OMF partners with Royal Northern College of Music to open up access to music education

On Saturday 9th March, OMF families were invited a special VIP reception to celebrate the launch of a formal partnership between OMF and the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). OMF families were also offered free tickets to attend a concert by Manchester Collective's concert, who OMF collaborated with in 2023 as part of a production of Britten's children's opera, 'Noah's Flood'.

The launch of the partnership between OMF and RNCM cements a long-running relationship between the music charity and innovative conservatoire that has already led to more than 30 children and young people gaining free access to music education through RNCM's Pathfinder and Young Artists programmes, and created over 20 professional opportunities for students to work in the charitable sector.

The collaboration also offers major benefits for RNCM students, who gain real-world experience of education work and the possibility of long-term professional futures with the charity. Currently, 60 percent of OMF staff and seven out of 10 of its teachers are RNCM alumni. Additionally, the College hopes the initiative will help to build lifelong relationships with new audiences that reflect the cultural richness of modern Manchester.

Speaking about the news, Chief Executive of OMF, Jo Yee Cheung, says: ‘I am delighted that OMF is formalising its partnership with the RNCM after nine years of collaborative working. It is a joy to see so many OMF children and families visiting and enjoying the college for music lessons and performances, and it is a huge strength to our programme to be able to offer such high-quality opportunities to our young people. As an alumnus of the RNCM, it gives me great personal pleasure to introduce our OMF communities to the college, as well as welcoming RNCM students and staff to be a part of our work at OMF. We are excited for the future!’

OMF mother, Alia, says: “The RNCM is a wonderfully inclusive organisation. My children have absolutely loved being a part of their projects from the pedagogical piano lessons to their amazing pathfinder initiative. My daughter is currently carrying out her yr 10 work experience placement here and has reinforced her love for music by finding out more about this brilliant place and the important work that they carry out. It is because of OMF's fantastic work in the community that we were able to come know of RNCM. We are very proud to be associated with the RNCM and are very grateful for the opportunities that they provide.”

Deputy Principal (Performance and Programmes) of the RNCM, Manus Carey, adds: ‘The Olympias Music Foundation began life as a start-up idea from Jo and it is fantastic to see how the charity has grown, developed, and strengthened over the past few years, and the really incredible work being delivered in supporting the musical development of young people and their families in our local community. After working closely together over a number of years, we are delighted to be formalising our partnership with OMF. It is an absolute joy to welcome the OMF young people and their families to experience performances at the RNCM, and we look forward to forging closer ties with our students, staff, and alumni over the coming years.’

About the RNCM

The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) is one of the world’s most progressive conservatoires. Founded in 1973 through the merger of the Royal Manchester College of Music and Northern School of Music, the RNCM is home to over 900 students from more than 60 countries. In 2023, we were rated Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework and we’re recognised as one of the UK’s leading conservatoires for research. We are also the recipient of five Times Higher Education Awards, two Greater China Awards, a Global Teaching Excellence Spotlight Award, and two Heist Awards. For more information, visit www.rncm.ac.uk