The Royal Conservatory Orchestra to make its Carnegie Hall debut in 2024

The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) announced today that students of its acclaimed post-secondary professional training school, The Glenn Gould School, will perform a premiere international engagement at Carnegie Hall’s illustrious Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage in New York City, on May 7, 2024. 

"The Royal Conservatory Orchestra is superb, and one of the finest student orchestras in the world,” continued Dr. Simon.  “They deserve to be heard outside of our nation and this will be a very proud moment for Canada, this city, and this institution.”

The Glenn Gould School’s Royal Conservatory Orchestra (RCO) is widely regarded as one of the best training orchestras in North America and consists of instrumental students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Alumni of the RCO continue to join the ranks of the greatest professional orchestras in the world. 

Said James Anagnoson, Dean of The Glenn Gould School, “This marks the first time in The Royal Conservatory’s over 135-year history, and The Glenn Gould School’s 25-year history that our students will take to the stage at Carnegie Hall – it's tremendously exciting, and a testament to the extremely high standard of excellence of our artists.”

The RCO will be joined by internationally acclaimed conductor and RCM honorary fellow Peter Oundjian, and pianist and RCM Artist in Residence Stewart Goodyear, performing a program of works by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, and Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy. 

“I have witnessed first-hand, the incredible talent and tenacity of the students of the Royal Conservatory Orchestra, and I have the utmost confidence they will rise to this extraordinary occasion with a performance of the highest calibre,” said Maestro Oundjian. “It will be a wonderful moment of national significance, to have the work of a contemporary Canadian female composer, inspired by one of Canada’s beloved artists, Glenn Gould, brought to life on stage in the beautiful Stern Auditorium."

Since opening in 1891, Carnegie Hall has been an aspirational destination for the world’s finest artists. The Hall’s unique history is rooted in its outstanding acoustics and an honour roll of artists representing the finest of every music genre who have filled the esteemed venue throughout the years.