The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama () is a

conservatoire A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...

located in

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. It has three theatres: the Richard Burton Theatre, the Bute Theatre, and the Caird Studio. It also includes one concert hall, the Dora Stoutzker Hall, and the

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...

Centre, housed in the former

Cardiff Castle Stables Cardiff Castle Stables, Cardiff, Wales, were designed in 1868-69 by the Gothic revival architecture, Gothic revivalist architect William Burges. They stand to the north of Cardiff Castle and on the western edge of Cathays Park which then formed pa ...

History and description

The college was established in 1949 as Cardiff College of Music at

Cardiff Castle Cardiff Castle () is a medieval castle and Victorian Gothic revival mansion located in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales. The original motte and bailey castle was built in the late 11th century by Norman invaders on top of a 3rd-century Roma ...

, but in 1973 moved to purpose-built accommodation within the castle grounds of Bute Park near

Cardiff University Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...

. In 1970 it changed its name to the Welsh College of Music & Drama before being awarded its royal title during

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

golden jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali language, ...

in 2002, making it the fifth conservatoire to be awarded this title. From 1973, the college's degrees BA, BEd, MA, were awarded by the

University of Wales The University of Wales () is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff – the university was the first universit ...

and in 2004 the college became part of the federal university. In 2007, however, it left the university and agreed to a merger (referred to as a "strategic alliance") with the

University of Glamorgan The University of Glamorgan () was a public university based in South Wales, that merged with University of Wales, Newport to form the University of South Wales in April 2013. The university was based in Pontypridd, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, with ...

. The University of Glamorgan merged with the

University of Wales, Newport The University of Wales, Newport (), was a public university based in Newport, Wales, Newport, South Wales, before the merger that formed the University of South Wales in April 2013. The university was founded as a mechanics' institute in 1841 ...

, in 2013 to form the

University of South Wales The University of South Wales (USW) () is a public university in Wales, with campuses in Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd. It was formed on 11 April 2013 from the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wales, Newport. The ...

, so RWCMD is now part of the University of South Wales Group. The college provides education and training in the performing arts and technical theatre, including music, acting, design, stage management and arts management. It was the first, and is one of only two All-Steinway conservatoires in the UK, along with Leeds College of Music. The College has approximately 800 students. A £22.5m expansion of the college was opened in 2011, including two new performance venues (Richard Burton Theatre and Dora Stoutzker Hall), a new front of house area and rehearsal studios. The

Centre, housed in the former

, was opened in 1999. In 2010, as part of the college's 60th anniversary celebrations, students from the college performed in a gala concert at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a royal official residence, residence in London, and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and r ...

, attended by the college's patron,

the Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

. A second gala evening was presented at Buckingham Palace in 2016 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the college's new facilities. It is a member of the

Federation of Drama Schools The Federation of Drama Schools functions to facilitate vocational drama training in the UK. It was formed in June 2017. History A formal organisation for drama training in the UK was first established with the Conference of Drama Schools (CDS) ...

Undergraduate degrees

The college offers

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

degrees in the following areas: * BMus (Hons) Music * BMus (Hons) Jazz *

BA (Hons) A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...

Acting * BA (Hons) Stage Management & Technical Theatre * BA (Hons) Design for Performance * BA (Hons) Musical Theatre * Foundation Degree Scenic Construction * Foundation Degree Scenic Arts

Postgraduate degrees

The college also offers

postgraduate Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor' ...

degrees in the following areas; * MA Acting for Stage, Screen & Radio * MA Advanced Opera Performance * MA Arts Management * MA Design for Performance * MA Jazz * MA Musical Theatre * MA Opera Directing * MA Stage & Event Management * MMus Brass Band Conducting * MMus Choral Conducting * MMus Collaborative Piano * MMus Composition * MMus Historical Performance * MMus Music Performance * MMus Multi Instrument Woodwind Performance * MMus Orchestral Conducting * MMus Orchestral Performance * Postgraduate Diploma Advanced Professional Practice *

Postgraduate Diploma fILE:Prédio Pós Graduação IMECC Unicamp.jpg, The State University of Campinas, as well as many Brazilian universities, offer Postgraduate courses in Brazil A postgraduate diploma (PgD, PgDip, PGDip, PG Dip., PGD, Dipl. PGD) is a postgraduat ...

in Brass Band Conducting * Postgraduate Diploma in Choral Conducting * Postgraduate Diploma in Collaborative Piano * Postgraduate Diploma in Composition * Postgraduate Diploma in Historical Performance * Postgraduate Diploma in Jazz * Postgraduate Diploma in Music Performance * Postgraduate Diploma in Multi Instrument Woodwind Performance * Postgraduate Diploma in Orchestral Conducting * Postgraduate Diploma in Orchestral Performance

Alumni

: ''For a full list, see :Alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama'' *

Zahra Ahmadi Zahra Ahmadi (; born 1982) is a British actress from Plymouth, England of Persian descent. She is best known for playing the original Shabnam Masood in ''EastEnders''. Career She is known for her role as Shabnam Masood in the British televis ...

