Upbeat magazine Summer 2026

UPBEAT SUMMER 2026 NEWS FROM INSIDE THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC IN THIS ISSUE

THE CENTRE FOR PERFORMANCE SCIENCE ON SPORT AND MUSIC

TEAM PLAYERS Music and sport in perfect harmony

ALUMNUS TONY BRITTEN ON COMPOSING THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ANTHEM RCM SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS UPBEAT SUMMER 2026

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HIGHLIGHTS

LA FINTA GIARDINIERA Royal College of Music Opera Studio singers delighted audiences at the Britten Theatre in March with a vibrant production of Mozart’s La finta giardiniera.

Designer Yannis Thavoris and director Stephen Barlow brought both the ridiculous and the sublime to life in a staging that captured the opera’s characterful charm and youthful energy, remarkable for a work Mozart composed at just 18.

Photos: Chris Christodoulou Cover: Chris Christodoulou Cover stars: Harry Gong, Hoi Yin Ng and Alex Freeman at the RCM Percussion Festival

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UPBEAT SUMMER 2026

Welcome to the latest edition of Upbeat, the Royal College of Music’s termly magazine. From Wimbledon to the FIFA World Cup, events this summer set the stage for this edition’s exploration of music and sport.

Our feature on the RCM’s Centre for Performance Science highlights the pioneering interdisciplinary work that has been taking place at the RCM for 25 years, including partnerships with leading sports organisations.

We delve into the process of preparing musicians for peak performance and the importance of sustaining their health and wellbeing, aligning with best practice in sport to ensure RCM students are equipped with the skills and knowledge to support a successful career in music.

We are also proud to celebrate the achievements of our alumni including an interview with composer Tony Britten, whose iconic UEFA Champions League anthem remains one of the most recognisable pieces of music in global sport (do take a listen to RCM pianist Dida Condria performing a special version of the anthem on our YouTube channel).

Our alumni again dominate the guest artists’ list at this year’s BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, and we celebrate the achievements of our current students, including a report on the RCM Historical Performance Faculty trip to Bolivia in April.

We also report on the RCM Museum’s latest exhibition Shared Airs, celebrating the diversity of folk musics and culture.

Thank you for your continued interest in and support of the Royal College of Music, and I look forward to welcoming you very soon to an event at our beautiful South Kensington campus.

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NEWS

The latest news and activities from the Royal College of Music

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CONTENTS

WELCOME TO UPBEAT

KNOWING THE SCORE

The Centre for Performance Science explores music and sport

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A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN Alumnus Tony Britten on composing the UEFA Champions League anthem

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TEAM PLAYERS

Sporting prowess from across the College

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ALUMNI UPDATES

STAFF UPDATES

James Williams LVO FRCM Director To be included in the next edition of Upbeat, don’t forget to email news@rcm.ac.uk

by Friday 25 September.

STAY UP TO DATE WITH UPBEAT Upbeat magazine is published three times a year, with a digital version on our website in the autumn and spring, and a printed edition in the summer.

If you don’t currently receive the digital editions of Upbeat, sign up to receive it straight to your inbox at www.rcm.ac.uk/subscribe

STUDENT UPDATES

IN MEMORY

OUR SUPPORTERS

Director of Communications Talia Hull Editor Joanna Wyld Contributors Emma Cragg, Hatti Tippayanasa, Ethan Kelly Designer May Yan Man Design www.splashofpaint.com Contact news@rcm.ac.uk

UPBEAT SUMMER 2026

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NEWS

IN THE NEWS Right Louise Alder, Hugh Cutting, Mark-Anthony Turnage and Alina Ibragimova Photos: Will Alder, Olivia Da Costa, Phil Rowley, Joss McKinley

RCM MUSICIANS AT THE BBC PROMS 2026

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tudents, alumni, professors and International Visiting Artists from the Royal College of Music feature from the First to the Last Night of the 2026 BBC Proms, leading top orchestras, unveiling new works and performing masterful solos.

On the First Night of the Proms, alumna Josephine Stephenson’s That the sunrise not leave us unmoved, commissioned by the BBC, receives its world premiere. Throughout the season more works

by RCM composers are featured, including the debut of RCM Research Fellow in Composition Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Festen Suite, adapted from his award-winning opera Festen, RCM composition teacher Bushra El-Turk’s Mosaic, and another world premiere and BBC commission by alumnus Jacob Mühlrad.

Conductor and alumnus John Wilson appears twice during the 2026 Proms – first leading his Sinfonia of London for a programme of Respighi, Verdi and Walton, then later returning with the Sinfonia of London Strings. Esteemed conductor Vasily Petrenko, who joins the RCM as an International Visiting Artist this September, conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Walton’s Second Symphony.

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Alumni from the RCM’s Vocal & Opera Faculty shine throughout this year’s festival. Star soprano Louise Alder returns following her dazzling performance in 2025’s Last Night of the Proms, to sing Canteloube’s Songs of the Auvergne. Tenor Laurence Kilsby performs with the Jupiter Ensemble for a late-night evening of Baroque, and alumni Charlotte Bowden and Jessica Cale sing alongside RCM International Visiting Artist Nicky Spence in Weber’s Oberon, conducted by Mark Elder. Alumnus and RCM Fellow Gerald Finley sings as Méphistophélès in Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust, while alumni Hugh Cutting and Nick Pritchard perform in Bach’s monumental Mass in B minor.

Alumna and International Visiting Artist Alina Ibragimova returns to the Proms to perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, alumna Amy Harman features in the premiere of Thea Musgrave’s Bassoon Concerto, Out of the Darkness, and horn player Ben Goldscheider, an alumnus from the RCM Junior Department, performs alongside fellow finalists from the BBC Young Musician of the Year 2016. Beyond soloists, many more RCM alumni and professors will take to the stage as part of the world’s leading orchestras and choirs.

The talent of young musicians is showcased as 26 musicians from the RCM Junior Department perform in the National Youth Orchestra, and on 30 August the Proms come to the RCM, as new works by winners of the BBC Young Composer Competition receive their premieres at the College.

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he Royal College of Music and the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN) have partnered on an innovative new project bringing together student composers and performers with residents to create a collection of original songs titled Sunrise: a song cycle created by residents from the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability and students from the Royal College of Music.

Developed by RCM Sparks and supported by the RCM’s Knowledge Exchange fund, the project paired three composition students with four RHN residents living with the long-term effects of acquired brain injury. Working closely with RHN music therapists, residents contributed lyrics, ideas and personal reflections, ensuring their experiences are at the centre of the project. Composers Josh Jarvis, Josh Clark and Leo McCormack transformed these into new works, supported by composition professor Dr Deirdre Gribbin.

This project offers RHN residents a meaningful, accessible way to express their experiences through music, supported by specialist music therapy. For RCM composers, it provides a unique opportunity to work in a healthcare setting and to develop new skills and perspectives.

The initiative demonstrates the power of music to support neuro-disability patients and aligns with the RCM’s wider research in health and social care, including work at the Centre for Performance Science and the Musical Care International Network.

Reflecting on the experience, Josh Clark said: ‘Working with the residents and staff at the RHN has been an absolute joy. The project shone a light on the wonderful work that music therapists do and has been a testament to how music can break through barriers in speech to bring joy.’

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Below Larks Ascending prize winner Alec Imamovic (centre) Photo: John Francis

NEWS

RCM COLLABORATES RCM COMPOSERS WITH ROYAL HOSPITAL INSPIRED BY FOR NEURO-DISABILITY LARK SONG ive Royal College of Music composers have taken inspiration from one of the world’s most popular pieces of classical music, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, to create new works featuring pre-recorded lark song.

