The Royal Conservatory of Music

For other uses, see The Royal Conservatory of Music (disambiguation).

The Royal Conservatory of Music

The Royal Conservatory of Music building
Abbreviation	RCM
Formation	1886
Legal status	Active
Purpose	Music and arts educator
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Location	273 Bloor Street West
Region served	Canada
Official language	English, French
President	Dr Peter Simon
Website	www.rcmusic.ca

The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) is a music school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by Edward Fisher in 1886 as the Toronto Conservatory of Music. In 1947, George VI incorporated the Conservatory through royal charter.

History

McMaster Hall circa 1906

The Conservatory was founded in 1886 as The Toronto Conservatory of Music and officially opened in September of 1887, located on two floors above a music store at the corner of Dundas Street and Yonge Street. Its founder, Edward Fisher was a young organist born in the United States. It became the first institution of its kind in Canada: a school dedicated to the training of singers and musicians, and also to instilling a love of music in young children.

Its initial intake was just over 100 and by its second quarter this had grown to nearly 300 as its reputation quickly spread. In 1897 it purchased a new property at College Street and University Avenue to accomodate its rapid expansion. In 1896 it was affiliated with the University of Toronto with the purpose of preparing students for degree examinations.

Offering professional training, a national examination system and faculty of distinguished musicians, the Conservatory continued to grow and became one of the dominant musical institutions in Canada. Some of the country’s most famous musicians studied at the Conservatory. Glenn Gould studied theory, organ and piano, graduating at age 12 in 1946 with an ARCT diploma, with highest honours.

In 1947, George VI awarded the Conservatory its royal charter, in recognition of its status of one of the Commonwealth's greatest music schools. The Toronto Conservatory of Music became The Royal Conservatory of Music.

In 1962, the University of Toronto sold the Conservatory's College Street property to Ontario Hydro. The Conservatory relocated to 273 Bloor Street West in Toronto, the original site of McMaster University. The concert and recital halls of the College Street site were only partially replaced in the move. The library, residence and all three pipe organs were lost.

The Conservatory was affiliated with the University of Toronto until 1991, at which time it became a wholly-independent institution taking control of its building and diverse music programs. Dr Peter Simon was appointed President.

The Conservatory has currently embarked on a major expansion that includes the construction of the Telus Centre for Performance and Learning. Designed by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB), this new facility will feature academic and performance spaces, the acoustically sound 1,135-seat Koerner concert hall, studios and classrooms, a new-media centre and a library and rehearsal hall. During the renovations, the Conservatory temporarily relocated to the former location of Toronto District School Board's Ursula Franklin Academy, located in the Dufferin and Bloor West area but in September 2008 returned to a newly-renovated and expanded 273 Bloor Street West. Koerner Hall is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009.

The work of The Royal Conservatory of Music

The Conservatory is a non-profit organisation and offers a wide range of music and arts programs designed for people at all stages of their lives and learning. From its base in Toronto, the programs provide music and arts education to virtually every Canadian community, reaching around 500,000 people a year as it continues with its mandate of developing human potential through music and the arts. RCM's work is divided into seven distinct divisions.

Performance

Through its performance division, The Royal Conservatory aims to showcase the work of its own students as well as the very best jazz, world, pop and classical music acts from Canada and around the world in its own concert venues:

Koerner Hall

Named in honour of donors Michael and Sonja Koerner, Koerner Hall opens in September 2009 and has 1,135 seats. It was designed by KPMB Architects to achieve a world-class N1 acoustic rating. The design is based on the classical European shoe-box format and features two balcony tiers above the main orchestra level, and a third technical balcony. The space was carefully sculpted to provide optimal sightlines for everyone in the audience and the signature element of Koerner Hall is an acoustically transparent veil of twisting oak strings which forms the backdrop for the chorus at the first balcony level, then hovers over the stage below the fixed acoustic canopy, extending into and over the hall at the technical balcony level. Completion of the project also includes three tiers of glass fronted lobbies overlooking Philosopher’s Walk, back-of-house areas for performers, the café at the ground floor level, and installation of a unique collection of antique musical instruments donated by the Koerner family and valued at $1 million. Each level is also equipped to host a variety of private functions.

