Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
UK Conservatoire

The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD), established in 1949, is Wales' National Music Conservatoire, and a constituent college of the University of Wales. It is located in purpose-built facilitiies in the grounds of Cardiff Castle.

RWCMD is a small, specialized college with approximately 550 students, nearly two thirds of whom study music. The other third study some drama- or theatre- related pursuits. With such a small student population, the college is able to offer a focused, personal approach to training.

The college produces more than 300 public performances a year, including opera, dramatic productions, concerts, musical theater and guest recitals. These productions are mostly held at the college theatre and its recital spaces (there are three recital rooms within the complex), but many events are also presented outside the college.

Facilities at RWCMD include 50 practice rooms and a fully equipped Sony sound recording studio. The Castle mews has been restored to create the Anthony Hopkins Centre, an arts facility that includes two recital galleries. There is also a studio theatre, and a courtyard performance area

The university has close ties to many professional organizations such as the Welsh National Opera and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales as well as other major professional associations. Additionally, Cardiff has been designated as an official European Centre of Culture. It hosts the BBC Singer of the World Competition, the new Wales Millennium Centre, and St. David's Hall (the national concert hall of Wales). It also hosts a great number of other, smaller arts centres.

The undergraduate degrees that are offered; acting, theatre design and stage management, are all three year BA programmes, and the main music degree is a four year BMus. There are competitive scholarships of varying levels up to the full tuition cost.