBE, Louise Alder, and Mark-Anthony Turnage.
Regular visiting artists include Sir Thomas Allen, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Alina Ibragimova, and Lang Lang. Recent honorary doctorates include Sir Antonio Pappano, Jonas Kaufmann, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Roger Norrington, Sir Bryn Terfel, Steve Reich, and Maxim Vengerov.
[1] 2022 and 2023 QS World University Rankings.