The Ulster College of Music was founded in 1966 by Miss Daphne Bell who was then a Lecturer in Music at a teacher training college in Belfast. She carried out the role of Honorary Director during her spare time until her retirement in 1983, when she took over the role on a full-time basis. Her services to music education were recognised in 1989 when she was awarded an MBE. Notably Miss Bell gave her extensive services to the College for no fee during her time at the UCM, demonstrating remarkable generosity and commitment to music education.
Through careful financial management and a grant from the Dept. of Finance the UCM was able to acquire its own premises in 1991, in the form of the building that is still its current home. Miss Bell left the College in the late 1990s and was succeeded by Mr Paul McNulty who had previously worked with her in managing the UCM administration. Mr McNulty was subsequently succeeded by Mary Capplis at the administrative helm. Most recently the UCM Co-Ordinator has been Ms Anne Stafford who fulfilled the role until June 2011.
The College is a Registered Charity and is legally constituted as a Trust. It is managed on a day-to-day basis by an Administrator in the College Office, which in turn is responsible to the Management Committee (made up of teachers, parents and students).
The UCM has historically been focused on three key areas of service:
Notable past students of the Ulster College of Music include a previous Director of Opera NI, Composers for Television, Sound Engineers and Television Producers, Arts Festival Organisers, Music Critics, 4 professional Conductors, a previous Leader of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, a multitude of professional orchestral players – including 4 principal basses, 3 principal violas, and 2 principal seconds, a 14-yr-old soloist with the National Youth Orchestra at Festival Hall, London, students who have studied music at the University of Cambridge, and instrument makers (including a well-respected Cello bow maker currently working in Portugal).
A past-student of particular note is Ms Fionnuala Hunt – the first woman to lead the London Symphony Orchestra in 1995. Fionnuala is now one of Ireland’s most distinguished performers and has held important positions such as Artistic and Music Director of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, Artistic Director of the Annual Music Festival held in Killaloe and Artistic Director of the series of chamber music recitals at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin. In 1999 the Sunday Independent in Ireland honoured her with the ‘Spirit of Life Award’.
Equally of interest is past-student Alan Mills who studied piano at the Ulster College of Music before completing an MA in Music at Cambridge University, studying composition with Hugh Wood and Robin Holloway. This was followed by two years of study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. In 1988 he was awarded the Lloyds Young Composer Prize and in 1993 the Lower Machen Festival Prize. He has broadcast for the BBC, Radio France and Dutch Television and at present works in London as pianist, lecturer and singing coach and abroad with a number of opera companies.
The Ulster College of Music has achieved remarkable success during the past 45 years, providing a valuable and unique contribution to the musical landscape of Northern Ireland. As it approaches it’s 50th Birthday, the College has many plans to extend the services offered and cultivate links with the local music community. These plans include the setting up of UCM Summer Schools, facilitating the development of KinderMusik (in coordination with UCM Teacher Becca Hopkins), continuing to provide affordable and beneficial Workshops and Masterclasses with well-respected visiting musicians and hosting Recitals featuring guest performers alongside UCM Students and Teachers.
© The Ulster College of Music 2011. Website developed by Laurence Jenkins