The Royal Conservatory has announced details of the Oscar Peterson Program. The initiative comes several months after the RCM renamed their school of music in honour of the famous Canadian pianist.
The program will provide tuition-free musical training for young people across the GTA who are under-served when it comes to formal music education.
“Music has the power to change lives. It provides a proven gateway to improved self-confidence, discipline, creativity, and the acquisition of learning and social skills needed for school success,” said Colin Clarke, Artistic Director of the Oscar Peterson Program in a release. “Music classes in public schools have been diminishing over the past few decades. By removing financial barriers, this new initiative strives to address the inequality of access while reflecting Oscar Peterson’s strong belief that music education should be available to everyone.”
The details
- The Program begins as of October 2022;
- Students will receive instruction from faculty at the Oscar Peterson School at the RCM;
- The RCM will provide instruments as required;
- They will also be able to attend concerts by the world-class musicians performing at Koerner Hall.
Space is limited, and students are encouraged to apply earlier rather than later.
- Students in Grade 6 through 9 are invited to apply by September 17;
- More details and to apply here.
There are two streams that the Oscar Peterson Program will offer: Orchestra and Scholars. The Orchestra will be a performing ensemble, while the Scholars Program will select particularly talented and committed students. They will be able to study the entire RCM curriculum over a period of several years.
A choir stream will be added in September 2023.
“The Royal Conservatory strongly believes that the transformative power of music should be accessible to all. As a thriving centre of music education and performance, the RCM is uniquely positioned to offer students from equity priority groups this extraordinary opportunity to study music and enrich their lives,” said Dr. Peter Simon, President & CEO of The Royal Conservatory.
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