What is the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM)?

Updated

The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) is a music conservatoire in Manchester, United Kingdom, and a constituent conservatoire of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. It is a place to study music at undergraduate, graduate and research level, and it also operates as a public venue with events, festivals and performances. If you are looking for a UK conservatoire education in performance or composition, or you want to know what the institution offers before applying or visiting, the sections below cover what RNCM is and what it provides.

What RNCM is

RNCM describes itself as a music conservatoire. Its website presents it as both a place of study and a destination for audiences: the main navigation covers Study Here, What's On, Visit, About, Research, Alumni and Support, alongside venue hire and innovation activity.

Two institutional facts are stated directly on the site:

  • It is a constituent conservatoire of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
  • It is located in Manchester, reflected in the site's "Life in Manchester" and accommodation content.

What you can study

The site organises study options into clear levels and areas, which is the quickest way to see whether RNCM matches your stage of training.

Level What the site lists
Undergraduate Undergraduate School
Graduate Graduate School
Research Research Degree Programme (including PhD)
Other Associate Student Scheme and CPD, Short Courses

Alongside these levels, the site lists Schools of Study and Specialisms, so teaching is grouped by discipline rather than only by level. The alumni sections give a sense of the breadth of those disciplines, with alumni groups for composition, conducting, ensemble, keyboard, popular music, strings, vocal, and wind, brass and percussion.

If you are a school-age student, there is a separate Junior RNCM provision with its own "How to Apply and Fees" page.

Applying and auditioning

The application journey is set out as a sequence on the site:

  1. Make an Application — the starting point for applying.
  2. Discover RNCM (Open Days) — visit before or during the process.
  3. Entrance Requirements — the academic and musical criteria you need to meet.
  4. How to Apply — the mechanics of submitting an application.
  5. Your Audition — auditions are part of the process, consistent with conservatoire admissions.
  6. Your Offer — what happens once a decision is made.

Supporting pages cover Fees and Funding, Support for Teachers, and a dedicated International Students section. For international applicants, the site separates out:

  • Why RNCM?
  • English Language Requirements
  • Qualifications on Entry
  • Application and Audition
  • Exchanges

There is also a 中文网站 (Chinese-language site) linked from the international navigation, which may be useful if you or your family prefer to read admissions information in Chinese.

Fees, funding and what the site does not state

The site has a Fees and Funding page and a Junior RNCM "How to Apply and Fees" page, which is where cost information lives. The homepage evidence used here does not include any figures, so no tuition amounts, funding deadlines or payment methods can be confirmed from this material. Treat fees as something to check directly on those pages rather than assuming a figure.

Visiting, events and public access

RNCM is not only a teaching institution. The site's What's On area covers events, festivals, series and programmes, with Watch / Listen and listings available. Practical visitor information includes:

  • How to Book and Booking Information, plus seating plans
  • Getting Here, Find Us and Access
  • RNCM Food & Drink
  • RNCM Engage and Become a Member for ongoing involvement

There are separate booking routes for the general public and for students/staff, and a Join Our E-List option for updates.

Research, alumni and international activity

For postgraduate researchers, the site lists a PhD Research Degree Programme, PGR Profiles, Research Staff, Research Centres, Research Projects and a Library and Archives, including the RNCM Collection of Historic Musical Instruments. Research events run through The Sir John Manduell Research Forum and conferences.

Alumni can engage through RNCM Connect, reunions, the Northern Highlights news and features, and the Northern alumni magazine, with an alumni archive of recordings from 1973–1994.

Internationally, the site references Worldwide Partnerships, an International Benchmarking Group, and a news item titled "RNCM Takes Teaching, Performance and Admissions to South Korea" — evidence that the institution's activity extends beyond Manchester.

Who RNCM is for

  • Prospective students at undergraduate, graduate or research level in music, particularly performance and composition.
  • School-age musicians considering Junior RNCM.
  • International applicants who need English language and qualification guidance, or a Chinese-language entry point.
  • Audiences and local residents interested in concerts, festivals and membership.
  • Teachers looking for support and CPD links.
  • Researchers interested in a PhD programme, research centres and archives.

If your goal is to understand the institution before committing to an application, start with Study Here → Why Study Here, then Entrance Requirements and Your Audition, and check Fees and Funding for the current position on costs.