RNCM’s surprising new season puts music in motion

The lineup celebrates the special relationship between music and dance, plus trailblazing musicians and around 100 FREE events 

The RNCM will put music in motion for its 2024/25 Season as it brings together internationally renowned musicians and dancers to collaborate in a series of explorative performances that will push the boundaries of the concert hall.  

Dance:Music

Dance:Music celebrates a unique creative synergy, exploring joyous and diverse music born from dance or created alongside dancers. World-leading musicians including Scottish Ensemble, trumpet soloist Matilda Lloyd, and jazz saxophonist Antonio Lizana, are joined by the conservatoire’s own outstanding ensembles to present brand new productions that span classical and modern repertoire, together with renowned dance artists and choreographers Company Chameleon, Clod Ensemble, the great flamenco performer El Mawi de Cádiz, and more. 

The series begins with RNCM Session Orchestra: Dance Divas (Sat 26 Oct) – a feast of electrifying anthems that channel the pulse of the dance floor, skilfully rearranging big hits from the likes of Beyoncé and Becky Hill for the full sound of an orchestra and soloists from our Popular Music department. The opening Autumn Season also includes: the RNCM Symphony Orchestra performing Ravel’s dark tribute to the waltz, La valse (Fri 1 Nov); RNCM Saxophone Day featuring Antonio Lizana Quintet with Alex Clarke and Dave Newton, joined by El Mawi de Cádiz (Sun 3 Nov); RNCM Wind Orchestra with Matilda Lloyd presenting Dancing Galaxies (Fri 22 Nov); and Company Chameleon fusing dance-theatre with the evocative musical soundscapes of ArkEnsemble in an exciting immersive experience (Fri 6 Dec). 

Inspirational Artists

The second major series for 2024/25 is Inspirational Artists, which honours truly trailblazing musicians and groups of performers who possess a distinctive quality far beyond their incredible musicianship. These artists are leaders, storytellers, collaborators, innovators, creatives devoted to the new but who still delight in the past and are fearless in the face of adversity. They reflect the conservatoire’s ambitions for its own students – all outstanding musicians who continually move both their audiences and their own limitations. 

Alice Zawadzki, Fred Thomas and Misha Mullow-Abbado kick off the series with a performance of the trio’s debut folk album, Za Górami (Fri 27 Sep), followed by original work from RNCM Innovate Fellow Jasdeep Singh Degun unveiling the power of the Indian ‘raga’ – a musical form of storytelling through traditional melodies passed down the generations (Thu 3 Oct). Manchester Collective play the first of three radical shows they’ll bring to the RNCM across the year (Thu 10 Oct), followed by Kantos Chamber Choir (Wed 23 Oct), the Paraorchestra: Symphony of Sorrowful Songs with soprano Victoria Oruwari (Fri 15 Nov), The Planets with Kathryn Scott and RNCM Pianists (Tue 19 Nov), RNCM alumni Elias String Quartet (Thu 28 Nov), and Sō Percussion with musician/composer Caroline Shaw (Tue 3 Dec).  

Two piano greats, Japanese virtuoso Nobuyuki Tsujii and the multi-award winning Jonathan Biss, are lined up for Spring/Summer, mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron leads an impressive cast in a Japanese take on Schubert’s celebrated song cycle in A Kabuki Winterreise: Spring Snow, and Scottish Ensemble closes the year with its pioneering kinetic production, Impulse – Music in Motion. 

Free Lunchtime Concerts and Spotlights

From September, the conservatoire also brings back FREE Lunchtimes and RNCM Spotlight concerts as part of a calendar of around 100 free experiences throughout the year. Programmed by current students and staff and presented in the College’s world-class concert halls, they are a chance to watch the next generation of professional musicians perform without charge (free, ticket required). RNCM Spotlight concerts give students room to be innovative with their ideas and ensembles, and audiences the chance to experience the future of music. This Autumn’s 12 RNCM Spotlight shows feature a broad catalogue of music, from Bach, Handel, and Mozart to Leonard Bernstein, Danny Elfman, and even traditional Korean folk – beginning on Thu 3 Oct (free, no ticket required). 

RNCM Opera

RNCM Opera returns in December with Chabrier’s eccentric opéra bouffe, L’étoile, as the absurd King Ouf I attempts to celebrate his birthday with the public execution of Lazuli (Sun 8 – Sat 14 Dec). Major family events this season include RNCM Young Explorers: A Symphony of Stories with author/animator James Mayhew (Sun 13 Oct) and a screening of Magic Light Pictures’ Stick Man with a live orchestra for our annual RNCM Christmas Family Day. 

The full Autumn programme, plus select Spring/Summer shows and appearances from touring artists such as Will Young, Tom McRae, Hue and Cry, King Creosote, Ron Sexsmith, Nerina Pallot, and Joy Division play New Dawn Fades, is now available to book online 24/7 or via our Box Office on 0161 907 5555 (Mon-Thu, 2-5pm only).  

For more information, or to request press tickets, email PR and Communications Manager Sarah Walters on [email protected] or call 07842 029 725.

17 September 2024