The composers have used a new archive of lark song recordings from the British Library and the Wildlife Sound Recording Society to draw attention to the declining number of skylarks in Britain. Leo McCormack, Lily Zhang, Robert Baird, Hanna Horobynska and Alec Imamovic had their compositions performed to a special panel of judges, with the event recorded by the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society for release on their label, Albion Records.

First prize went to Alec Imamovic for his piece We Will Return, which pitted skylark sounds against the clamour of human activity in the modern world. Robert Baird won second prize for his In Memoriam Alauda Arvensis, while Hanna Horobynska came third with To Get Through the Winter.

Professor Jonathan Cole, Chair and Head of Composition at the Royal College of Music, said: ‘We were delighted by the thrilling concert in which all five new pieces were performed beautifully by students. The range of work was striking and our esteemed judges, Nicola LeFanu and Malcolm Riley, were able to agree on three worthy prizewinners. We would like to thank the RVW Society for their generous support in this project. It’s been a wonderful experience for everyone involved and a great way to celebrate the legacy of Vaughan Williams at the RCM.’

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NEWS

FORMER RCM COUNCIL MEMBER RELEASES NEW BOOK, IN SEARCH OF HOPE

RCM PARTICIPATES IN 30TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL ‘MISIONES DE CHIQUITOS’ IN BOLIVIA

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ormer Royal College of Music Council Member John Nickson has written a new book celebrating the College and its contribution to civil society: the independent sector that is the bedrock of our liberal democracy.

Above In Search of Hope

by John Nickson Below RCM musicians performing in Bolivia

John is a keen champion of the College, having served as a Council Member for ten years as well as endowing a scholarship. He and his husband Simon are founding members of the Legacy Ensemble and of the Artistic Programme Syndicate, which supports the College’s termly performance programme. John has published three books campaigning for more philanthropy, and his most recent is now available: In Search of Hope – How Civil Society Defends Democracy from Populism.

John commented: ‘The RCM is a shining example of the power and significance of philanthropy, and I write in admiration of the Council Members, executives and, above all, the students. Supporting and empowering talented young people could not be more important at a time when prospects for this generation are so challenging. This is a problem for all of us when distrust and disillusion threaten to undermine our democracy. Moreover, where would we be without music and musicians?

We should and must do all within our power to ensure there is always more music.’

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he Royal College of Music was proud to have been invited to participate in this year’s Festival ‘Misiones de Chiquitos’ in Bolivia as one of 17 international, mostly professional groups marking this milestone. RCM musicians performed concerts with the internationally renowned Arakaendar Bolivia Choir and Orchestra in the Mission churches of San Javier and San José, and gave two performances in Santa Cruz to sold-out audiences of over 1,000 people.

For 30 years, the festival has celebrated the musical manuscripts that were discovered in the Mission churches in Moxos and Chiquitos deep in the Amazonian rainforests in Bolivia. These 17th and 18th-century manuscripts, brought by the Jesuits from Europe, were used to convert the local indigenous people to Christianity.

The discovery of over 20,000 pages of manuscript music dating from the time of the Jesuit occupation in Latin America has led to an explosion of interest in this music, including the festival, established by the Association for Art and Culture.

Professor Ashley Solomon, Chair and Head of Historical Performance, said: ‘This unique opportunity for RCM students to be involved in the cultural exchange had an enormous impact both for the musicians in Bolivia and for the RCM community. The Historical Performance Faculty hopes to build on this relationship and return for the next biannual festival in 2028.’

NEWS

EXPLORE FOLK MUSIC AT THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC MUSEUM

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he Royal College of Music Museum’s latest exhibition explores the world of contemporary folk traditions, celebrating how folk musics continue to evolve, live and thrive.

Shared Airs: Our Thriving Folk Musics explores the co-creation of musical culture within rich folk music traditions. Vibrant and inviting, it interweaves the stories of people and instruments, delving into the diversity of contemporary folk music and dance across these isles and asking how folk music fosters the preservation of culture while continuing to resonate today. Co-curated with folk musicians and researchers, Shared Airs explores the spaces that folk music inhabits and considers how they’re informed by both tradition and current contexts.

Historical and new instruments provide insights into how preservation and practice interweave. Instruments such as the hardingfele and hurdy-gurdy demonstrate the adoption of historical instruments into flourishing dance practices. The Northumbrian small-pipes reflect the reinvigoration of music and language, while harps from various regions, including a Welsh small harp, explore folk music and representation. Collections from the English Folk Dance and Song Society at Cecil Sharp House demonstrate how musicians use archival material to honour traditions while fostering reinvigoration.

Jennifer Brian, Deputy Curator of the Royal College of Music Museum, said: ‘I hope that visitors to this exhibition enjoy discovering the richness and diversity of folk music and dance today. We invite visitors to share what folk music means to them and help shape a collective understanding of what folk is for all of us.’

Shared Airs: Our Thriving Folk Musics is free to visit and open until 25 October.

NEW ANIMATION TELLS FORGOTTEN STORIES OF MIGRANT MUSICIANS

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Above 19th-century Northumbrian small-pipes (left) and a Hardingfele made by Erik Jonsen Hellend (right) Photo: RCM Museum

newly released animation, available to view on the Royal College of Music YouTube channel, reveals the forgotten stories of migrant musicians from Nazi Europe, demonstrating how composers forced into exile went on to reshape Britain’s musical life, based on research from the RCM. The video celebrates the continuing impact of the four-year research project Music, Migration and Mobility: The Legacy of Migrant Musicians from Nazi Europe in Britain (2019–2023). It brings together archival research from the UK, Germany, Austria and the Isle of Man to tell the stories of migrant musicians such as Robert Kahn, Hans Gál, Mátyás Seiber, Egon Wellesz and Eric Sanders, highlighting their experiences and contributions to national cultural renewal after the Second World War. Led by the RCM’s Norbert Meyn, Music, Migration and Mobility is a performance-led and multi-disciplinary project seeking to better understand the significance of migration and mobility for music, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. It brought together an international team of musicians, archival researchers, musicologists and geographers for one of the biggest musicological research projects at the Royal College of Music to date.

Norbert Meyn, leader of the Music, Migration and Mobility project, commented: ‘I am delighted that this short film introduces viewers to our project’s research, which has made beautiful music accessible for the first time and benefitted communities all over the UK, Germany, Austria and as far away as Australia, where our mobile exhibition highlighted the stories of Émigré musicians from Nazi Europe.’

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FEATURE

KNOWING THE SCORE What can musicians and athletes learn from one another? This is one of the questions continuously asked by the Royal College of Music’s Centre for Performance Science, currently celebrating its 25th year. Upbeat found out more.

Team building Aaron explains some of the ways the CPS approaches building a healthy mindset among musicians: ‘The CPS has partnerships with leading organisations where performance is important; it’s a two-way conversation.

One of the areas that we found really fruitful is health and wellbeing support for our performers. Within sports, there’s the “team around the athlete” model. In our performance psychology teaching, we have a “team around the musician” model: we encourage students to think about who those team members should be, so they can develop their own support network as they move into the profession.’

Above Nottingham Forest FC with Dr George Waddell in the Performance Laboratory

‘From day one, the connection with sport was there,’ recalls Professor of Performance Science Aaron Williamon. ‘I first came to the RCM in 2000 to oversee a project called “Zoning In: Motivating the Musical Mind”. The idea was to bring in sports psychologists and exercise scientists to work directly with students.’

