From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Royal Conservatory of Music building at 273 Bloor Street West in Toronto, in the left background is the Royal Ontario Museum. The RCM is presently under major reconstruction, while the ROM had just completed major construction of its crystal façade.

The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) is a music school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that is noted throughout the country. It was founded by Edward Fisher in 1886 as the Toronto Conservatory of Music. In 1947, George VI, King of Canada, incorporated the conservatory through royal charter.

The conservatory was affiliated with the University of Toronto until 1991, at which time it became a wholly-independent institution. Its home, (originally called McMaster Hall, now called Ihnatowycz Hall), was the original home of McMaster University, now located in Hamilton, Ontario. The conservatory has currently embarked on a major expansion that will see the construction of the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, which includes a new 1,140-seat concert hall, scheduled to open in 2008. The expansion has resulted in the temporary relocation of the music school to the former location of Toronto District School Board's Ursula Franklin Academy, which itself was renamed from Brockton High School, located in the Dufferin and Bloor West area, at 90 Croatia Street, formerly called Awde Avenue.^[1][2]

The Royal Conservatory produces the most popular and comprehensive teaching method in Canada, encompassing strict guidelines for ten grade levels. The ARCT diploma for Teachers or Performers is the culmination of all the grades which is also recognized worldwide. Comprehensive theory and history co-requisites are required to obtain a certificate. Many Canadian provinces recognize completion of higher levels of the curriculum, awarding students high school credits upon successful completion.

The Royal Conservatory operates with five key divisions:

• The Glenn Gould School is an internationally recognized centre for professional training in classical music performance.
• The RCM Community School, the oldest division of The Royal Conservatory, is one of the largest community-based music schools in North America. It offers classes and lessons for people of all ages and levels of ability, in a wide range of musical traditions.
• Learning Through the Arts is an acclaimed educational initiative that helps public school teachers motivate their students but using the arts to deliver core curriculum.
• The Young Artists Performance Academy offers high-level performance training to talented classical musicians ages 9 to 18.
• RCM Examinations sets and supports standards in music examinations that have made it one of the most highly regarded organizations of its kind in the world.
• The Frederick Harris Music Co., Limited, founded in 1904, is the oldest and largest print-music publisher in Canada. Its publications are distributed in more than 25 countries.

The RCM's notable teachers have included Healey Willan, Sir Ernest MacMillan, Alberto Guerrero, Boyd Neel (Dean of the Conservatory from 1953 to 1971), Lorand Fenyves, Boris Berlin and Nicholas Goldschmidt.

Many who attended the RCM classes and lessons or who took RCM music exams have gone on to success inside and out of the music industry. Two students starred together in the same TV show, Paradise Falls. Past students include:

• Howard Cable - Composer of wind ensemble/concert band repertoire.
• George Crum - The opera department's first chorus master, and a renowned conductor and coach.
• Aline Chrétien - Wife of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien,
• Adrienne Clarkson - Governor General of Canada (1999-2005)
• Bruce Cockburn - Folk/rock guitarist and singer/songwriter, who was inducted in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.
• Naida Cole - Pianist who performed with Montreal Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestras, and others.
• David Foster - Grammy winning musician, producer, and composer
• Glenn Gould - Pianist who famously gave up live performances.
• Robert Goulet - Mainly known as a singer. Also an actor.
• Lawrence Gowan -Styx Keyboardist
• Stephen Harper, Canadian Prime Minister
• Ian O. Ihnatowycz - President, CEO and CIO, Acuity Funds Ltd.
• Norman Jewison - Film director, known for In the Heat of the Night and others.
• Eli Kassner - Founder of the Guitar Society of Toronto, world-renowned guitar teacher
• Lois Marshall - Soprano who is a holder of the Order of Canada
• Kim Schraner - Leading actress on CBC Television's Spynet. Previously on Paradise Falls.
• Paul Shaffer - Band leader on The Late Show with David Letterman
• Mitchell Sharp - Former Minister of Finance (Canada)
• Teresa Stratas - Operatic soprano who joined the Metropolitan Opera
• Cherilee Taylor - Actress on Showcase soap opera Paradise Falls
• Jon Vickers - Tenor with the Metropolitan Opera
• Greg Wells - Record producer, composer, and multi-instrumenatlist with Rufus Wainwright, P!nk, Natasha Bedingfield, and others.
• Rafael Villanueva, Associate Director, Dominican National Symphonic Orchestra
• Tutu Robinson,World-renowned pianist

• List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage
• List of oldest buildings and structures in Toronto

• The Royal Conservatory of Music
• The Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music
• Location of the RCM with photos and links to web sites related to the area

Coordinates: 43°40′4.7″N 79°23′46.50″W / 43.667972, -79.39625