# Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama

The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (Welsh: Coleg Brenhinol Cerdd a Drama Cymru) is a conservatoire located in Cardiff, Wales. It has three theatres: the Richard Burton Theatre, the Bute Theatre, and the Caird Studio. It also includes one concert hall, the Dora Stoutzker Hall, and the Anthony Hopkins Centre, housed in the former Cardiff Castle Stables.

## History and description

The college was established in 1949 as Cardiff College of Music at Cardiff Castle, but in 1973 moved to purpose-built accommodation within the castle grounds of Bute Park near Cardiff University. In 1970 it changed its name to the Welsh College of Music & Drama before being awarded its royal title during Queen Elizabeth II's golden jubilee in 2002, making it the fifth conservatoire to be awarded this title.
From 1973, the college's degrees BA, BEd, MA, were awarded by the University of Wales and in 2004 the college became part of the federal university. In 2007, however, it left the university and agreed to a merger (referred to as a "strategic alliance") with the University of Glamorgan. The University of Glamorgan merged with the University of Wales, Newport, in 2013 to form the University of South Wales, so RWCMD is now part of the University of South Wales Group.
The college provides education and training in the performing arts and technical theatre, including music, acting, design, stage management and arts management. It was the first, and is one of only two All-Steinway conservatoires in the UK, along with Leeds College of Music. The College has approximately 800 students.
A £22.5m expansion of the college was opened in 2011, including two new performance venues (Richard Burton Theatre and Dora Stoutzker Hall), a new front of house area and rehearsal studios. The Anthony Hopkins Centre, housed in the former Cardiff Castle Stables, was opened in 1999.
In 2010, as part of the college's 60th anniversary celebrations, students from the college performed in a gala concert at Buckingham Palace, attended by the college's patron, the Prince of Wales. A second gala evening was presented at Buckingham Palace in 2016 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the college's new facilities.
It is a member of the Federation of Drama Schools.

## Undergraduate degrees

The college offers undergraduate degrees in the following areas:
* BMus (Hons) Music
* BMus (Hons) Jazz
* BA (Hons) Acting
* BA (Hons) Stage Management & Technical Theatre
* BA (Hons) Design for Performance
* BA (Hons) Musical Theatre
* Foundation Degree Scenic Construction
* Foundation Degree Scenic Arts

## Postgraduate degrees

The college also offers postgraduate degrees in the following areas;
* MA Acting for Stage, Screen & Radio
* MA Advanced Opera Performance
* MA Arts Management
* MA Design for Performance
* MA Jazz
* MA Musical Theatre
* MA Opera Directing
* MA Stage & Event Management
* MMus Brass Band Conducting
* MMus Choral Conducting
* MMus Collaborative Piano
* MMus Composition
* MMus Historical Performance
* MMus Music Performance
* MMus Multi Instrument Woodwind Performance
* MMus Orchestral Conducting
* MMus Orchestral Performance
* Postgraduate Diploma Advanced Professional Practice
* Postgraduate Diploma in Brass Band Conducting
* Postgraduate Diploma in Choral Conducting
* Postgraduate Diploma in Collaborative Piano
* Postgraduate Diploma in Composition
* Postgraduate Diploma in Historical Performance
* Postgraduate Diploma in Jazz
* Postgraduate Diploma in Music Performance
* Postgraduate Diploma in Multi Instrument Woodwind Performance
* Postgraduate Diploma in Orchestral Conducting
* Postgraduate Diploma in Orchestral Performance

## Alumni

    For a full list, see Category:Alumni of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama
* Zahra Ahmadi
* Jan Anderson
* Rakie Ayola
* Aneurin Barnard
* Remy Beasley
* Joe Blackman
* Edward Bluemel
* Anthony Boyle
* Rob Brydon
* Hamish Clark
* Alun Cochrane
* Richard Elis
* Jean Fergusson
* Jane Freeman
* Bradley Freegard
* Lucy Gaskell
* Paul Hilton
* Anthony Hopkins
* Anthony Irvine
* Peter Karrie
* Julian Lewis Jones
* Ruth Jones
* Jo Joyner
* James Loye
* Tony Maudsley
* Eve Myles
* Steven Meo
* Andrew Harwood Mills
* Adrian Lewis Morgan
* Olivia Morris
* Kimberley Nixon
* Naomi Radcliffe
* Erin Richards
* Ieuan Rhys
* Dougray Scott
* Ben Slade (joint course with UWIC)
* James Sutton
* David Thaxton
* Alexander Vlahos
* Victoria Wicks
* Katy Wix
* Mary Woodvine
* Royce Pierreson