The Centre for Performance Science has continued to explore parallels between music and sport ever since. These disciplines have much in common: rigorous training, high levels of motivation, performance under pressure to unpredictable audiences. Yet there are intriguing differences in perception, too; in sport, an emphasis on the elite, high ticket prices, and the use of terminology by pundits are all widely accepted, whereas the classical music world sometimes apologises for itself, emphasising accessibility to avoid accusations of exclusivity, when perhaps we could learn from sport’s sense of pride.

Dr George Waddell, Reader in Performance Research and Innovation, acknowledges ‘this tension we have as either elite sport or indeed elite music, of how do you have it both ways? How can it be about excellence and the pinnacle of achievement, as well as this thing that’s for everyone?’

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George adds that ‘every single one of our undergraduates is taught with that model in mind through the Healthy Musician module, which remains distinctive in the world. They’re taught about growth mindset, practice strategies, performance anxiety, leadership, team building, resilience. A lot of this is drawn from the world of sport.

Students are also directly connected with the team the College builds around them: Student Services, the Creative Careers Centre, Alexander Technique, counsellors, as well as the British Association of Performing Arts Medicine.’

RCM students are taught about growth mindset, practice strategies, performance anxiety, leadership, team building, resilience.

A lot of this is drawn from the world of sport Dr George Waddell

The CPS incorporates mental rehearsal and visualisation techniques into its performance psychology courses, while its flagship Performance Laboratory empowers students to practise in performance conditions, simulating different venues and audition spaces – plus audience reactions from distracted coughing to standing ovations.

Motion Capture technology is a tool that feeds back key information to the performer, capturing information on the body and distilling it down to essentials. Subtle changes in movement can be predictors of injury, which, as George puts it, is ‘the holy grail of motion capture across both sport and music: how to predict and prevent issues. Do movements become bigger during performance, or smaller with nerves? How is the body used? As with athletes, this helps musicians learn, giving them different ways of understanding their performance, which enables them to refine and adapt.’

Theory into practice Amos Miller, Head of Brass, explains how the CPS enhances teaching at the RCM: ‘Whether it’s being able to illustrate a particular musical or technical concept with a sporting analogy, understanding the power of rest in practice to allow neural connections to be made in the brain, considering nutrition and musculoskeletal considerations, or thinking about performance psychology, sport can give us so much knowledge to improve our teaching. It’s a joy to be able to collaborate with the CPS to develop these skills’.

Yet alongside these parallels between music and sport, Aaron acknowledges that ‘there are many things they don’t share: getting through your piano concerto faster doesn’t mean better, whereas getting to the end of 100 metres faster usually does mean better.’ So what can the sporting world learn from the RCM?

has naturally led us towards the world of the performing arts, and we became aware of both Aaron and the CPS’ work a number of years ago. We were intrigued to see what we could learn from how you develop your students.’

Luke adds that ‘the Performance Laboratory has continued to be an attractive space for sport to learn from, particularly when it comes to preparing young people to deal with pressure moments and environments. Themes have included: what talent development programmes look like, considering the phases of talent transitions, approaches to wellbeing, managing performance anxiety and performing under pressure, coaching, and the art of teaching.’

Below Dida Condria preparing to perform Tony Britten's UEFA Champions League anthem in the Performance Laboratory Photo: Megan Cunnington

FEATURE

Preparing for performance

Bottom Leaders in Sport in the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall

No pain, no gain?

Part of the CPS’ ethos is dispelling some of the myths around performance. As George says, there is ‘a culture of giving everything you have, whether it’s sport or music. It can lead to the idea that it’s supposed to hurt, which can cause long-term harm and prevent progress. We have to find ways to push ourselves that we can sustain across a long and rewarding career.’

The RCM recently welcomed young players from Nottingham Forest FC, who discussed how it feels to play in front of different audiences, and explored how to handle errors. Musicians may ruminate on a mistake, and sportspeople are similarly prone to fixating. Yet some of the young Nottingham Forest players have already cultivated a refreshingly robust attitude, one saying of winding down after a match: ‘job done – move on.’ It’s easier said than done but, for performers who find perfectionism debilitating, it’s something to aspire to. It also sums up the healthy resilience being cultivated by the Centre for Performance Science. Here’s to the next 25 years!

Joanna Wyld RCM Publications & Content Officer

Learning from the best Athletes regularly visit the RCM to see, in George’s words, ‘how we take something as complex as music – something ineffable and abstract – and hone it down to mechanical, technical detail.’ He explains that ‘sportspeople are particularly interested in the sheer sustainability of the musical career arc: musicians start so young and can keep going until an advanced age, unlike athletes.’

Luke Whitworth, Sport Performance Team Lead at the Leaders Performance Institute, has been collaborating with the CPS since 2018.

‘We’re constantly seeking leading practice in diverse fields that sit outside of sport. This

The Performance Laboratory has continued to be an attractive space for sport to learn from, particularly when it comes to preparing young people to deal with pressure moments and environments Luke Whitworth, Leaders Performance Institute

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FEATURE

A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN Royal College of Music alumnus Tony Britten made history when he composed the iconic UEFA Champions League anthem. Upbeat found out about his time at the College, his theatre work, and what makes a good sports anthem.

Right Tony Britten Opposite Tony Britten conducting the Brno Philharmonic

When did you first become interested in music?

Tell us about your time at the Royal College of Music

It was quite early. I had an Estonian aunt who’d trained to be a concert pianist.

She heard me play and said: you have to get that child lessons. I became a founder member of Trinity Boys’ Choir, and as a boy treble performed in Pelléas et Mélisande conducted by Boulez. I adored Boulez, he was utterly charming and helpful.

I came to the College as a first study singer, with piano as second study; I also took conducting classes with Norman Del Mar. If I were 18 now, I’d want to study composition at the RCM. Composition for Screen was yet to be set up by Joseph Horovitz, who was one of my teachers: a glorious man with whom I kept up till the end of his life.

By that point I was only interested in music and theatre. I was scribbling music from when I was about ten. I tried dodecaphonic music, and then got into electronic music, which is how I came to study at Goldsmiths on a bursary aged 16.

Being in the RCM Chorus was a highlight; we performed Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius with Sir Adrian Boult. In my second year I got into the orchestra conducted by Del Mar. He was lovely and expected a great deal! David Willcocks was a brilliant musician and very encouraging.

The fact that music is on tap at the RCM is inspiring – an amazing preparation for the music world

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The fact that music is on tap at the RCM is inspiring – I’d pop along to hear friends playing. One year they performed Stockhausen’s Gruppen! Experiencing something like that was wonderful, and an amazing preparation for the music world.

I played music by student composers; some of it was extraordinary. I conducted lots, and kept composing as well; I experimented.

FEATURE

And I came back here to make my film about Benjamin Britten: a feature length docudrama about the pacifism at the core of his life and work.

What came next?

By the time I left the RCM I was earning money doing pop orchestrations and had done some professional music directing. For years my music writing was fed by theatre; I wrote and orchestrated scores for dozens of plays.

I started doing professional musical directing for the likes of Cameron Mackintosh, and then I orchestrated and was musical director for the original production of Guys and Dolls in 1982. I thought ‘it’s never going to get any better than this!’ I was privileged to work with the best musicians in the country; I had such a good time and made a lot of friends.

In the mid 1980s we revived Guys and Dolls and the assistant director was Nick Broadhurst, with whom I collaborated to create Music Theatre London. I wrote new lyrics to classic operas, reorchestrating them for chamber groups. It proved to be genuinely revolutionary. Nick once said to me: you’re a storyteller. When I look back, I realise that’s the unifying link: I’m a storyteller.

