Leeds College of Music is a music conservatoire based in the Quarry Hill district of Leeds, England.
The college is the only conservatoire in the UK to offer both Higher and Further Education courses. Aside from its education provision - which also includes short courses and programmes for adults and school-age musicians - Leeds College of Music hosts a seasonal programme of concerts, largely in its 350-seat auditorium 'The Venue'. In 2011 Leeds College of Music was awarded All-Steinway School status - becoming the only conservatoire in England to have 90% of its pianos from the Steinway family. It was formerly known as Leeds Music Centre (1965-1971) and City of Leeds College of Music (1971-1997), founder and first principal Joseph Stones (1965-1993), and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Leeds City College in August 2011.
Benson Taylor became the first appointed ambassador for the conservatoire in 2016.
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Courses
Undergraduate courses at Leeds College of Music are known as 'pathways'; genres and styles of music that students choose to major in. Courses include Business, Classical, Film Music, Folk, Jazz, Popular, Production and Songwriting. Students may also choose to combine two pathways. The conservatoire also offers a one-year Foundation Degree certificate providing students with an extra year before commencing their undergraduate study. Completion of any three-year undergraduate pathway will result in students being awarded a Bachelor of Arts. LCoM was the first music institution worldwide to offer a Bachelor's degree in the study of Jazz music, and the first conservatoire in the UK to offer a degree in Popular music.
Further education courses are also available, including BTEC Music and Music Technology. From September 2018, both courses will be moved to the Creative Arts Faculty of Leeds City College.
The conservatoire also runs a one-year postgraduate programme in which students can study for a Master of Music or postgraduate diploma on the Creative Musician course.
Since September 2013, all undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses are validated by the University of Hull.
In addition to degree courses, Leeds College of Music is also host to a series of short courses available to children and adults. This also includes Junior LCoM, formerly known as the Saturday Music School, which runs courses available to children from ages 9-18. On Sundays, the conservatoire is also a host for Yorkshire Young Musicians.
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History
Leeds College of Music was known as The Leeds Music Centre when it was established in 1965, delivering evening jazz classes at the Leeds Institute building. In 1971 it became the City of Leeds College of Music with a campus building near Millennium Square.
In 1993, the conservatoire launched the first Jazz degree in Europe.
In 1997, the conservatoire was moved to purpose-built premises on Quarry Hill, neighbouring with the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Northern Ballet and the BBC Yorkshire building.
In October 2010, Leeds College of Music and Leeds City College received approval from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) following an application to the Strategic Development Fund (SDF) to support an alliance between the two establishments. On 1 August 2011, Leeds College of Music became a wholly owned subsidiary within the Leeds City College group. In the following year, LCoM received a £2 million refurbishment for its recording studios, performance and communal spaces. This also introduced raked seating to the conservatoire's main performance space, The Venue. Funding from the government and additional private donations saw the conservatoire receiving 54 Steinway pianos in September 2011, resulting in Leeds College of Music becoming the only All-Steinway school in England.
The Sounds Like THIS festival, initiated by Leeds College of Music, made its debut in March 2017, showcasing artists "who take bold new approaches to sound, incorporating electronic, classical, electroacoustic, opera and immersive visual installation". The festival received a grant from Arts Council England for the 2018 edition, which will launch on 12 March.
In 2017, the conservatoire revamped its performance space The Venue with a rooftop extension. In September 2017, LCoM unveiled the Leeds Music Library, a new location for their previously internal library space. Following the library's relocation, the conservatoire invested £0.5 million to refurbish the fifth floor with new practice rooms and study space.
