Our Mission
The Royal Conservatory of Music is one of the largest and most respected music education institutions in the world, providing the definitive standard of excellence in curriculum design, assessment, performance training, teacher certification, and arts-based social programs.
The mission of The Royal Conservatory - to develop human potential through leadership in music and the arts - is based on the conviction that the arts are humanity's greatest means to achieve personal growth and social cohesion. Advancing the transformative effect that music and the arts have on society lies at the heart of everything The Royal Conservatory does.
The more than five million alumni of The Royal Conservatory have enjoyed the many benefits of music study and carried these benefits into subsequent careers in a wide range of fields, including medicine, business, politics, education, science, and sports. Others, such as Glenn Gould, Oscar Peterson, Diana Krall, Teresa Stratas, Sir Roger Norrington, and Jon Vickers, have achieved international musical acclaim.
The RCM Certificate Program provides a recognized standard of musical achievement through an effectively sequenced system of study and individual student assessments, from preparatory to advanced levels. Considered the foremost music education system in Canada, the United States, and many other countries around the world, its broad use has bound together individuals from these nations with the thread of shared creative experiences.
The Royal Conservatory is also committed to enabling greater access to music through digital education, with a focus on: supporting and engaging the teaching community; cultivating and inspiring students and their families; bolstering and highlighting Canadian talent; and enriching and enhancing the future of music and music education.
Over the last two decades, The Royal Conservatory has been a leader in the development of arts-based programs designed to address a range of social issues, such as the academic achievement of youth at risk, the development of children in their early years, and the wellness of seniors. Learning Through the Arts® and The Marilyn Thomson Early Childhood Education Centre use the latest research findings in neuroscience and the social sciences to address important health, social, and developmental issues.
At its national base, the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning in Toronto, The Royal Conservatory offers classes and lessons for individuals of all ages and abilities at the Oscar Peterson School of Music, as well as an extensive set of training programs for gifted young artists through The Glenn Gould School and The Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists. The Royal Conservatory also presents and produces a wide range of concerts featuring the finest Canadian and international artists in its magnificent performance spaces, including the internationally acclaimed Koerner Hall, Temerty Theatre, and Mazzoleni Concert Hall in historic Ihnatowycz Hall.
Entrenched in the minds and hearts of Canadians, The Royal Conservatory has united generations of citizens since its inception in 1886.
View Our Historical Timeline