Archives

The RNCM Archives play host to 18 fascinating collections of records, compositions and personal papers, spanning not only the College’s 50 year history but also dating back to the days of Northern School of Music and the Royal Manchester College of Music which came before.

RNCM Archives can be found online at Connecting Manchester’s Music Archives. You can also keep track of the latest news on our collections and acquisitions on Twitter.

Come and explore the fascinating collections that tell an incredible story of music and the people who play and teach it in Manchester.

  • Delve into the history of the RNCM and its predecessors: the Royal Manchester College of Music and the Northern School of Music
  • Get to know great names in the history of the College such as Adolph Brodsky, Elizabeth Harwood, the Carroll family, Philip Jones and many more
  • Marvel at the stunning photographs of operas, the buildings, events and the people who made it all happen
  • Be inspired by the beautiful original music manuscripts and hold history in your hands

Donate to the Collections

Heather, our Archivist, is always interested in hearing about any material you think would be of value to the archive. We collect material relating to the history, work, staff, students and friends of the RNCM and its preceding institutions.

Are You in the Archive?

Or perhaps one of your relatives studied at the College or one of its predecessors? The archive contains programmes of performances, photographs, some student registers, Principal’s notices and more. Get in touch to see if we can help you find out more.

Interact with the Collections

Want to do a project with us? Email Heather to discuss any heritage and archive projects you think we can help with.

Collection Highlights

  • A range of personal papers and other items covering the careers of violinists Adolph Brodsky and Philip Newman, the soprano Elizabeth Harwood, and Walter and Ida Carroll – both prominent in musical education in the region
  • Correspondence between Sir Charles Hallé and EJ Broadfield, Gustav Behrens and others
  • Organisational archives of the Northern School of Music and the Royal Manchester College of Music
  • The performing archive of the Philip Jones Brass Ensemble
  • The compositions of Alan Rawsthorne, John Ogdon, and Thomas Pitfield, all with related papers and other materials, form a significant part of the total holdings
  • Numerous compositions of Arthur Butterworth and John Golland
  • A collection of music in autograph manuscript including works by Delius