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Welcome to Upbeat!
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Welcome to the spring edition of Upbeat, the Royal College of Music’s publication celebrating the work of our students and staff alongside our wider community of partners and supporters.
Our overarching theme this term takes as its focus ‘Stage and Screen’, shining a spotlight on the central role that music plays in film, television and gaming and the contributions RCM alumni make to the sector. Pianist Cyrill Ibrahim shares with us insights into his new Sky Arts series Mozart: Genius for Hire, BAFTA-Cymru award-winning composer Alexandra Harwood gives us a peek behind the scenes into the process for composing for television, film and ballet, and countertenor Hugh Cutting offers insights into his stagecraft as an acclaimed soloist. We also celebrate the performances of RCM musicians in Alan Bennett and Nick Hytner’s film The Choral.
Performance sits at the heart of College life and we revisit the Rodgers & Hammerstein evening in the Britten Theatre as part of the RCM’s recent Chamber Music Festival, with Dr Sarah K Whitfield’s reflections on the music. We take a visit to Kew Gardens to showcase Sounds of Blossom, featuring RCM composers creating outdoor sound installations to complement nature’s spectacular blossom displays.
Upbeat once again shines a spotlight on RCM student, staff and alumni successes, and we celebrate the College receiving the highest national honour in UK higher and further education, a Queen Elizabeth Prize. Moreover, we applaud all those honorands who received awards at this year’s Honorary Awards Ceremony and who play such a central role in support of the RCM and the wider music industry.
Please continue to send us information about your recent projects and collaborations; we love to receive your news! Do send your updates for the next issue to news@rcm.ac.uk by Friday 1 May 2026.
Thank you for your continued interest 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.
James Williams LVO FRCM, Director
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Upbeat is published as a printed magazine in the Summer Term. If you currently receive the printed version and would like to support our commitment to sustainability, we encourage you to switch to the digital version. To arrange this please email DAE@rcm.ac.uk
James Williams is the Director of the Royal College of Music.