How did composing the UEFA Champions League anthem come about?

UEFA wanted an anthem that said something different. The Three Tenors and Nessun Dorma were big at the time, and UEFA wanted something classical, but not a solo. So I sent them some cassettes of choral music; they liked Handel’s Zadok the Priest. The anthem isn’t a rip-off of that, but I adapted the rising arpeggios, and used piccolo trumpets and D trumpets to create Handelian orchestration. We knew the words had to be about being the best; there had been a lot of hooliganism and UEFA wanted to make the beautiful game beautiful again. So we used superlatives in the official

UEFA languages: English, French and German.

I put it all together and the rest is history!

People ask, how come this anthem is still being used after all these years? Because it’s timeless. When we re-recorded it with Tenebrae singing the chorus I added horns and a new passage for piccolo trumpets influenced by Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. The re-recording was brilliant: the guys from UEFA came to Air Studios and said they’d never heard anything like it!

Star footballers tell me: when I hear that music, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end

What makes a good sports anthem?

I’m interested in how sport makes people think and behave and how it inspires them. A lot of sports themes are in the minor key; rather doom-laden and gladiatorial. But these young men and women are fantastic physical specimens and desperate to win glory, so why should the music sound ominous? A more effective example is the use of Holst’s ‘Jupiter’ for ‘World in Union’ at the rugby. It’s a powerful, positive, uplifting piece.

I wrote another anthem for ice hockey, with a signature tune in a minor key and lots of horns and overlaid guitar, then I transformed the same theme into the major for when the trophy had been won. Composing an anthem is about sporting values and inspiring people rather than trying to mimic the sport itself.

With the Champions League anthem, star footballers have told me: ‘when I stand on the pitch and hear that music, the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.’ Because this is it! It’s the biggest thing they’ll do. Music has that power.

Joanna Wyld RCM Publications & Content Officer

Visit the RCM YouTube channel to watch RCM pianist Dida Condria performing the UEFA Champions League Anthem.

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FEATURE

TEAM PLAYERS From illustrious alumni to current students and staff, the Royal College of Music has always embraced the exhilaration of sport and movement – recognising that keeping active supports musical excellence. We donned our legwarmers and did a brisk circuit of the College to find out more.

Britten’s got talent Sport has inspired a number of Royal College of Music composers. Alumnus Benjamin Britten and his partner, tenor Peter Pears, enjoyed tennis, cricket, badminton, walking and skiing. They emphasised sport’s social side, inviting guests to join in the fun and games at the Red House in Aldeburgh. Britten also played tennis with his RCM mentor, Frank Bridge.

Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams bonded over a love of long hikes during their RCM student days.

Mark-Anthony Turnage has been inspired by his love of football in works including his opera The Silver Tassie, which focuses on sporting hero Harry; Up for Grabs, inspired by a famous Arsenal match; and Momentum, which includes a distorted version of the ‘Olé, olé, olé, olé’ chant.

having cycled. Cycling is also a great leveller: when you meet your audience en route, it breaks that performer/audience divide.’

Sarah Small, viola da gamba player Soprano Laura Wright was recently interviewed about being the official anthem singer for British Rugby.

Strong students In autumn 2025, Director James Williams arranged for a number of RCM musicians to perform in the Philharmonia’s production of Laura Karpman’s tennis-themed opera, Balls, about Billie Jean King: bass baritones Oliver Barker and Gyaan Bhuyan, tenors Tim Burton and Archie Inns, mezzo soprano Lucile Guedj and sopranos Eve Pearson Maxwell and Ariana Ricci, alongside RCM International Visiting Artist Nicky Spence.

Active alumni ‘I did a lot of sport growing up. I felt the joy of singing in the same way that I felt the joy of sport: in my body. I’m a big fan of rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson. He talks about visualising doing something well. That’s a huge part of what I try to do: I try to visualise in an optimistic way how something could turn out. Opera is at its most powerful when voice and body are in it together.’ Hugh Cutting, countertenor Tenor Ryan Vaughan Davies recently wowed some of the tennis world’s top players with his locker room performance of Nessun Dorma for ATP Tour and Tennis TV.

Top Britten and Bridge playing tennis Photo: Britten Pears Arts Above Holst and Vaughan Williams out walking Photo: RCM Museum

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In 2025, flautist Cathy Hare, who now works as Royal Philharmonic Society Programme Manager, swapped the practice room for triathlon training, taking on one of the world’s most challenging endurance events, Ironman Wales.

‘I recently completed a ten-week, 4500km cycling concert tour around the UK. Cycling and playing music have a lot in common. Both require you to be fully present and engaged with your environment: cycling consistently gives me a better ability to focus during practice and performances. On concert days, I arrive at venues feeling more refreshed

‘Being a part of an opera cast feels just like being a part of a football team: everyone is working together to give their best performance. The atmosphere in the dressing room before a show feels just like the football changing rooms before a cup final.’

David Fraser, bass (@tracksuitopera) ‘RCM Students’ Union members enjoy being active as part of their student experience.

We have a football society, and recently the SU ran its first salsa night with a live band.

Students attend weekly yoga sessions provided by the College and some faculties (brass especially!) like to organise their own sports days in Hyde Park. Many students also make use of our connection with Imperial College (IC) and join their societies. James Todd, our Welfare and Disabilities Officer, is part of

Left Megan Cunnington Below centre Madeleine Mitchell Below Sarah Small

Sporty staff ‘Having taken up running two years ago and not being able to run a mile, this year I decided to push myself and run 26! In April I completed the Brighton Marathon; it was a huge challenge and took more discipline and resilience than I could have imagined – it felt amazing to cross that finish line.’

Megan Cunnington, Marketing Officer (Events)

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the IC Ju Jitsu Society, Ananya Panwar, our International and Events Officer, is part of the IC Salsa Society, and I took part in the IC Pole Dancing Society during my studies: a great way to stay fit and really grounding.’

Leila Hooton, SU President

Below left David Fraser at Goodison Park

‘The relationship of music and movement is intertwined; they complement each other.

Music can create the desire to move, and movement can evoke music. Both give the audience emotions, a story, something to inspire, think about, feel. Which is more important? It’s a chicken and egg scenario.

But a beautiful question to keep asking.’

Desirée Kongerød, professor of movement (opera)

‘The P&P Run Club began a few years ago and comprises some of the RCM Performance & Programming team – Olivia Grant, Katherine Hainsworth, Bethan Lloyd and Chris Michie, all of whom continue our sporting endeavours outside work, too. Most weeks our enthusiastic quartet finds time for a cobwebbusting run. Working with a wide range of musicians and navigating complex schedules means confidence and drive are essential for our work. Running helps us to work better and focus more. Most importantly, it allows us to bond with one another. After all, being a musician – and working with musicians – is all about teamwork.’ Katherine Hainsworth, Performance Administrator and Lending Instrument Collection Manager

‘I’m an obsessive amateur ballet dancer and go to tonnes of lessons: up to five a week!’

Simon Lepper, Assistant Head of Keyboard ‘It’s important for performers to think of themselves like athletes and look after themselves. I cycle to the College, enjoy walking in the park and swimming in the sea when I go on tour.’

Madeleine Mitchell, violin professor ‘I’m a huge advocate for dance fitness. As a child and teenager, alongside music performance, I also danced. I returned to dancing through Zumba classes in my 30s and am still going strong, usually managing to fit in three classes per week. Zumba is a fabulous way to enjoy Latin rhythms and syncopated grooves with particularly amazing percussion and brass. No wonder they call it exercise in disguise!’ Elly Taylor, Academic Registrar

Being a part of an opera cast feels just like being a part of a football team: everyone is working together to give their best performance David Fraser

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ALUMNI UPDATES

ALUMNI UPDATES Royal College of Music alumni continue to shine in an array of arenas, from illustrious performances to inspiring outreach projects.