Mazzoleni Hall

Mazzoleni Hall is 6,000 square feet with 237 seats and part of RCM's main Toronto heritage building. When it originally opened in 1901, it was known as Castle Memorial Hall. At that time it had a chapel with stained glass windows on the ground floor level and a library on the lower level. By the 1960s, the University of Toronto, which used the space as a lecture hall, had bricked up the windows and removed a rear balcony. In 1996 the Conservatory announced its plan to restore the hall to its original elegance. The renovations, which were done by Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects, included adding the raked floor, reopening the windows, restoring the wood, installing proper heating and air conditioning, building the acoustic panels and enlarging the stage. The hall was named in honour of Ettore Mazzoleni, a former principal at RCM.

Conservatory Theatre

"A granite cube which floats above Bloor Street," this multipurpose performance and event space is located on level 2 of the Telus Centre for Performance and Learning. It has space for up to 150 seats and is designed to accommodate a range of functions, including special events, rehersals and Learning Through The Arts. In scale and proportion it replicates the acoustic quality and stage size of the main Koerner Hall to prepare students for live performance.

The Glenn Gould School

A centre for professional training in classical music performance at post-secondary and post-bachelor levels, the school was created in 1987. Originally called The Royal Conservatory of Music Professional School, it was renamed in 1997 to honour Toronto-born pianist and former pupil Glenn Gould. Enrolment is limited to 130 and it is supported by funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage through the National Arts Contribution Program.

Diplomas and certificates

A four-year Performance Diploma in piano, voice and all orchestral instruments is offered by The Glenn Gould School and designed for high school graduates who wish to prepare for a career as a performer. An articulation agreement with Thompson Rivers University also gives students the opportunity to obtain a Bachelor of Music degree. The Artist Diploma is a two-year post-bachelor program for piano, voice, orchestral instruments, and in performance and pedagogy.

Artists of The Royal Conservatory

Established in 2002, Artists of The Royal Conservatory (ARC), is composed of faculty members of the Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory in Toronto and led by Artistic Director Simon Wynberg. All are seasoned chamber musicians and veteran performers, either as soloists or as principals in major orchestras. They have dedicated themselves to the performance of both the traditional chamber music canon and the rediscovery of repertoire that, through political changes of shifts in musical fashion, have been ignored or marginalized. In 2008 their album Right Through The Bone, an album devoted to the music of German-Dutch composer Julius Röntgen, was nominated for two Grammy Awards in the categories of Best Chamber Music Performance and Producer of the Year, Classical. They were previously nominated for a 2007 Grammy and Juno Award│JunoAward for their album On the Threshold of Hope.

Diplomas and Certificates Offered

The Royal Conservatory of Music offers the following Diplomas and certificates:

ARCT - Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto

The ARCT Diploma is awarded to candidates who have successfully completed all requirements for the ARCT through RCM Examinations. The Diploma is the highest academic standings awarded by the RCM and is an internationally recognized certificate for teaching or performing. It can can be completed as a Teacher or Performer on all instruments and voice listed in The RCM Syllabus. Recipients are entitled to the use of the postnomials "A.R.C.T."

Performance Diploma (Performance Diploma Program)

The four-year Performance Diploma in piano, voice and all orchestral instruments is offered by The Glenn Gould School.

Artist Diploma (Artist Diploma Program)

The Artist Diploma is a two-year program also offered through The Glenn Gould School for piano, voice, orchestral instruments, and in performance and pedagogy.

ECME Certificate

The Early Childhood Music Education certificate is offered by The Royal Conservatory of Music in partnership with Ryerson University.

