Dame Shirley Bassey is the new President of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama

At the end of its celebratory 75th birthday year, the Royal Welsh College has announced Dame Shirley Bassey CH DBE as its new President for the next three years.

She succeeds HM King Charles who, when Prince of Wales, was President of the College, and was confirmed as continuing as its Patron earlier this year.

The President of the College is an honorary role which supports the College's position as the national conservatoire of Wales, and inspires the next generation of artists from across the world to study here and find their path into the professional industries.

Dame Shirley is an RWCMD Fellow, and has been close to the College for more than two decades since her generous support created a valuable singing scholarship in her name. In 2016 College students performed a concert in her presence, paying tribute to her and her music and naming the Dame Shirley Bassey Studio in recognition of the special relationship.

Most recently, she came to celebrate the College's birthday in May, attending a Gala in London, visiting the new Old Library campus, meeting with the Musical Theatre students, and watching their 'Sweet Charity' premiere.

Editors notes:

'It's particularly fitting for us to end our 75th birthday year with this wonderful news,' said Helena Gaunt. 'In another challenging year for the arts we've taken this opportunity to focus on projects that celebrate what it means to be the National Conservatoire: focusing on our deep commitment to community, to craft training, to the Welsh language and culture, and empowering our emerging artists.'

Highlights include:

A transformative string quartet residency

The initiative embodies the College's mission to empower its emerging artists to develop creative and sustainable careers at the highest levels and to make an impact on the world around them.

In September the College launched a two-year string quartet residency, supported by The Albert and Eugenie Frost Music Trust, with additional funding from the Colwinston Charitable Trust. This innovative program places world-class string quartet practice at the core of the College's vibrant community, aiming to influence the future of string playing across Wales and beyond.

The residency, which provides significant financial support to both The Carducci String Quartet and The Fibonacci Quartet, is designed to offer crucial support to these ensembles, fostering artistic excellence alongside cultivating the next generation of musicians and bringing world-class music into the heart of the local community.

Sir Bryn Terfel Song Prize

This autumn RWCMD launched a significant new song prize in partnership with its Vice President Sir Bryn Terfel, one of the world's most esteemed opera singers and performers of song.

The College will host the first Sir Bryn Terfel Song Prize for young singers in November 2025, initially open to singers nominated by UK conservatoires, with plans to extend this to international conservatoires in future years. The biennial prize, worth £15,000, will be one of the most valuable anywhere in the world, and will be awarded during a pivotal transition from undergraduate to postgraduate studies when sources of funding become limited to continue training.

In a competition that highlights cultural and linguistic diversity, competitors will be required to sing at least one song in Welsh and one in their native language, celebrating the importance of song in global traditions and the Welsh language, Bryn's mother tongue.

As part of this focus on Welsh culture and language, the College has announced a new partnership with the Urdd Gobaith Cymru (Wales' largest youth organisation), to create performance and development opportunities for some of Wales' most promising artistic talents.

Through this partnership, six young performers were chosen to be Young Cultural International Ambassadors at this year's annual Welsh language festival, Eisteddfod yr Urdd. Two of the winners, Owain Rowlands and Eiriana Jones-Campbell, are current students at the College.

Extraordinary track record in Design for Performance

The College's Design for Performance course dominates the prestigious Linbury Prize, with an extraordinary track record: with five of the most recent recipients coming from the College, it means that almost half of the 60 finalists over the last five Linbury Prize years have studied at RWCMD.

NEW 10th anniversary: Celebrating a decade of original and diverse narratives

Alongside its 75th birthday, RWCMD's NEW writing festival celebrates 10 years of commitment to nurturing original work and bringing diverse narratives to the stage with a move to its 2024 venue, London's Young Vic Theatre.

Each year NEW commissions four plays from established writers, working with directors and the College's Richard Burton Company, made up of final year drama students, to create challenging and inspiring work that reflects the diversity of contemporary storytelling. 'NEW VOICES' showcases future theatre-makers, with work by current students.

'No other drama school commissions on this scale or is working with this breadth of writing talent. Jonathan Munby, Director of Drama Performance

Sir Ian McKellen names the David Rowe-Beddoe Shakespeare Prize

At a concert to honour Lord David Rowe-Beddoe, RWCMD's late Chairman Laureate, world-renowned actor Sir Ian McKellen announced the naming of the College's Shakespeare Prize in his memory.

Launched in 2023 the RWCMD Shakespeare Prize of £5000 celebrates actors' technical ability with verse, and connection with character and situation. Ian McKellen was a judge in 2023 and gave individual masterclasses to the finalists.