Right Joanna Marsh Photo: Jasmine Waterfield Below Louise Alder Photo: Chris Christodoulou Bottom Edmund Jolliffe Photo: Robert Taylor

PERFORMANCES AND RECORDINGS Countertenor Hugh Cutting performed a soldout, livestreamed concert of Handel with Lucy Crowe and The English Concert at Wigmore Hall in June.

Joanna Marsh, flautist with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, is celebrating the orchestra’s 80th anniversary by visiting 80 schools across the UK to perform and inspire young musicians. Supported by Sir John Rutter, who has written music specially for the project, Joanna has already reached more than 7,000 children through her voluntary school assemblies and performances.

Edmund Jolliffe’s debut album Choral Reflections was released this year by Convivium Records, supported by the PRS Composer’s Fund. It features premiere recordings, including his song Still, still, still, and a selection of carols published by Oxford University Press.

His recent achievements also include first and second prizes in the Orpheus Academy Competition in Texas, and being selected as a winner in the OurSong Atlanta Choral Composition Competition.

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Cellist Ariana Kashefi and pianist Petr Limonov recently released their album In Parallel on the Champs Hill label. Ariana was also interviewed about how vocal music inspires her playing for The Strad magazine.

Soprano Robyn Allegra Parton sang Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Royal Ballet & Opera in April, with reviewer Robert Hugill noting that ‘Robyn Allegra Parton’s Gilda was dazzling throughout’.

ALUMNI UPDATES

AWARDS AND APPOINTMENTS

Top left Beth Stone Photo: Inis Oírr Asano Photography

In His Majesty King Charles III’s Birthday Honours list, soprano Louise Alder was made MBE and conductor Anthony Negus was made CBE.

Top right Rennie Sutherland Photo: Inis Oírr Asano Photography

Screen composer Tom Hodge’s score for Testimony has won the Best Original Film Score Award at the 71st Ivor Novello Awards.

Left Michal Oren Photo: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

Following Maria Filippova’s success in winning the Woodwind/Brass category at the last Tunbridge International Music Festival in 2024, flautist Samantha Rowe won this year’s competition.

Michal Oren has been appointed the 2026/27 Calleva Assistant Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

Clarinettist Rennie Sutherland and flautist Beth Stone, members of Lumas Winds, which formed in 2018, took home first prize at the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition.

They also won four out of five of the available special prizes for the best performance of the commission (Alchemie by Thibault Perrine), the best performance of a work written after 1960 (La Nouvelle Orleans by Lalo Schifrin), the prize from the Villecroze Music Academy, and the La Belle Saison Prize: as such, with the latter prize, they are now part of ‘La Belle Saison’ family, and will be touring France in the near future.

PUBLICATIONS Michael Allis has published his latest book, Granville Bantock and the Orchestral Refiguring of Literature, with the Boydell Press. The book explores Bantock’s pre-First World War orchestral music (1889–1911) and its literary inspirations, drawing on works by Browning, Dante, Milton, Thomas More, Shelley and Sophocles, among others. The code BB135 unlocks a 35% discount on the Boydell & Brewer website.

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STAFF UPDATES

STAFF UPDATES Royal College of Music staff combine their dedication to the College with a range of achievements in performance and research.

Right Sara Dhillon Photo: Monika S Jakubowska Below Jonathan Lemalu Photo: Sussie Ahlburg

APPOINTMENTS AND AWARDS Aida Berhamovic, Director of Estates and Sarah Hanratty, Head of Projects, Facilities & Operations, collected a Civic Trust Award on behalf of the Royal College of Music in recognition of the East Courtyard development and its ‘ambition to construct a contemporary, more open estate that reaches out to the community and society’.

International Visiting Artist (Conducting) Martyn Brabbins and research professors Neta Spiro and Tania Lisboa have been appointed to Personal Chairs in their respective fields, with Dr George Waddell named Reader in Performance Research and Innovation, recognising their work across performance, research, and creative practice.

Kathryn Kay, Dalcroze Eurhythmics teacher for the Royal College of Music Junior Department and Sparks programmes, has been awarded the Licence in Dalcroze Eurhythmics by Dalcroze UK, becoming a Licentiate. She has also delivered international workshops and a keynote at the fifth International Conference of Dalcroze Studies.

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of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka. He is the fourth person to be awarded this title since 1969, and the first in 19 years. He commented: ‘Given my work in higher education at the Royal College of Music in London, supporting students in their degree and Masters vocal studies, this feels even more poignant – a full circle moment in many ways.’

Katherine ‘Waffy’ Spencer recently joined the RCM Historical Performance Faculty as a historical clarinet professor.

PERFORMANCES AND RECORDINGS Sara Dhillon, RCM Junior Department Jazz Piano and Ensemble tutor, recently made her debut at the 606 Jazz Club with a set of originals, standards and Latin-inspired repertoire. She has also performed at major UK venues including Ronnie Scott’s and the London Jazz Festival, and works as a composer, bandleader and musical director across jazz and theatre projects.

Drummer Jas Kayser and timpanist Tomohiro Ando will be joining the Timpani and Percussion Faculty as International Visiting Artists from September.

Movement professor and dancer-acrobat Desirée Kongerød and magician-singer Christopher Howell, known as the magic duo Norvil & Josephine, recently performed their five-star critically acclaimed show Rabbits Out of the Hat at Jacksons Lane, London and Twickenham Exchange. The production continued with a UK tour in May and June.

Deputy Head of Vocal & Opera Jonathan Lemalu has been made an Honorary Doctor of Music by his alma mater, the University

Assistant Head of Keyboard Simon Lepper’s recent release of English song with bass baritone Tristan Hambleton, featuring composers including

STAFF UPDATES

alumni Britten, Bridge, Tarik O‘Regan and Huw Watkins and International Visiting Artist Errolyn Wallen, has been awarded a five-star review in BBC Music Magazine. Simon has also performed internationally with Benjamin Appl in Bogotá and the Amazon, and served as adjudicator for the Young Musician of the Caribbean in the Dominican Republic.

Madeleine Mitchell, violin professor, is performing at this year’s Three Choirs Festival in Gloucester with her London Chamber Ensemble, featuring music from recent recordings of Wood and Howells, including her own arrangements. The album was a Gramophone ‘must hear’ of the week.

Madeleine has also published recent articles in The Strad and The Cusp magazines, including a piece on the viola as a ‘composer’s instrument of choice’, and she gives recitals in Brazil in August.

Composition professor William Mival’s recent Signum Classics release features three orchestral works performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra under Martyn Brabbins, including Vale, Tristan – still and Pluen. The recording has received strong reviews, was featured on BBC Radio 3’s ‘Record Review’, and entered the classical charts at no 31.

Kate Simko, professor of Composition for Screen and electronic music, composed a new score for an episode of the highly watched documentary The Elon Musk Show.

The predominantly electronic soundtrack features synthesisers, including the Moog One and other electronic instruments.

RESEARCH AND WRITING

The Beethoven Summit 2026, presented by the International Centre for Contemporary Music (ICCM), explored Beethoven’s legacy through performances with discussion and research led

by Dr Christina Guillaumier. RCM artists and academics were central to the event, including the Isolde Quartet led by Gabrielle Lester, pianist Danny Driver and professor Terence Charlston, with the summit concluding in a Cadogan Hall concert featuring Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Schumann’s Piano Concerto conducted by Zvonimir Hačko.

