We have been teaching the performing arts in Glasgow since 1847. Building on our roots as a national academy of music, we have grown over the past 170 years to be one of the most interdisciplinary and collaborative institutions in the world and are consistently ranked within the world’s top 10 performing arts institutions (QS World Rankings, 2016, 2017, 2018).

The Royal Conservatoire started life as the Glasgow Athenaeum in 1847, which aimed to “provide a source of mental cultivation, moral improvement and delightful recreation to all classes.” The Athenaeum was formally opened by Charles Dickens, who delivered the inaugural address at the first ‘soiree’.