International collaboration at the Royal Academy of Music

Earlier this month, as part of an exchange programme with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestral Academy, we welcomed nine students to take part in the Academy Symphony Orchestra's performance of Mahler's Symphony No 4. In return, four Academy students have travelled to Prague this week for three SIDE-BY-SIDE concerts with the Czech Philharmonic, where they'll perform Mozart's Piano Concerto No 25 and Mahler's Symphony No 5 conducted by Semyon Bychkov. They will then go on tour with the orchestra, which includes a performance at Carnegie Hall in December. This exchange is supported by generous donors to the Semyon Bychkov Educational Enhancement Fund, established at the Royal Academy of Music for Semyon Bychkov’s 70th Birthday.

Last week, students of the Karelia Quartet – Felix Pascoe, Megan Yang, Takanori Okamoto and Daniel Schultz – performed at a concert in Hammamet, Tunisia. This was the culmination of a project in partnership with the Hasdrubal Foundation, which brought together students and staff from the Academy, the Paris Conservatoire and the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, to work with music students in Tunisia. They also had the opportunity to learn about the music of Tunisia from violinist Zied Zouari. The concert was attended by the French and Austrian ambassadors to Tunisia and also featured a student from the Paris Conservatoire who was previously a Sir Elton John Global Exchange Programme Scholar at the Academy.

As part of the ongoing Sir Elton John Global Exchange Programme, at the end of this month a conducting student from Tokyo University of the Arts will spend three weeks experiencing life in our Conducting Department. They will conclude their time with us by participating in a Glover-Edwards Conducting Programme weekend.