Autumn at RWCMD

Our new season features outstanding talent, unique experiences and unforgettable live performances: with a rich seam of Welsh music, a new classical concert series, a jazz tribute to John Coltrane, puppetry productions as well as our acclaimed seasonal celebrations.

• Welsh music from Catrin Finch, VRi and Sinfonia Cymru
• Classical concert series featuring internationally renowned artists, including Viktoria Mullova, Alexander Gavrylyuk and Llŷr Williams
• Celebrating John Coltrane, 100 years since his birth
• Five diverse productions from the Richard Burton Company
• Enchanting puppetry for families
• Visiting music and drama from within Wales and beyond
• Christmas at the College

The season opens with a captivating performance by folk trio VRï: Dylifwn/We Will Weave, setting the stage for an exploration of Welsh music. Highlights include harpist Catrin Finch’s profound and personal musical journey, ‘Notes to Self’, Sinfonia Cymru’s cross-cultural collaboration with Sidiki Dembélé and an unmissable evening with celebrated soprano Rebecca Evans, showcasing songs by remarkable women composers from Wales and beyond.

We are also launching three exciting classical concert series: Viktoria Mullova and Alasdair Beatson performing Beethoven’s complete violin sonatas; Llŷr Williams' ‘Baroque Connections’, exploring music inspired by the 17th and 18th centuries; and our Steinway International Piano Series featuring world-class pianists, beginning with Alexander Gavrylyuk and Samson Tsoy.

Our Lunchtime Concerts offer more chances to enjoy excellent music from brass band, strings and wind ensembles.

Jazz lovers can join us to celebrate the centenary of one of the great jazz musicians and composers, John Coltrane. Gary Crosby OBE and MOBO award-winning saxophonist Denys Baptiste lead an all-star quartet in a special tribute to Coltrane by performing his seminal album ‘A Love Supreme’.

Modern jazz supergroup Trio Grande, featuring saxophonist Will Vinson, guitarist Gilad Hekselman and bassist and drummer Nate Wood, perform in November, as well as the visionary Shai Maestro Quartet return with music from his groundbreaking new album The Guesthouse.

The ever-popular Musical Theatre treat, ‘Christmas on Broadway’ returns as part of Christmas at the College which also features our annual partnership with Welsh National Opera, with students performing side by side with WNO players and singers at the ‘Opera Gala’ and ‘A Chorus Christmas’, the perfect start to your Christmas. For our younger audiences we have a festive staging of that timeless favourite tale of true friendship ‘Charlotte’s Web’.

Creating productions of classic plays to cutting-edge contemporary drama, our Richard Burton Company’s Autumn season starts with Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V’ and Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s witty ‘Emilia’, focusing on the extraordinary life of 17th century radical feminist, Emilia Bassano, in October. December brings Georges Feydeau’s farcical ‘An Absolutely Turkey’, and previous RWCMD Writer in Residence, Roy Williams’ adaptation, ‘The Lonely Londoners’, based on Sam Selvon’s ground-breaking novel about the Windrush generation, in December.

Families can enjoy enchanting new puppetry productions, the heartwarming ’The Truth About Trees’ and the shadow theatre show about magical journeys, ‘‘Gaby Gulliver’s Travels’, as well as the return of our much-loved Little Concerts.

We also welcome two productions made by Wales-based companies, on tour across Wales, ‘Grip of Life’ by Noni Lewis and ‘Pride & Prejud(ish)’ from Black RAT Productions.

As always, we offer plenty of chances to see and hear our students performing in the Carne Foyer in our series of Free Events, including the celebrated AmserJazzTime. Come and grab a drink and soak up the atmosphere. We look forward to seeing you!