Overview
Working with partners across Wales, Open RWCMD aims to widen access to creative experiences, support the next generation of artists and technicians, and strengthen Wales’s cultural life.
BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales
Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama works closely with the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales to give students real experience of the music industry while they study.
Together, we help train the next generation of musicians, performers and arts professionals, while also opening up more opportunities for people across Wales to experience and take part in music.
What does the partnership involve?
This partnership provides students with structured opportunities to engage directly with professional practice. Activity includes:
- placements, residencies and joint projects
- coaching and mentoring from orchestra members
- performance opportunities and hands-on projects
- access to rehearsals and working environments
These experiences run throughout the year and are built into courses, so students graduate with practical skills as well as strong artistic training.
What students gain
Through this partnership, students benefit from:
- real-world experience in a professional orchestra
- a clear understanding of how the industry works
- opportunities to build confidence, skills and connections
You can take part in everything from performing and rehearsing to outreach work and arts management placements.
Opening access to music
A key part of this partnership is reaching beyond the conservatoire.
Students work with the orchestra on outreach projects, family concerts and community programmes to help bring live music to more people, including children and young people who might not otherwise have access.
By connecting professional musicians with communities across Wales, the partnership helps make music more inclusive, inspiring the next generation regardless of background.
Where it leads
Graduates go on to careers across the music and creative industries, from orchestras to arts organisations and beyond.
Together, RWCMD and the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales:
- support future musicians and creative professionals
- bring high-quality music to wider audiences
- help make the arts more accessible and inclusive
- strengthen the cultural life of Wales
About BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales
The BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales is Wales’s national symphony orchestra and a leading broadcast ensemble, with a history spanning over 90 years. Based at BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff Bay, it performs extensively across Wales and the UK and is regularly heard on BBC platforms including Radio 3, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru.
As both a broadcast orchestra and a national cultural organisation, BBC NOW plays a vital role in promoting Welsh music, supporting contemporary composers, and delivering a wide-ranging programme of concerts, education work and community engagement.