Notable alumni
- David Newton -- jazz pianist (1979)
- Alan Barnes -- jazz saxophonist (1980)
- Richard Iles -- jazz composer and trumpeter (1980)
- Chris Batchelor -- jazz trumpeter
- Nikki Iles (1984) -- jazz composer and pianist
- Damon Gough aka Badly Drawn Boy -- (1991) singer and songwriter
- Pete Wareham of Acoustic Ladyland and Polar Bear (1995) -- jazz saxophonist and singer
- Snake Davis -- pop saxophonist
- Johnny Thirkell - Buddy Rich Orchestra, Gil Evans Orchestra, Level 42, Jamiroquai -- trumpeter
- Nick Webb of Acoustic Alchemy -- jazz guitarist
- Adrian Snell -- composer, pianist and singer
- James Lynch of Touch and Go -- trumpeter
- Matthew Bourne -- composer and pianist(2001)
- Jim Corry -- saxophonist (Saxophonist for Haggis Horns, Jamiroquai, Corinne Bailey Rae & Mark Ronson) (1998)
- Andrew Colman -- trumpeter and Perrier Young Jazz Musician of the Year 1999
- James Russell -- saxophonist and composer (A Tribute To Atlantic Jazz) (Saxophonist for Jamiroquai) (1998)
- Jamil Sherif -- composer and pianist (1998)
- Rusko -- dubstep producer (2002)
- Thrash Pilot -- drum and bass producer (2002)
- Michael Spearman of Everything Everything -- drummer (2008)
- John Newman -- singer (2008)
- Mark Holub of Led Bib -- drummer
- Athol Ransome (Haggis Horns, John Legend, The Roots, Mark Ronson) -- saxophonist
- Rob Madin aka Brett Domino -- spoof pop star
- Russell van den Berg -- jazz saxophonist
- Chris Sharkey of Trio VD and Acoustic Ladyland -- jazz composer and guitarist
- Ryan Jarman of The Cribs -- singer, guitarist and songwriter
- Gary Jarman of The Cribs -- singer, bass guitarist and songwriter
- Derya Nagle of The Safety Fire -- guitarist and producer
- James Yeoburn (2005) -- music and theatre producer
- Tim Malkin, Jake Greenway, Paul Howells and Ciaran Scanlon of Fizzy Blood -- rock band
Notable staff (current and former)
- Joseph Stones - Founder and First Director (former)
- Neil Yates - Jazz Trumpet (current)
- Dane Chalfin - Popular Voice, Performance and Artistry (current)
- Kim Chandler - Popular Voice (former)
- Nikki Iles - Jazz Piano (former)
- Mornington Lockett - Jazz Saxophone (former)
- Dave O'Higgins - Jazz Saxophone (former)
- Matthew Bourne - Piano and Composition (former)
- Omar Puente - Jazz Violin and Latin ensemble director (former)
- Dame Fanny Waterman - Classical Piano (former)
Visiting Professorships
Leeds College of Music has appointed a number of world class musicians and music technologists to Visiting Professorships. The Visiting Professorships will play a leading part in the development and dissemination of good practice in HE performance and composition. The following Visiting Professors have been appointed:
- Dennis Rollins - Visiting Professor in Trombone
- Alan Hacker - Visiting Professor in Clarinet
- Mick Glossop - Visiting Professor in Music Production
- Malcolm Toft - Visiting Professor in Music Production
- Chris Watson - Visiting Professor in Sound Recording
- Deborah York - Visiting Professor in Classical Voice
- Gavin Bryars - Visiting Professor in Classical Composition
The Venue
The Venue, a 350-seat concert space based on campus, hosts the majority of the College's Concert Season, which runs from September to May each academic year. The annual programme includes a wide variety of styles encompassing jazz, classical, contemporary, folk, popular and world music, ranging in scale from orchestras, choirs and big bands to small ensembles and solo recitals/concerts. Concerts also take place in the College's Recital Room. Full-time LCM students are offered discounted tickets on many of the concerts in the season.
From January 2011, the concert season will focus mainly on the College's flagship ensembles, free twilight concerts, a small number of high-profile guest artists and concerts programmed by Leeds International Concert Season and Leeds Lieder+.
Principalship
Leeds College of Music has had four principals since its opening in 1965.
- Joseph Stones (1965-1993)
- David Hoult (1993-2008)
- Philip Meaden (2008-2014)
- Gerry Godley (2014-present)
See also
- Music school
- Leeds Male Voice Choir
References
External links
- Leeds College of Music
- Ofsted Report for LCM FE courses
Source of article : Wikipedia
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