Our Students Perform Live Again! – #KeepMusicPlaying
Our in-house Professional Engagements team source and coordinate over 350 paid external performance opportunities throughout the country for our students and graduates each year, matching performers to events and supporting their burgeoning careers as professional musicians.
Understandably, over the past year, we had to postpone the majority of these performance opportunities, though we were able to facilitate several online events and a few small in-person recitals when restrictions were temporarily eased and it was safe to do so.
We are delighted that we’ve been able to reschedule many of the professional engagements that were due to take place last year, meaning we are still able to provide these opportunities to our students and honour their contracts. Our first in-person engagement was able to take place earlier this week, following the recent easing of restrictions and the return of live audiences.
As well as performances at corporate events, private functions and weddings, we’re thrilled that some of our regular external concert series are due to restart over the next few weeks.
Didsbury Coffee Concerts return to Emmanuel Church for the first live performance on Saturday 29 May, having restarted earlier this month with two livestreamed events. This concert will feature the incredible Emmeline Quartet, the most recent ensemble to participate in the RNCM String Quartet Studio. Click here to visit the Didsbury Coffee Concerts Facebook page for more information.
We’re also thrilled that our students will be performing again in the beautiful St Ann’s Church in the heart of Manchester city centre, with their free Wednesday concert series restarting on Wednesday 2 June, featuring performances from RNCM pianist Xinnan Pu and the RNCM Songsters.
Following a challenging year, it’s a joy to be able to connect our talented young musicians with professional performance opportunities, and for so many of our regular supporters, venues and promoters to be able to welcome them and bring live music back to audiences once again.
For more information about booking our talented musicians, please do drop me a line at [email protected], to find out how we can help.
Amy Whitehead
Professional Engagements Manager
***
Insights
Alisa Weilerstein
We were excited to have been joined by renowned American cellist Alisa Weilerstein for an extra-special Q&A session as part of our Summer Insights series.
Alisa spoke about the benefits of focussed practise, how to gain a different perspective on a performance, and the need for musicians to have both humility and confidence.
If you missed the fabulous Q&A with Alisa, you can watch it back here:
You can also watch our previous Insights with a wide range of artists over on our YouTube channel, here.
For more information on our upcoming Insights, click here.
The UK’s first University to feature a Meyer Constellation System
Unveiling RNCM Studio 8
We’re thrilled to unveil our new Studio 8, generously funded by the Office for Students Catalyst Grant and the Garfield Weston Foundation. This state-of-the-art audio-visual system delivers an immersive audio experience, allowing our students to create multiple sonic environments in one physical space, and provides hugely innovative teaching, research and artistic applications for our students and staff.
To take a virtual tour of Studio 8, and read more about the incredible technology involved, click here.
Opera Holland Park: La Traviata Gala Performance
Stephen Gadd
Join SITraN for a very special Gala performance of Verdi’s much-loved opera, La traviata, bought to you by the innovative Opera Holland Park.
Staring baritone and RNCM alumnus Stephen Gadd in the role of Giorgio Germont, this uplifting production will be staged under a newly designed open-air canopied auditorium, and the performance will be followed by an individual gourmet picnic supper and wine served in your seat.
Winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Scholarship, Stephen has enjoyed principal roles with many UK opera companies, including ENO, Glyndebourne, Grange Park Opera and Opera North.
For more information on this special gala performance, including tickets, click here.
Here is Stephen’s powerful performance as The Speaker in Mozart’s The Magic Flute:
How do you choose the ‘right’ creative idea?
Free Webinar: See & Seize Opportunity
Join us for See & Seize Opportunity, the first session in our RNCM Connect: Career & Professional Development Webinar Series, on Thursday 27 May, 10-11am.
In this session, guest speaker Susan Eldridge unpacks the practical steps you need to turn your ideas into action.
Susan has delivered transformation for classical musicians and organisations across the globe and, as a career coach, has mentored over 1,000 performing artists. With a capacity to rally people around a great idea, prior to her work in the arts, Susan founded a multi-million dollar technology consulting firm and still finds the time to maintain an active performance career as a guest artist and freelance orchestral musician.
If you’d like to join Susan and gain some career and life inspiration click here to register your free place today.
NSM Alumni
Do You Remember…
Did you attend the Northern School of Music? If so, we’d love to hear memories of your student days. .
To share your stories, or to RSVP to our very special centenary celebration on Sunday 31 October, get in touch with us at [email protected]
As a tribute to the wonderful staff, students, and the community spirit of the NSM, we’d like to share this excerpt of Walter Carroll’s Sonata in C Minor for Piano, taken from the album Carolling: A Celebration for Walter and Ida Carroll and performed by RNCM alumnus Jonathan Scott:
Suzie Thompson
Thank You and Farewell
At the end of May, I will leave the RNCM for pastures new. I am moving on to the University of Liverpool to lead their Development and Alumni Relations team and I’m excited for the fresh challenges which await in a large institution in another brilliant post-industrial, Northern, music-loving city.
The RNCM family of staff, students, supporters and alumni are some of the most brilliant and inspirational people I have had the pleasure to know, and it has been such a privilege to work at this wonderful College. I will certainly miss being part of the RNCM staff, but will always consider myself a part of the RNCM community, and look forward to seeing you all at many concerts again in the future.
A particular and heartfelt thanks to all our donors who have supported us so generously, particularly over this past, very challenging, year. Thank you for keeping the music playing.
Suzie Thompson
Director of Development and Alumni Relations
Thank you
Keep Music Playing Live
‘A pleasure and privilege to present such a wonderful evening of music. With young musicians like this the future of classical music is in safe hands’ John Suchet
A huge thanks to the wonderful John Suchet and our hugely talented students, staff and alumni who shared their music and insights with an international online audience last Saturday night for our very first live version of Keep Music Playing!
The event was an opportunity to thank all our friends who have supported us over the past year, many of whom also kindly donated on the night, to ensure we are able offer our students the financial support they so desperately need right now. If you are able to help and transform the life of one of our talented young musicians, please click here to find out how you will make a difference today.
Thank you.
21 May 2021