* Jan Anderson *

Rakie Ayola Rakie Olufunmilayo Ayola (born May 1968) is a British actress known for her work in theatre and television and radio. In 2023 Rakie Ayola was the 18th recipient of the prestigious '' BAFTA Cymru'' '' Siân Phillips'' Award. At the same ceremon ...

Aneurin Barnard Aneurin Barnard (; ; born 8 May 1987) is a Welsh actor. He is known for playing Davey in '' Hunky Dory'', Claude in '' The Truth About Emanuel'', Bobby Willis in '' Cilla'', Tim in '' Thirteen'', King Richard III in '' The White Queen'', Will ...

Remy Beasley Remy Beasley is a Welsh actress best known for playing Beyoncé Evans in the Sky One TV comedy drama series ''Stella''. She comes from Chepstow Chepstow () is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Glouc ...

Joe Blackman Joe Blackman (born c. 1984) is a Welsh entrepreneur and former CEO of Collection 26 (formerly called Green Ant Events), a luxury event-planning company. He previously sat as a magistrate at the Cardiff Magistrates Courts. Event planning Bla ...

* Edward Bluemel *

Anthony Boyle Anthony Boyle (born 8 June 1994) is a Northern Irish actor. A graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Boyle began his acting career on London stage and rose to prominence for originating the role of Scorpius Malfoy in the West ...

Rob Brydon Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He gained prominence for his roles in film, television and radio. He was appointed Order of the British Empire, Member of the Order ...

Hamish Clark Hamish Clark (born 26 July 1965) is a Scottish actor and entertainer. He has performed as a supporting actor on stage, film, television and radio. Clark is best known as the kilt-wearing Duncan McKay in the BBC TV series '' Monarch of the Glen' ...

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Richard Elis Richard Elis (born 1975) is a British actor from Amman Valley, Wales. Career He trained at the Welsh College of Music and Drama and graduated in 1996, aged 21. Days before he graduated, Elis was asked to audition for London casting agents and ...

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* Jane Freeman * Bradley Freegard *

Lucy Gaskell Lucy Gaskell (born 10 July 1980) is a British actress. She studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 1998. Career Gaskell made her professional stage debut in the Oxford Stage Company's production of ''The Cherry Orchard'' whic ...

* Paul Hilton *

* Anthony Irvine *

Peter Karrie Peter Karrie (born 10 August 1946, originally Peter Karagianis) is a Welsh singer and an honorary fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. He played the lead role in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical ''The Phantom of the Opera'' in var ...

Julian Lewis Jones Julian Lewis Jones is a Welsh actor. He is best known for his work in '' Invictus'' and the ''Justice League''. Career Originally from Anglesey, Jones lives in Nantgaredig. A fluent Welsh speaker, he has appeared on various productions on the ...

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* James Loye *

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Kimberley Nixon Kimberley Nixon (born 24 September 1985) is a Welsh actress. Nixon is known for her role as Sophy Hutton in the BBC One period drama '' Cranford'', and appearances in various films such as '' Wild Child'' and '' Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snoggi ...

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Erin Richards Erin Richards (born 12 December 1983) is a Welsh actress, director and writer, best known for playing Molly Hughes in the television series '' Breaking In'' and Barbara Kean in the television series '' Gotham''. Life and career Richards was ...

* Ieuan Rhys *

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Ben Slade Benjamin Rory Slade (born 22 April 1976)UWIC) * James Sutton *

David Thaxton David Thaxton (born 12 May 1982) is a Welsh singer, actor and musical theatre and opera performer. He starred in the Donmar Warehouse's ''Passion (musical), Passion'', for which he won the 2011 Laurence Olivier Awards, 2011 Laurence Olivier Awa ...

Alexander Vlahos Alexander Vlahos (born 30 July 1988) is a Welsh actor, writer, and director best known for playing Philippe, Duke of Orléans, in the Canal+ television series ''Versailles''. In 2012, Vlahos took the role of the adult Mordred, in the final ...

Victoria Wicks Victoria Wicks (born Beverly Victoria Anne Wicks; 18 April 1959) is a British actress. She is known for her role as Sally Smedley in Channel 4's comedy series '' Drop the Dead Donkey'' (1990–1998), Mrs. Gideon in '' The Mighty Boosh'' (2004) ...

Katy Wix Katy Victoria J Wix (born 28 February 1980) is a Welsh actress, writer, author and artist. Her television roles include Carole in '' Stath Lets Flats,'' Mary in ''Ghosts'', Barbara in ''Ted Lasso'', and Jules in '' Big Boys''. She has also ap ...

* Mary Woodvine *

Royce Pierreson Royce Pierreson Banemeck (born 1 April 1989), better known by his stage name Royce Pierreson, is a British actor and narrator. Royce is best known for his roles as DC Jamie Desford in the fourth series of ''Line of Duty'' and as Reece in '' Murd ...

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama University of South Wales Drama schools in the United Kingdom Music schools in Wales Education in Cardiff Educational institutions established in 1949 1949 establishments in Wales Music in Cardiff Organisations based in Wales with royal patronage Theatres in Cardiff