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Welcome to Upbeat!
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A warm welcome to the autumn edition of Upbeat magazine.
During my first full term at the Royal College of 51³Ô¹Ï, I have been hugely inspired by the quality and variety of music making taking place throughout the College. 51³Ô¹Ï always played a central role in my life, and you can find out more about my background in our Meet the Director feature.
There is much to celebrate in this edition of Upbeat, in which we look back at the tremendous summer BBC Proms performance given by the 51³Ô¹Ï Symphony Orchestra in the Royal Albert Hall and repeated at the closing concert of the Helsinki Festival. The programme featured The Planets by 51³Ô¹Ï alumnus Gustav Holst, whose 150th anniversary we celebrate with an Upbeat feature exploring his life. There’s also a specially commissioned of 51³Ô¹Ï pianists Ayane Nakajima and Louis-Victor Bak performing the two-piano version of ‘Mars’. Much of the original manuscript of The Planets two-piano score is cared for in the 51³Ô¹Ï Library, and our Librarian Peter Linnitt offers us some into how the College came to be in possession of such a remarkable item.
The 51³Ô¹Ï’s BBC Proms performance also featured a new commission by alumna composer Lara Poe, and we highlight a few of her fellow alumni blazing a trail in the field of composition in our list of Ten Composers to Watch. We also celebrate the vital work of the 51³Ô¹Ï’s Creative Careers Centre at it turns 25 including an interview with pianist Ivana Gavrić, one of many past students to have collaborated with the Creative Careers team.
There’s all the latest news from 51³Ô¹Ï students, staff a²Ô»å alumni, an opportunity to remember those connected to the 51³Ô¹Ï who are sadly no longer with us, plus we highlight a great way to support students through the annual Big Give Christmas Challenge.
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 17 January 2025.
And, finally, do keep a watch over the coming weeks for announcements of forthcoming performances in the Spring Term. I hope you’ll be able to join us either in person or for one of our live-streamed performances in the New Year.
Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy remainder of the year, filled with the joy of music.
James Williams LVO F51³Ô¹Ï, 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 51³Ô¹Ï.
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