Publications and Content Officer Joanna Wyld has recently written programme notes for Pierre-Laurent Aimard’s performance of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier Book 2 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and for Beethoven’s Ninth at Glyndebourne, alongside articles for concerts by Martha Argerich and International Visiting Artist Nicky Spence at the Salzburg and Aldeburgh festivals, and two BBC Proms.

CELEBRATIONS

Top Simon Lepper with Tristan Hambleton Photo: Foxbrush Films Left Dr Christina Guillaumier

The College recently held a celebration for violinist and teacher Felix Andrievsky’s 90th birthday, celebrating his over 40-year teaching career at the RCM and the lasting impact of his influential approach on generations of violinists.

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STUDENT UPDATES The Royal College of Music is immensely proud of its students, who consistently perform at the highest level. Here are just some of their recent achievements. in the RCM Strings Showcase at Wigmore Hall on 1 July. Eva featured in the Wimbledon Classical Guitar Society (WiGS)’s last conservatoire series concert of the season, with performances throughout May. Soprano Sarah Thomas continues her collaboration with Kleine Opera, performing Elisetta in Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto this summer.

Above The Nadedja Quartet with Her Majesty, The Queen at Clarence House Photo: Clarence House Right RCM organ students Below Eva Victoria Schockmel Photo: Kirsten van Santen

PRESTIGIOUS PERFORMANCES The Nadedja Quartet (violinists Krissi Georgieva and Antigone Hourt, violist Norea Quirijnen and cellist Louis Hirst) recently performed at Clarence House, at a picnic hosted by Her Majesty, The Queen for the benefit of six children from Dreams and Wishes, a charity dedicated to helping fulfil the wishes of seriously ill children.

Emily Crook (clarinet) and Mariamna Sherling (piano) performed at the 60th Harrogate Music Festival as part of its Young Musicians Series in partnership with the Royal College of Music.

This autumn, soprano Rachel Howe joins the cast at Glyndebourne as Frankie in the premiere of Lucy Armstrong’s opera, Spark.

Soprano Eve Maxwell performs Musetta in La bohème with Westminster Opera this summer.

Soprano Ariana Ricci joins the Internationale Meistersinger Akademie this summer.

Guitarist Eva Victoria Schockmel toured in May with the Luxembourgish mandolin orchestra Ensemble à Plectre Municipal d’Esch-sur-Alzette, performing concerts in Alcázar de San Juan, Segorbe and Aranjuez.

She also appeared with violinist Enya Barber

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RCM organ students recently travelled to Paris to play music from France on the instruments and in the settings for which it was composed.

The organists visited the Royal Chapel of Versailles as well as St Sulpice, Paris and St Ouen, Rouen, and at each venue received in-depth, one-to-one masterclass teaching from the best local organists, in a variety of music including François Couperin and César Franck.

AWARDS AND APPOINTMENTS In the Joan Chissell Schumann Competition for voice and piano, Sian Sulke won the Singer Prize, with second prize going to Natalka Pasicznyk and third prize to Edward Birchinall. The Pianist Prize was won by Jorn Quirijnen, with second prize awarded to Matthew Clemmet and third prize to Bohdana Ravliuk.

Anastasia Barabanova has won second prize in the piano category of the Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition, with Edward Chiohas winning third prize.

Jasper Dommett

Photo: Derri Joseph Lewis Left

Trio Rossetti Photo: CAVATINA Below

Zsombor Tóth-Vajna

Photo: Gergely Tóth-Vajna

Jasper Dommett’s composition King Torques Hollow Acetate was placed in the top six in the under-30 category of the International Rostrum of Composers, and was played on BBC Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’. Jasper has also curated a queer festival in Finland for Tapiola Sinfonietta, for whom they have been commissioned to write their first symphony.

Mezzo soprano Angelina Dorlin-Barlow has been announced as a member of Glyndebourne’s Jerwood Young Artists programme 2026.

Flautist Viviane Ghiglino was a finalist in the Tunbridge Wells International Music Festival 2026 and has been awarded a place to study for a Masters degree in Geneva with Sebastian Jacot.

Postgraduate flautist Julia Klampfer has been awarded a Yamaha Music Europe Foundation Scholarship.

PhD student Ananya Panwar has been shortlisted for the BBC New Generation Thinkers scheme, working with programme makers to bring new ideas and academic scholarship to audiences on BBC Radio 4.

Pianist Bohdana Ravliuk has been awarded the Titanic Memoriam Prize.

Soprano Bella Marslen has won the second prize in the Cuthbert Smith Prize, and soprano Tia Radix-Callixte has won third prize.

Soprano Josephine Shaw was one of the finalists in the Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year competition 2026.

Below left

Julia Klampfer

STUDENT UPDATES

Far Left

Photo: Eva Schöler

DMus student Zsombor Tóth-Vajna was awarded the Pro Cultura Hungarica Award by the Hungarian state in recognition of his international music career and contributions to promoting Hungarian music. He has also been invited by the British Institute of Organ Studies to speak at its 50th anniversary conference, held at the University of Oxford.

Trio Rossetti, comprising current students violinist Clara Wernig, cellist Ben Matson and pianist Mischa Carr, recently won the prestigious CAVATINA Intercollegiate Chamber Music Competition held at Wigmore Hall. Trio Rossetti was established in 2024 and in the following year it participated in an exchange with the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg, leading to a performance at the Wiener Saal.

The quartet has also attended the Budapest Festival Academy.

Mezzo soprano Cecilia Yufan Zhang has earned a place at the Wilhelmsen Opera Studio with Norwegian Opera & Ballet.

RCM Junior Department pianist, composer and BBC Young Musician finalist Jacky Zhang has been named winner of the 2026 Sheepdrove Piano Competition at Newbury Spring Festival, becoming the youngest winner in the competition’s history. Jacky has been described by Festival Director Mark Eynon as a ‘future star’ following his win.

Tenor Taining Zhao won first prize in the Askonas Lies Prize.

The Jasmine Quartet (Mira Steenbrugge, Amber Correa, Becca Marr, Ezra Escobar) won the Helen Just & Susan Connell Prize and The Sacconi Quartet Prize at the RCM String Quartet Competition.

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IN MEMORY The Royal College of Music mourns the loss of violin professor Natalia Boyarsky, a much-loved teacher and wife to RCM cello professor Alexander Boyarsky. Natalia died on 19 December 2025, aged 79.

Natalia Boyarsky studied violin at the Moscow Conservatory and Gnessin State Musical College, teaching at the Moscow Conservatory Junior Department and becoming Head of the Strings Faculty there.

Above Daphne Boden Right Natalia Boyarsky Photo: Chris Christodoulou

Daphne Boden, distinguished harpist and a cherished member of the RCM community, died in June 2025. She taught in the RCM Junior Department and was a professor in the senior College for over 50 years. Marisa Robles pays tribute.

Daphne was my first pupil in England. I introduced her to the French school of harp, and this is the technique she passed on to her students. She would often come to my house, with students, for masterclasses and I was lucky enough to meet many of the best harp students through Daphne.

She was a very important member of the jury in international harp competitions and was highly respected and admired by her colleagues all over the world. Some of today’s best harpists began as pupils of Daphne’s at the Royal College of Music.

Daphne was very kind and was always there for me. It has been heart-warming to read all the wonderful tributes that so many people have written about dear Daphne. I think about her every day with much love and I miss her, as I was lucky enough to call her my best friend.

