The Royal Welsh College Of Music and Drama (RWCMD) is the national conservatoire for Wales. It was founded in 1949 when it was housed in Cardiff Castle and, in 1974, moved to its purpose-built premises in the Castle Grounds, just a few hundred yards from the city centre. The College offers a range of specialist undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Music and Drama - all are performance based and/or practically orientated. With over 300 performances a year, there is a wide range of performance opportunities available in one of RWCMD's six venues, or further afield at venues in Wales, the United Kingdom and beyond. Students and staff enjoy a truly international working environment and the College regards its international links as particularly important. As one of the UK's eight conservatories, RWCMD enjoys a unique position in Wales as the only provider of vocational, professional training in music and drama at conservatoire level.
There are currently 583 students and there is a high rate of employment amongst recent graduates. Former students are to be found working in the major symphony and chamber orchestras in the UK and abroad, and in a wide range of theatre companies, large and small including the Royal Opera House, the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal National Theatre, Northern Ballet and Royal Shakespeare Company. Graduates are also seen and heard regularly on TV and radio.
1999 proved to be an exciting year as RWCMD celebrated its 50th anniversary, opened the Anthony Hopkins Centre - a beautifully restored Mews adjacent to the main building, named after RWCMD's most famous student - and, in October, HRH The Prince of Wales became Patron of the college.
Degrees are awarded by the University of Wales.