Royal College of Music: Who Inspires You?

Ever thought about studying at a conservatoire? They provide specialist professional training at undergraduate and postgraduate level for talented musicians, actors, and dancers, to fulfil their creative and professional aspirations.

Want to know more? We spoke to two students from the Royal College of Music who share their inspiration to study at a conservatoire.

Cecilia Chan is a 4th year BMus cello student. She’ll be starting a Master of Music in Performance course in September, and reflects on the start of her musical journey.

I started learning the cello when I was 9 years old. My first cello teacher was a violinist who taught at my school in Hong Kong, and she decided to put me in the school orchestra a month after I started learning. I fell in love with orchestral playing from the very start, and I would credit her as the person who ignited the flame, who planted the seed that blossomed into a pursuit of a musical career.

My second teacher is a professional orchestral cellist, and I still visit him whenever I’m home. Every demonstration is a heartfelt performance, and I could hear his attention to detail and the love he has for the music. It was absolutely contagious, and further deepened my love and determination to become an orchestral cellist. My cello teacher at Wells Cathedral School saw the potential in me, and through polishing my technique and constantly encouraging and believing in me, she helped me build the self-confidence I lacked, and gave me the courage to audition for a conservatoire. These three cello teachers inspired me at different points of my life to study at a conservatoire, and I couldn’t thank them enough.

Thomas Erlank, from South Africa, is studying a Master of Performance in Vocal Performance, also at the Royal College of Music.

What inspired me to study at a conservatoire? Back in South Africa I was nudged in the direction of the Royal College of Music by a wonderful teacher called Sally Burgess, who encouraged me to reach my full potential. I met her during a workshop she taught in South Africa, and during this time in my life moving to another continent seemed impossible. She encouraged me to get myself to London in August 2013 for some consultations. As soon as I visited the college, I knew it was for me.

The following September, I started at the college, and now I am in my second year of postgraduate studies without a single thought of regret. The Royal College of Music truly lives up to its internationally acclaimed reputation.

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