Marisa Robles, former RCM harp professor

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Yehudi Menuhin invited Natalia to the UK in 1991, when she moved to London to teach at the Yehudi Menuhin School. In 1996, Natalia was made a violin professor at the Royal College of Music, teaching at the College for two decades. She taught in the RCM Junior Department from 1999. Many students have benefitted from her inspiring insights, including alumni such as Benjamin Baker, Corina Belcea, Charlotte Salouste-Bridoux and Alina Ibragimova, whose mother, RCM violin professor Lyutsia Ibragimova, acted as Natalia’s assistant. Natalia is survived by her husband Alexander (Sasha) Boyarsky and their son, violist Konstantin Boyarsky.

I first worked with John towards the end of the 1990s, when I was asked to prepare all three of the Mozart/Da Ponte operas for Sir Colin Davis in productions directed by John Copley.

John Constable was the ideal choice to play the continuo recitatives.

I knew John by reputation as a consummate musician with extraordinary keyboard skills. I’d seen his name on countless recordings as soloist and orchestral pianist, meeting the technical demands of even the scariest avant garde scores, or performing the ‘simple’ job as harpsichordist for Mozart opera recitatives. He appeared as accompanist for high-profile recitals, and was equally at home playing and coaching the core operatic repertoire. All this he did with great ease and incredible humility.

I immediately asked him to join the coaching staff to work with RCM singers, which he did for many years until shortly before his passing. What I remember most about John was his warm and engaging smile, gentle, cheerful manner, and incredible enthusiasm. No wonder singers loved working with him. With his parting, we have lost not only a truly marvellous musician, but also a wonderful human being.

Michael Rosewell, Director of Opera

RCM alumnus Brian Schiele, distinguished violist and long-standing member of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, died in April 2026.

Brian Schiele studied at the Royal College of Music from 1979 to 1984, studying viola with Frederick Riddle, piano with Raymond Fischer and musicianship and theory with Alan Ridout. During his time at the College, he was a member of the Auriol Quartet, whose players were awarded a Leverhulme Scholarship to continue their studies.

The quartet won the chamber music section of the Royal Over-Seas League competition and performed at prestigious venues including St James’s and Kensington Palaces, as well as visiting Oman, where it gave concerts as guests of the Sultan.

Following his studies, Brian built a distinguished orchestral career as a violist. He was closely associated with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, where he served for many years and was widely respected for his musicianship, collegiality and commitment. Brian freelanced with numerous London-based orchestras, including

the Philharmonia and London City Ballet, serving as principal viola.

Beyond his orchestral work, Brian was admired for his versatility and dedication to chamber music, continuing the collaborative spirit he had cultivated during his student years. His performances were marked by sensitivity, precision and a deep understanding of the repertoire.

IN MEMORY

The Royal College of Music was deeply saddened to hear the news of the death of pianist and RCM opera coach John Constable. Director of Opera Michael Rosewell pays tribute.

Below Francis Shaw

Francis Shaw, a highly esteemed Composition for Screen professor at the Royal College of Music, died in August 2025.

Francis Shaw was a much-loved member of the RCM Composition Faculty, and he was instrumental in setting up the RCM Composition for Screen programme. Previous teaching posts included Head of Screen Composition at the National Film and Television School. In film and television, his scores included A Room With A View, Fourth Protocol and Ondskan, for which he was awarded the Ivor Novello Award for Best Film Score, whilst his concert works included concertos for piano, viola and harpsichord, and two operas.

Always generous with his time and expertise, Francis personified the composer as craftsman, bringing great skill and understanding to his projects and real dedication to his teaching.

Hugely admired within the music industry, he was a Composer-Director of the PRS from 2004–2007 and a founding member of BASCA. Professor Jonathan Cole, Chair and Head of Composition

LEAVING A LEGACY By leaving a gift in your Will you can play a significant role in helping the College to inspire and educate musicians of the future.

For more information on leaving a legacy to the RCM, please contact Henry Purser, Development Manager (Legacies & Individual Giving) henry.purser@rcm.ac.uk

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SUPPORT US

THANK YOU TO OUR SUPPORTERS SUPPORTING THE FUTURE OF MUSIC From becoming an RCM Friend to leaving a gift in your Will, there are many ways you can support the Royal College of Music.

For more information, please visit www.rcm.ac.uk/ support Alternatively, contact the Development team at dae@rcm.ac.uk

Music has the power to transform lives. Our community of supporters makes it possible for the College to develop exceptional talent, shaping the musicians of tomorrow while enriching our shared social and cultural landscape.

We are immensely grateful to all those listed below, as well as those who wish to remain anonymous, who have generously supported the RCM between 1 May 2025 and 30 April 2026. We would also like to thank members of the RCM Legacy Ensemble who have so thoughtfully pledged a gift to the RCM in their Will.

Founding Patron ABRSM Amaryllis Fleming Foundation The Estate of Sue Balston The Estate of George Frederick Burgan The Estate of Basil Coleman ^ Victor Ford Foundation on behalf of Ramona & Trevor Swale ^ The Croucher Hong Kong Charitable Trust The Estate of Christopher Hogwood CBE HonDMus Peter Freedman AM Kingdom Music Education Group Sandro & Rena Lavery HonRCM The Leverhulme Trust The National Lottery Heritage Fund Geoffrey Richards HonRCM & Valerie Richards The Estate of Neville Wathen Ruth West HonRCM & the late Dr Michael West Garfield Weston Foundation The Wolfson Foundation Leadership Supporter The Estate of Jill Anderson Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne Jane Barker CBE FRCM ^ Nina Bentley Blüthner Pianos Andrea Bocelli Foundation G & K Boyes Charitable Trust Wolter & Nina Brenninkmeijer The Derek Butler Trust Philip Carne MBE HonRCM & Christine Carne The Cleminson Family Trust Meredith & Denis Coleman Colt Clavier Collection Trust The Estate of Thomas Cottrell The Estate of John & Marjorie Coultate The Estate of Jocelyn Cruft

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The Estate of John & Sylvia Daughtry The Estate of Margaret Dewey The Estate of Dr John Donnelly The Fishmongers’ Company The Foyle Foundation The Estate of Albert Frost The Harbour Foundation The Estate of B Hartley The Harry & Gylla Godwin Charitable Trust HEFCE Linda Hill HonRCM & Tony Hill The Victor and Lilian Hochhauser Foundation Sara Nelson Horner ^ The Humphrey Richardson Taylor Charitable Trust Community Jameel Ruth and Geoff Keattch ^ Kirby Laing Foundation Leonora Countess of Lichfield The Linbury Trust Philip Loubser Foundation The Estate of William Mealings The Mirfield Trust The Estate of Professor Bernard Nevill Oak Foundation The Estate of Iris Alleyne PercySmith The Polonsky Foundation Pureland Foundation The Julia & Hans Rausing Trust The Reed Foundation & The Big Give Christmas Challenge The Estate of Michael Rimmer The Estate of Stephen P Roberts Victoria, Lady Robey CBE HonRCM The Estate of Emma Rose The Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 The Segelman Trust Dasha Shenkman OBE HonRCM The Estate of Joyce Slate Betty & the late Robert Sutherland ^

