Birmingham Conservatoire began life around 1859 as the Birmingham School of Music – initially a department of the Birmingham and Midland Institute, and formally constituted in 1886. In 1971 the School became a constituent part of the then Birmingham Polytechnic (now the University of Central England), while retaining its conservatoire status. Sir Michael Tippett OM celebrated the inauguration of ‘Birmingham Conservatoire’ in 1989, with Sir Simon Rattle CBE as the first President.
Over the years, Birmingham Conservatoire has grown to become one of the leading music colleges in the UK with strong regional, national and international dimensions. It is a member of both the British and European conservatoire associations and maintains fruitful links with major music organisations, including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The Conservatoire now has over 450 students on undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes, as well as a thriving Junior School.
Based in the heart of Birmingham's diverse music community, the Conservatoire affords its own specialist facilities, while students can also call on the tremendous resources available through its parent institution, UCE. Thus, Birmingham Conservatoire remains unique in being both part of a university and a national conservatoire in its own right.
Symphony Hall opened in 1991 to immediate public and critical acclaim. It was instantly acknowledged both as the UK's finest concert hall and one of the best in the world, a position it retains today. The auditorium is a model of modern concert hall design and the superb acoustics are the benchmark by which all new concert halls are measured. In 2001 the Hall was completed with the installation of the 6000-pipe Symphony Organ.
Symphony Hall's diverse programme of events includes world class music making in all its forms from classical to jazz, world music, folk, rock and pop and also features stand-up comedy. The Hall promotes its own International Concert Season of prestigious visiting orchestras and musicians as well as being home to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The Hall also plays an important role in the life of the region and is regularly used for community events, graduation ceremonies and conferences. In all over 350,000 people attend around 270 events at Symphony Hall every year.
Learn more » www.conservatoire.uce.ac.uk
About Birmingham
Birmingham is Britain's second largest city and is situated right in the heart of England. Friendly, bustling and thriving, Birmingham is one of our most visited cities with a large variety of things to see and do. Birmingham is also the perfect base from which to tour the UK or enjoy outings to historic and beautiful places in the Midlands, such as Stratford upon Avon, home of Shakespeare, and the world renowned Warwick Castle.
Live music is performed in many of the cities pubs and Birmingham offers a choice of over 20 clubs. Eating out in Birmingham is a cosmopolitan experience; you can sample the best food from countries around the world. There are many specialist restaurants in the city centre offering food from countries around the world to simple good food in old fashioned English pubs. Birmingham's China Town has a choice of restaurants, supermarkets and cafes offering great Chinese food. For authentic Kashmiri food, discover Birmingham's "Balti Mile" a short distance from the city centre, where there are over 40 restaurants in the space of one mile.
The centre of the Asian music industry, 90% of Bhangra originates from Birmingham reflecting the rich diversity of the multicultural community, Birmingham has nurtured.
Learn more » www.beinbirmingham.com