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New look will showcase stars, students – and a collection that includes world’s oldest guitar and an original Mozart score
It is one of the world’s great conservatoires, with composer Benjamin Britten and singer Dame Joan Sutherland are among those who trained there. But for decades the Royal College of Music has struggled to showcase its star power and its collection of instruments in headquarters that have been described by some as forbidding and drab.
Now, following a £40m transformation – funded in part by donations from artists including the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli – the RCM is unveiling an ambitious new look. The redesigned buildings – due to be officially opened later this year – include London’s newest state-of-the art concert halls and a museum featuring more than 15,000 treasures, including the world’s oldest guitar. Professor Colin Lawson, the RCM’s director, told the Observer: “People have walked past here without really knowing whether they’re allowed in or not. It was pretty forbidding at one time. The redesign is all about opening up everything.” Continue reading...