Mentor Artist-Educator Certificate

This certificate is administered by the Learning Through the Arts program.

RCM Examinations

RCM Examinations Certificate Program

The Certificate Program is a curriculum of up to 10 grades. Each grade is a stepping stone established as a logical assessment point for a developing musician.

Certificates are awarded to at every grade to all candidates who have successfully completed the requirements for practical and theory examinations.

Accreditation

Achievement in RCM Examinations is recognized for credit toward secondary school graduation in many school systems in Canada. For most provinces in Canada, a Grade 6 Certificate counts as Grade 10 credit, a Grade 7 Certificate (with a Grade 1 theory certificate) counts as Grade 11 credit, and a Grade 8 (with grade 2 theory) counts as Grade 12 credit.

Standing in the Certificate Program of RCM Examinations also plays an important role in entrance requirements for professional music programs at many universities and colleges.

Notable teachers and students

The RCM's notable teachers include Healey Willan, Sir Ernest MacMillan, Alberto Guerrero, Boyd Neel (Dean of the Conservatory from 1953 to 1971), Lorand Fenyves, Boris Berlin and Nicholas Goldschmidt.

Many who attended the RCM classes and lessons or who took RCM music exams have gone on to success inside and out of the music industry. Two students starred together in the same TV show, Paradise Falls. Past students include:

Past students

Name	Short-description
Isabel Bayrakdarian	Soprano
Howard Cable	Composer of wind ensemble/concert band repertoire.
George Crum	The opera department's first chorus master, and a renowned conductor and coach.
Aline Chrétien	Wife of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien
Adrienne Clarkson	Governor General of Canada (1999-2005)
Bruce Cockburn	Folk/rock guitarist and singer/songwriter, who was inducted in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
Naida Cole	Pianist who performed with Montreal Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestras, and others.
David Foster	Grammy winning musician, producer, and composer
Glenn Gould	One of Canada's most famous pianists.
Robert Goulet	Mainly known as a singer. Also an actor.
Lawrence Gowan	Styx Keyboardist
Carl Steinhauser	Pianist
Stephen Harper	Canadian Prime Minister
Ian O. Ihnatowycz	President, CEO and CIO, Acuity Funds Ltd.
Norman Jewison	Film director, known for In the Heat of the Night and others.
Eli Kassner	Founder of the Guitar Society of Toronto, world-renowned guitar teacher
Lois Marshall	Soprano who is a holder of the Order of Canada
Kim Schraner	Leading actress on CBC Television's Spynet. Previously on Paradise Falls.
Paul Shaffer	Band leader on The Late Show with David Letterman
Mitchell Sharp	Former Canadian Minister of Finance
Teresa Stratas	Operatic soprano who joined the Metropolitan Opera
Cherilee Taylor	Actress on Showcase soap opera Paradise Falls
Jon Vickers	Tenor with the Metropolitan Opera
Greg Wells	Record producer, composer, and multi-instrumenatlist with Rufus Wainwright, Pink, Natasha Bedingfield, and others.
Rafael Villanueva	Associate Director of Dominican National Symphonic Orchestra
Scott MacIntyre	American Idol 8 Top 13 Finalist
Willy Weng	Renowned Pianist - Ottawa, Canada

Sample Examination Requirements

Main article: Piano Examination Requirements (Royal Conservatory of Music)

Piano requirements are selected as this is the most common and diverse instrument for these examinations. These are listed to show what is to be expected at an exam and how to prepare. This list is different for each instrument.

See also

• List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage
• List of oldest buildings and structures in Toronto
• Monarchy of Canada

External links

• List of Civilian organizations with prefix "Royal" - Heritage Canada.
• List of civilian organizations with the prefix "Royal" prepared by the Department of Canadian Heritage
• The Royal Conservatory of Music
• The Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music
• Location of the RCM with photos and links to web sites related to the area
• RCM Examinations