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Wearing gloves and picking up a wooden flute from storage, in the RCM's Wolfson Centre

Research

Research at the Royal College of Music embraces the creative, cultural and scientific study of music. Our thriving community of researchers works on a diverse range of projects in musicology, performance science, music education, composition and performance.

Our students are mentored and supported by staff at the cutting edge of research and innovation in their own disciplines, recognised internationally for their work. With access to fantastic resources, staff and students are able to work on research projects that embrace themes that include creative practice, experiential learning, history, music psychology and health and wellbeing.

The Royal College of Music (RCM) is ranked top UK conservatoire offering music as a single subject in the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).

News

Kurt Cobain’s world-famous guitar donated to the Royal College of Music

The most expensive guitar ever sold at auction, Kurt Cobain’s 1959 Martin D-18E, played during Nirvana’s historic MTV Unplugged performance, has been donated to the Royal College of Music (RCM).

Royal College of Music’s Centre for Performance Science awarded Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education for pioneering research and its impact on society

The Royal College of Music (RCM) is honoured to have been awarded a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education, the highest national honour in UK higher and further education.