The Royal Conservatory To Launch New Celebration Series® and Give 400,000 Books to Music Teachers across North America
The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) will present Music Lights The Way, a grand celebration on April 27, 2022, at Koerner Hall featuring acclaimed pianists performing selections from the new Celebration Series®, Sixth Edition.
“At this event, we will celebrate the music teachers who have guided their students through isolation and uncertainty and brought the joy of music at a time when its transformative power was needed most,” said Dr. Peter Simon, President & CEO of The Royal Conservatory.
This special in-person and live-streamed concert will feature world premiere performances of several RCM commissioned pieces and well-known repertoire from the new series. Performances by internationally renowned pianists and RCM alumni include The Royal Conservatory’s Artist in Residence Stewart Goodyear, Angela Hewitt, Jan Lisiecki, International Fryderyk Chopin Competition laureate Tony Yike Yang, RCM Honorary Fellow Lang Lang, series composer Heather Schmidt, recording artist for the series Dianne Werner-Simon, and other prominent artists.
RSVP for Music Lights the Way at rcmusic.com/celebrate
The event marks the release of the sixth edition of the RCM’s Celebration Series®, an essential resource for piano teachers. The comprehensive, pedagogically levelled series features 514 pieces across 12 Repertoire and 10 Etudes books. Coupled with the RCM Certificate Program curriculum, it is the gold standard in piano education. Released once every seven years, it includes both beloved classics and newly commissioned works by composers from more than 20 countries.
"The music in this outstanding series is one way we realize our mission to develop human potential through music and the arts,” said Elaine Rusk, Vice President, Academics and Publishing. “Sharing new compositions by living artists provides us an opportunity to connect people from around the world and inspire our students.”
The Royal Conservatory is dedicated to supporting its remarkable teachers and, because many are small business owners deeply affected by the pandemic, The RCM is giving Celebration Series®, Sixth Edition books to 20,000 of its devoted teachers in Canada and the United States to ensure they have the materials they need to continue their valued work.
The extraordinary gift of more than 400,000 books is The RCM’s latest contribution to fuel music education. Over the past two years The RCM has provided an infrastructure of support, including free teaching webinars to facilitate the shift to online learning, remote examinations, and more.
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, our focus has been to ensure the continuance of music education by supporting the critical infrastructure of independent music teachers across North America. This unprecedented gift of Celebration Series® books will enable us to continue this vital support,” said Dr. Simon.
For more information on the Celebration Series®, Sixth Edition please visit: rcmusic.com/piano.