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#RWCMDCreative: Summer of Inspiration

22 September 2022

Well, you didn’t expect us to stop being creative just because it was the summer holidays!?

Here at RWCMD it’s a year-round passion so we’re catching up with a few of the many highlights that have been happening while our students and staff are ‘off’ for the summer.

Recent acting grads’ London theatre debut

Brand new acting grad Isobel Thom has been busy blowing everyone away with their portrayal of Joan of Arc in Charlie Josephine’s I Joan.

 

Izzy has played to top star reviews from the Times to the Stage: ‘a visceral, courageous performance,’ raves the Guardian, ‘in the freshly graduated Isobel Thom, they’ve got as good as they can get.’

But for us one of the finest reviews was left on our instagram by graduate and RWCMD Fellow Rakie Ayola:

‘I saw this joyous theatrical celebration last week. I promise I knew nothing at all about @isobelthom at the time, but Izzy’s physical and linguistic ease, breezy charm, magnetic effervescence and emotional courage lead me to lean forward and think, ‘That’s a Royal Welsh performance. That’s got to be a Royal Welsh performance.’ I kid you not I actually did a little victory dance when I learned I was right. Take a bow @rwcmd and bravo Izzy. Beautiful work.’

Huge congratulations and love to Izzy, and Charlie Josephine, who wrote Moon Licks, for our NEW season, performed here at RWCMD earlier this year, and all the cast and creatives in this magnificent production.

Another recent grad about to take the theatre world by storm: BAFTA nominee Callum Scott Howells is set to take over the mic at the Kit Kat Club, following in the footsteps of Eddie Redmayne.

He was featured in the Observer this week, talking about his new role:

RWCMD community

And we haven’t been quiet here at RWCMD either – in July the College was alive with the sound of harpists from over 42 countries, as we welcomed the 14th World Harp Congress, bringing its concerts, workshops and seminars to Europe, with 30 international harpists flying to Cardiff from around the world.

Harp student Cerys Rees gives us a whistle stop tour:

 

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And there was no stopping our harp students this summer. Llongyfs to Huw and Mared, and diolch o galon to all our harpists who helped to make World Harp Congress such a very special event.

https://twitter.com/RWCMD/status/1547165640884092934

We were delighted to announce our new partnership with National Open Youth Orchestra and BBC NOW to launch the Cardiff NOYO centre, offering the first progression route for talented young disabled musician in the region.  

Bringing talented young disabled and non-disabled musicians to rehearse and perform together, and laying the foundations for a more diverse orchestral sector and inspiring exciting new musical possibilities, this great news was picked up by everyone from Classical Music magazine to the Stage.  

And of course, as always, we were part of the Eisteddfod, the annual celebration of the Welsh arts.

https://twitter.com/RWCMD/status/1554784061201211392

And Pride, celebrating it’s 50th anniversary…

https://twitter.com/RWCMD/status/1542818027707813891

A Royal performance for a future king

Some of our students and grads were lucky enough to perform at our President, King Charles III, then the Prince of Wales, at the annual event at his Welsh home in July. Celebrating Welsh culture, they performed for the future King, The Duchess of Cornwall, now Queen Consort, and their guests.

Credit Huw Evans picture agency.

The photo shows Opera grad and previous winner of the RWCMD Sir Ian Stoutzker Prize, Elena Zamudio, performing for HRH The Prince of Wales, now King Charles III.

RWCMD music news

And we’re delighted to congratulate this year’s Sir Ian Stoutzker prize winner, woodwind student Isabelle Harris.

https://twitter.com/RWCMD/status/1552208782414987264

And more great news for woodwind: Llongyfarchiadau to woodwind grad Sarah Jenkins whose piece Music and Meditation was performed at BBC Proms by the BBC Concert Orchestra. 

The evening was co-created by 30 BBC Open Music artists across the UK as part of the BBC’s 100th anniversary.

And of course we were delighted to welcome BBC Proms and Radio 3 to the College:

https://twitter.com/bbcproms/status/1559172877806624771

Well done to brass grad Jason Lewis, who’s moved from his role as associate Principal Trumpet with Royal Scottish National Orchestra to Section Leader Trumpet at the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra…

https://twitter.com/RSNO/status/1551596072740569089

Head of Percussion, Patrick King chatted to Music Teacher about training for a modern career in percussion: ‘RWCMD is firmly putting itself on the map as somewhere students grow, flourish and achieve,’ they said.

RWCMD collaboration

Showcasing the RWCMD collaborative ethos, Theatr na nOg’s Operation Julie brought together RWCMD students and grads from across the board, from design to writing and directing, from arts and stage management to stage combat coaching.

Design grad TK Hay has been nominated for The Stage Debut awards. We’re keeping our fingers crossed for the awards ceremony on 18th September!

Making dreams come true

Musical Theatre’s Shira Kravitz, who only graduated this summer but is already making her dreams come true, joining The Band’s Visit for its European tour…

https://twitter.com/RWCMD/status/1564996727781859329

Stage management grad Jamie Platt has gone from working with Sir Ian McKellen on his recent ground-breaking Hamlet to the lighting designer on the new musical Ride, the story of the first woman to cycle around the world.

Fellow stage management grad Anna Sheard is at the National Theatre – more dreams coming true for our grads!

Follow us on tiktok

And, as well as following all our stories on facebook, instagram and twitter, don’t forget to follow us on tiktok;

@rwcmdofficial

Before we know it, summer’s over and it’s back to College. Look out for more highlights over the autumn term.

#RWCMDCreative.