^ The Artistic Programme Syndicate and Supporters

Vaseppi Trust The Estate of Gerald Charles Webster The Estate of Nancy Ann Wolfers Henry Wood Accommodation Trust Principal Supporter The Estate of Maureen Hyacinth Adams Jane Avery in memory of Robert Avery C. Bechstein Pianofortefabrik AG Dr Linda Beeley Lord Black & Mark Bolland Ian Boag Tania Chislett The Estate of Heather Curry The Victor Dahdaleh Foundation Peter & Annette Dart The Drapers’ Company Martin Fraenkel J Paul Getty Jr Charitable Trust The Headley Trust Jules Hess & the late Tony Hess JMC The Estate of Frida Betty Koganovitch James & Margaret Lancaster John Lewis Partnership Lord and Lady Lurgan Trust LIBER Foundation The Mills Williams Foundation The Estate of Sir Neville Marriner FRCM Rosemary Millar HonRCM & Richard Millar Michael & Dorothy Needley John Nickson & Simon Rew The Estate of Sheila & Christine Partridge The Charles Peel Charitable Trust Pro Musica Ltd The Estate of Charles Stewart Richardson Leopold de Rothschild 1959 Charitable Trust

Major Supporter In memory of Dr Renate Branton Ms Agnes Oi Man Chiu in memory of Mr Albert Kwok Ching Chiu E B M Charitable Trust Sir Vernon Ellis FRCM & Lady Ellis The Risman Foundation Dr Rosemary Mason & Mr Palle Uhd Jepsen The Estate of Dr Michael E O’Neill The Michael Stuckey Trust Supporter Abinger Hammer Village School Trust Robert Anderson The Robert Anderson Trust The Julian Bream Trust Graham Brookman The Maria Björnson Memorial Fund The Brooks Van Der Pump Charitable Trust Professor Indira Carr Catherine Clarke ^ CMDI Events Noël Coward Foundation Diane Davies The Finzi Trust The Clive Garner Memorial The Gilbert & Eileen Edgar Foundation Richard Goulding Dr and Mrs Chris Gibson-Smith CBE ^ The Patrick & Helena Frost Foundation ^ L G Harris Trust

Poppy Holden The Houston Family Alastair Jackson AM and Melba Opera Trust International Music & Art Foundation David James Richard & Susan Jarvis Karaviotis Foundation The Donna Kendall Foundation ^ The Honourable Society of the Knights of the Round Table Mary Laing & the late David Laing Dr Susan Lim & Deepak Sharma Marco Livingstone London Women‘s Clinic Foundation The Hon Richard Lyttelton HonRCM & Romilly Lyttelton Lady Lipworth & the Late Sir Sydney Lipworth Lotti Masterson The Milton Grundy Foundation Northern Trust ^ Ofenheim Charitable Trust Old Possum’s Practical Trust ^ The Stanley Picker Charitable Trust Richard Price FRCM & Sue Price Russell Race Hilda Scarth The Estate of Richard Silver Stuart Sinclair Thriplow Charitable Trust Lisa Thomas South Square Trust Peter & Dimity Spiller Stephen Stuart-Smith Tait Memorial Trust The Robert Turnbull Piano Foundation Anne Wadsworth OBE & Brian Wadsworth The Wall Trust The Wolseley Hospitality Group James Williams & Edward Lidster The Wyseliot Charitable Trust Linda & Fred Yoo Dr Richard Zheng & Mr Paul Hill Core Contributor Abinger Hammer Village School Trust Anglo-Norse Society The Astor Foundation The Hon Christopher Bellew John & Halina Bennett Robin & Alice Berkeley Richard & Tasoulla Christou Heidi Degen Don Gillett Richard Hamilton Harbinson Charitable Trust Gillian Humphreys OBE HonRCM & Peter J David Professor Colin Lawson CBE FRCM

Mr & Mrs James Mead David Mildon Ellen Moloney Family of Peter Morrison William Newsom Midori Nishiura HonRCM The Estate of Roselyn Ann Clifton Parker The Phillimore Trust Catherine Quinn^ Christopher & Zosia Road Plimpton Shattuck Fund at the Boston Foundation ^ Sarah Sillem Janis Susskind OBE HonRCM Dr Paula Walter & Dr Magnus Walter Mr and Mrs Whetsel Moira Witty GRSM ARCM Quentin & Sarah Williams Mr Ignatius Wong The Worshipful Company of Saddlers RCM Legacy Ensemble Dr Emma Adlard Robert Anderson Mr Robert C Andrews Mrs Kathleen Atkins Christopher Ball Margaret Barfield Mrs Jane Barker CBE FRCM Mr Brian Barker Elizabeth Bates John & Halina Bennett Lady Eve Bergman ARCM LRAM John Bertalot Lord Black & Mr Mark Bolland Mrs Elizabeth Blackman Helen Brunner Mrs Brenda Bunyan Miss Valerie Byrom-Taylor Sir Roger & Lady Carr HonRCM Mr Rupert Chalk Mr Chris Christodoulou HonRCM Daphne Clarke Colin Coombs Gordon & Penny Cooper Julie Craig Mr Colin Cree ARCM Mrs Katia de Peyer William Dinning Mr Paul Duffy Mrs Marion Dyer Mr John East Mrs Catherine James Edwards Scott Elkins Pete Fozard Donald Fraser HonRCM Robert J Fuller Sarah Gibb Olivia Graham Lady Victoria Harrison Lily Harriss HonRCM & Julian Harriss Mr Michael Hodges Ms Poppy Holden

Professor Peter Holgate & Dr Nelda Frater Susan Holland David Holohan Mike & Caroline Howes Bryan Husband Michael Kadwell Karaviotis Foundation Bryan Kelly Professor Pat Kendall-Taylor Mr Nicholas King FRCM Mr Matthew Knight Professor Colin Lawson CBE FRCM John Lawson Dr Kenneth Le Meunier-FitzHugh Marco Livingstone Sue Lyons Mr Neville McDonough Kenneth & Daphne Midwood Lorraine Migliorini Madeleine Mitchell FRSA MMus GRSM ARCM Elizabeth Mitchell Ellen Moloney Jennifer Neelands Ms Avril Nelson & Mr Graham Fearnhead Mr John Nickson & Mr Simon Rew Michael Normington Mr Humphrey Norrington OBE FRCM Terry & Valerie Osborne Caroline Elizabeth Page Dame Janet Ritterman DBE HonDMus Victoria, Lady Robey OBE HonRCM Robert Rose & Iain Fowler HonRCM Mrs Hilda Scarth Christopher Scott Mr William & Mrs Valerie Shackel Dasha Shenkman OBE HonRCM Ms Barbara Simmonds Duncan Sparkes Stephen Stuart-Smith Kenny Sturgeon Susan Sturrock HonRCM Mrs Betty Sutherland Ms Frances Tait Barbara Tanner Anton Tasker Patricia & Kevin Thompson Kyra von Schottenstein Baroness Fleet CBE Anne Wadsworth OBE & Brian Wadsworth Caroline Wallis-Newport Colin Watts Timothy Wilcox James Williams & Edward Lidster Professor Lord Winston & the late Lady Winston Dr Richard Zheng & Mr Paul Hill UPBEAT SUMMER 2026

SUPPORT US

Roland Saam ^ The Estate of Humphrey Searle CBE FRCM Alethea Siow & Jeremy Furniss Robert Rose & Iain Fowler HonRCM Miss Kathleen Beryl Sleigh Charitable Trust The Peter Sowerby Foundation Steinway & Sons Ian & Meriel Tegner The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation UK Mrs Lynette Tiong Sandra Treagus The Estate of Ivor Charles Treby The Estate of Gweneth Urquhart Van Cleef & Arpels Meryl, Lady Walters ^ Sir Siegmund Warburg's Voluntary Settlement Bob & Sarah Wigley The Wilfrid Blunt Trust The Worshipful Company of Musicians Yan Zhang & Yinghong Chiu

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