Royal Northern College of Music

Infobox University
name = The Royal Northern College of Music.


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established = 1973 by the merger of the Northern School of Music (established 1920) and the Royal Manchester College of Music (established 1893)
type = Public, Conservatoire
staff = 265
president = HRH The Duchess of Kent
principal = Professor Jonty Stockdale
students = 696
undergrad = 496
postgrad = 200
city = Manchester
country = England
campus = Urban
affiliations = University of Manchester, Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, Conservatoires UK
website = http://www.rncm.ac.uk/
address = 124 Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9RD
telephone = 0161 907 5200

The Royal Northern College of Music or RNCM is a conservatoire in Manchester, England. It is located on Oxford Road, in the Manchester City Centre and is at the western edge of the campus of the University of Manchester. In addition to being a centre of education, the RNCM also functions as an arts centre holding concerts of all kinds, opera and other musical events. Its current principal is the composer Professor Jonty Stockdale.The roots of the college begin in the late 19th century with Sir Charles Hallé's Royal Manchester College of Music. In 1973, the Royal Manchester College of Music and the Northern School of Music merged to create the modern-day RNCM.

Currently the college offers both undergraduate (BMus and a joint MusB/GRNCM course with the University of Manchester) and postgraduate programmes (PGDip, MMus) in Performance and Composition. According to RNCM figures, as of 2007 the student population is 696, with 496 undergraduates and 200 postgraduates; 49% male, 51% female. With 265 academic staff, there is a high staff-to-student ratio. Many of the staff also teach at the Junior RNCM, a Saturday music school for talented young musicians who are keen on pursuing a musical career.

In January 2005, the RNCM was awarded £4.5 million by the Higher Education Funding Council for England to become a recognised Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), the only UK conservatoire to be selected. The CETL is housed in the new Oxford Road extension.

League table ranking and reputaton

In 2005 The Guardian's University Guide ranked the Royal Northern College of Music 2nd in the UK for degrees in music, ahead of both the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge's courses in music, as well as above colleges of music in London, such as the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music. [http://education.guardian.co.uk/universityguide2005/table/0,,-5163913,00.html]

It is recognised as having one of the best keyboard departments in the world and the country's best composition department, which makes it renowned amongst both British and international students.

Notable alumni

*Sir Harrison Birtwistle, composer
*Jon Christos, singer
*Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, composer
*Alexander Goehr, composer
*Stephen Hough, pianist
*Elgar Howarth, conductor
*Grant Kirkhope, video game composer
*John Ogdon, pianist
*Annette Bryn Parry, pianist

See also

*
*Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
*Conservatoires UK
*Hallé Orchestra

External links

* [http://www.rncm.ac.uk/ Royal Northern College of Music]
* [http://www.rncm.ac.uk/images/media/docs/RNCM_In_Brief.pdf RNCM in Brief]