The Royal Manchester College of Music was founded in 1893 by Sir Charles Hallé who assumed the role as Principal. For a long period of time Hallé had argued for Manchester's need for a conservatoire to properly train the local talent.[1]
The RMCM opened in 1893 in a former club building on the corner of Ducie Grove and Ducie Street,[2] near Oxford Road. The building was adapted for use as a college by the architects Salomons and Steinthal, and contained a 400-seat concert hall lined with walnut wood panelling, classrooms, a library and offices. According to the Manchester Guardian, instead of a formal opening ceremony, donors were invited to a conversazione with Sir Charles Hallé and other musicians on Saturday October 7, 1893.[3] Students were admitted in October 1893.[4][5]
In 1888 German violinist Willy Hess became leader of The Hallé Orchestra, a role he held until 1895. From its opening in 1893 he was also the principal professor of violin at the Royal Manchester College of Music.[6]
^Thomason, Geoffrey. “Hallé’s other project – the RMCM”. Manchester Memoirs, being the memoirs and proceedings of the Manchester Literary & Philosophical Society: Vol.149 (2010-2011), pp.104-123.
^At a later date the name of Ducie Street was changed to Devas Street. Another Ducie Street now runs further east of this site through Ancoats. Ducie Grove no longer exists and the site is now a car park.
^ ab"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 May 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) RNCM A brief history of the Royal Northern College of Music Archive
^ abKennedy, Michael (1971) The History of the Royal Manchester College of Music (Manchester University Press)
^Manchester Faces and Places. Manchester: JG Hammond & Co Ltd. February 1895. pp. 76–77.
^ abcdefghijkManchester Faces and Places (Vol XVI No 2 ed.). Manchester: Geo. Woodhead and Co Ltd. February 1905. pp. 42–53.