Following a sprawling season of celebratory events in honour of their incredible 50th year as a ‘laboratory of innovation’ and hotbed of generational talent, the RNCM closes its programme of special anniversary shows with an eclectic schedule of majestic opera scenes, experimental compositions, family-friendly parties and more this summer.

RNCM 50th Birthday Celebration | Thu 22 Jun | 6.30pm | From £10

Featuring three innovative performances each exploring the ways in which our ideas, experiences, and emotions can be expressed through modern live music, the RNCM hosts a spectacular birthday party to celebrate five decades as a global core of world-class musical development and pioneering instrumental revolution.

Beginning with a ‘uniquely curated’ programme from the RNCM String Orchestra and Chamber Choir which blends movement, improvisation, past and present to ‘break the traditional barriers of a concert hall’, the full-scale extravaganza also includes a triumphant performance from the RNCM Symphony Orchestra and an electrifying show from the Session Orchestra which ‘turns up the dial’ on a range of seminal pop tunes from 1973, the RNCM’s inaugural year.

This event features at 50% discount for students and under-26s.

RNCM Opera Gala with The Orchestra of Opera North | Wed 28 Jun | 7.30pm | From £12.50

Joined by RNCM Vocal and Opera students, The Orchestra of Opera North presents an evening of beloved, timeless operatic scenes led by Music Director Garry Walker. Performing alongside several renowned RNCM alumni including Carolina Krogius, Soraya Mafi, Linda Richardson, Kathleen Wilkinson, Andrew Greenan and more, the orchestra performs pieces from legendary works such as Bizet’s Carmen, Verdi’s Falstaff, Mozart’s Le nozzi di Figaro and the Overture from Wagner’s mighty Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.

The RNCM rounds off its 50th anniversary celebrations

This event features at 50% discount for students and under-26s.

RNCM Big Band with Andy Scott & Dave Hassell | Fri 30 Jun | 7.30pm | From £7.50

Bringing the rich, vibrant flavours and colours of South America to Manchester City Centre, the RNCM Big Band join forces with saxophonist Andy Scott and drummer Dave Hassell for a ‘sensational’ night of Latin Jazz, featuring thrilling charts from Tito Puente, Dizzy Gillespie, and Michel Camilo and world premieres from Scott and RNCM students.

This event features at 50% discount for students and under-26s.

Explore@RNCM | Sun 2 Jul | Free-£12

Suitable for all ages and tastes, Explore@RNCM celebrates their 50th anniversary with a full day of live performances, festival food and journeys through Manchester’s musical history. Beginning with a family-friendly party featuring face-painters, outdoor performers and a giant birthday cake, Explore@RNCM includes a one-off semi-staged rendition of Stephen Sondheim’s award-classic Into The Woods before some of Manchester’s finest DJs round off the occasion with a tribute to local music – with a healthy dose of Madchester guaranteed – from the last five decades.

Anna Meredith: FIBS with the RNCM Festival Orchestra | Sat 8 Jul | 7.30pm | £25

Bringing her enigmatic, captivating sound to Depot Mayfield, MIF23 and the RNCM welcome the esteemed composer and multi-instrumentalist Anna Meredith for a ‘genre-bending’ performance of her Mercury Prize-shortlisted album, FIBS. Conducted by Robert Ames, the RNCM Festival Orchestra joins Anna for a show that combines contemporary classical, art pop, techno and experimental rock in an infectious and exhilarating programme precision-engineered for a large space.

Guests are encouraged to arrive early for a a specially-selected set featuring some of the RNCM’s emerging classical/pop crossover artists.

A Manchester Wire Partnership post
RNCM,
124 Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9RD
, Tel: 0161 907 5200
Words:
Wolf McFarlane
Published on:
Fri 12 May 2023