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
Leeds College of Music offers an undergraduate degree course - BA (Hons) Music - with specialisms/pathways available in Jazz, Classical Music, Popular Music, Music Production and Music Business; as well as a combined option. Students can also take a Foundation Certificate, which is designed to provide them with the necessary skills and knowledge for successful degree-level study at a specialist music institution.
The conservatoire also offers a Postgraduate Diploma/MA/MMus in Performance, Composition, Performance and Composition, and Production.
Further Education courses available include Business and Technology Education Council Level 3 Extended Diploma in Music (Classical, Jazz and Pop pathways) and Music Technology.
In addition to the Further & Higher Education programmes of study, there is a range of short instrumental, vocal and technology courses for both adults and schoolchildren which run throughout the year, alongside ensemble membership.
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Facilities
In 2011, Leeds College of Music was refurbished to accommodate 60 state-of-the-art teaching and practice rooms, seven recording studios (including an SSL G Series console) and three mixing studios (one of which has 5.1 Surround Sound) - enabling students to study and create in a professional environment.
The SSL G Series console is linked to recital space, meaning live performance can be captured directly. Studios, ensemble and rehearsal rooms and iMac computer labs are open until 3am.
As an Apple Authorised Training Centre, the conservatoire has six fully equipped Mac labs, with high computer-to-student ratio and in-house Apple-trained tutors.
Leeds College of Music became an All-Steinway School in 2011, meaning that 90% of its pianos come from the Steinway & Sons family. These include two Steinway Model Ds.
The library holds more than 11,000 CDs, 9,000 LPs, 30,000 items of printed music, 8,000 books and 700 DVDs, covering subjects from music biography to composition for film and sound recording, and a collection of printed journals; electronic audio, visual and text resources can be accessed via the conservatoire's virtual learning environment, Space.
The library is also home to the conservatoire's Jazz Archive, which holds a wide range of recordings (including unreleased material), printed music and memorabilia, valuable collections of biographical files and original manuscripts.
Performance opportunities
With its own 350-seat concert hall (The Venue) and 120-seat Recital Room, numerous ensembles for students to join, a busy concert season and a location right in the middle of Leeds' Quarry Hill Cultural Quarter, Leeds College of Music offers a platform to build up a varied portfolio of performing experience.
Students perform nationally as well as regionally, with the conservatoire's outreach programme having seen bands play at London's Jazz Café, 606 Club and Steinway Hall, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Musicians are regulars at Leeds venues such as the Hi-Fi Club, Sela Bar, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds Cathedral and the Wardrobe, and at regional venues including Lotherton Hall and Wakefield Cathedral.
The Venue and Recital Room host the majority of events in the conservatoire's packed concert season, which runs from September to May each academic year.
Students play a vital part in the concert season, with many of the conservatoire's ensembles appearing in an eclectic programme that encompasses jazz, classical, contemporary and world music, orchestral, choral and big band concerts and small ensemble and solo recitals.
The concert season allows students to rub shoulders with global names through showcasing the work of graduates and alumni alongside emerging and international artists. Past seasons have seen appearances from the likes of Michael Nyman, Jamie Cullum, Courtney Pine, Polar Bear, Soweto Kinch, Amy Winehouse, Joanna MacGregor and more.
In conjunction with Leeds International Concert Season, Lunchtime Chamber Music is presented every Wednesday at The Venue, while an International Chamber Series is held throughout the year.
Notable alumni
- Jazz Pianist -- David Newton (1979)
- Jazz Saxophonist -- Alan Barnes (1980)
- Jazz Composer and Trumpeter -- Richard Iles (1980)
- Jazz Trumpeter -- Chris Batchelor
- Jazz Composer and Pianist -- Nikki Iles (1984)
- Singer and Songwriter -- Damon Gough aka Badly Drawn Boy (1991)
- Jazz Saxophonist and Vocalist -- Pete Wareham of Acoustic Ladyland and Polar Bear (1995)
- Pop Saxophonist -- Snake Davis
- Trumpeter -- Johnny Thirkell - Buddy Rich Orchestra, Gil Evans Orchestra, Level 42, Jamiroquai
- Jazz guitarist -- Nick Webb of Acoustic Alchemy
- Composer, Pianist and Vocalist -- Adrian Snell
- Trumpeter -- James Lynch of Touch and Go
- Composer and Pianist -- Matthew Bourne (2001)
- Saxophonist -- Jim Corry (Saxophonist for Haggis Horns, Jamiroquai, Corinne Bailey Rae & Mark Ronson) (1998)
- Trumpeter and Perrier Young Jazz Musician of the Year 1999 -- Andrew Colman
- Saxophonist and Composer (A Tribute To Atlantic Jazz) -- James Russell (Saxophonist for Jamiroquai) (1998)
- Composer and Pianist -- Jamil Sherif (1998)
- Dubstep Producer -- Rusko (2002)
- Drum and Bass Producer -- Thrash Pilot (2002)
- Drummer -- Michael Spearman of Everything Everything (2008)
- Singer -- John Newman (2008)
- Drummer -- Mark Holub of Led Bib
- Saxophonist -- Athol Ransome (Haggis Horns, John Legend, The Roots, Mark Ronson)
- Spoof Popstar -- Rob Madin aka Brett Domino
- Pianist and Singer -- Victoria Christina Hesketh aka Little Boots
- Jazz Saxophonist -- Russell van den Berg
- Jazz Composer and Guitarist -- Chris Sharkey of Trio VD and Acoustic Ladyland
- Singer, guitarist and songwriter -- Ryan Jarman of The Cribs
- Singer, bass guitarist and songwriter -- Gary Jarman of The Cribs
- Guitarist and Producer - Derya Nagle of The Safety Fire
- Music and Theatre Producer - James Yeoburn (2005)
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
Merger proposals
In October 2010, Leeds College of Music and Leeds City College announced that their plans to enter into a strategic alliance have received approval from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). HEFCE has approved an application to the Strategic Development Fund (SDF) for funding to support the alliance, in which Leeds College of Music will become a wholly owned subsidiary within the Leeds City College group.
On 1 August 2011, Leeds College of Music became a wholly owned subsidiary of Leeds City College.
From September 2013, degree courses are validated by the University of Hull.
The Venue
Leeds College of Music contributes significantly to the artistic life of the region. 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.
Since opening in 2003, The Venue has brought leading national and international artists to the city, ranging from established artists to newcomers including Michael Nyman, Jamie Cullum, Courtney Pine, Manchester Camerata, Soweto Kinch, Tord Gustavsen Trio, Stacey Kent, Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone, Led Bib, IDST, Matthew Bourne, Joanna McGregor, Amy Winehouse, London Sinfonietta, Enrico Rava, Mike Gibbs, and Claire Teal. Festivals and organisations such as the BBC, Live at Leeds, FuseLeeds, Opera North, The Leeds Jewish International Performing Arts Festival and South Asian Arts UK have programmed content in The Venue.
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+.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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