University News Last updated 18 June 2020
Royal Birmingham Conservatoire’s ARCO Project has partnered with the Quartet of Peace Trust (UK), a charitable trust which supports the education and training of gifted young South African musicians who would not otherwise be able to advance their studies.
The Quartet of Peace Trust exists to spread the values of the four Nobel Peace Laureates of South Africa – freedom, peace, reconciliation, and hope – by promoting musical education and enabling exceptionally talented SA musicians to further their careers and musical education.
The Quartet of Peace has supported ARCO in a multitude of ways since the project began in 2015, and this new partnership will mean continued support for the project’s work with talented children in South Africa.
Chair of Trustees at Quartet of Peace Trust Deborah Lavin said: "The Quartet of Peace Trust (UK) sees ARCO as embodying the raison d'etre of the Trust by identifying and training a steady stream of potential applicants for support.
“While the Trust looks as widely as possible in selecting its beneficiaries, the partnership enables us to collaborate, rather than compete for scarce funding. The partnership will seek to develop further the distinctive ARCO model combining distance learning with periods of face-to-face interaction to enlarge the pool of South African students benefiting from a musical education.”
Director of the ARCO Project Louise Lansdown added: “The ARCO Project, RBC and Morris Isaacson Centre for Music are thrilled to announce this partnership with the Quartet of Peace. QoP is dedicated to the development and support of young South African musicians studying in the UK. To name but a few, they have supported Abel Selaocoe, Lieva Starker, Elsabe Raath and Thapelo Masita (this list includes two RBC students).
“QoP has already pledged support for Kamogelo Maraba, ARCO cellist, who will be beginning a BMus (Hons) at RBC In September 2020. We are incredibly grateful for their care for young South African musicians.”
Keep up to date with the ARCO Project by signing up to their newsletter here.