A champion of emerging musicians and accessibility in the arts will be celebrated alongside students of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in its autumn graduation and fellowship ceremony.

Carol Main MBE, Director of Live Music Now Scotland, will join more than 60 graduates in Glasgow on Thursday 26 October. Graduating students will include MA Classical and Contemporary Text (Acting and Directing), MA Musical Theatre (Performance and Musical Directing), Master of Arts (Music), MEd Learning and Teaching in the Arts and Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in the Arts.

Visit the RCS autumn graduation 2023 homepage

Carol is being recognised for her contribution to enriching the musical landscape in Scotland and beyond, and her service to the RCS Board of Governors, on which she sat from 2014 to April this year.

Carol, who was awarded an MBE for services to music in 2015, is Director of Live Music Now Scotland and Live Music Now International Development. Live Music Now Scotland gives exceptional early career artists paid performing experience and training, while at the same time widening access to high-quality live music and all its life-transforming benefits for people throughout Scotland’s communities, especially those who wouldn’t normally have such opportunities.

Carol Main said: “I can’t say how honoured and delighted I am to receive a Fellowship from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. It seems no time at all since John Wallace CBE, ex-Principal, asked if I would be interested in joining the Board of Governors, particularly from the perspective of my work with young musicians through the National Association of Youth Orchestras and the emerging professionals of Live Music Now, who widen access to high-quality live music throughout Scotland.

“It was, however, nine years ago and in that time, I have been privileged to play a part in the governance of RCS as a board member, including the pleasurable responsibility of being Convenor of the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee for most of these years.

“I would like to pay tribute to all Conservatoire colleagues, especially Principal Jeff Sharkey, and fellow Governors, thinking particularly of the inspiring leadership of our late Chair, Nick Kuenssberg.

“In succeeding him at the end of his tenure last year, the Conservatoire is very fortunate to have Professor Dorothy Miell at the board helm and I would like to wish her every success in taking RCS forward to an exciting future.”

Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said: “We’re looking forward to celebrating our graduating students, who leave the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with our warmest congratulations.

“It’s also an opportunity to recognise the significant contribution Carol Main, has made to music in Scotland and further afield. Her work at Live Music Now Scotland has supported numerous young musicians in the early stages of their careers and brought the powerful gift of music to communities across the nation. Carol has also been an invaluable member of our board, and we are grateful for all that she has done.”

A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, where she studied Music and English while also a part-time student of singing at the RSAMD (now RCS), Carol is a Board Member of Creative Scotland, Chair of The Night With…, a Trustee of the National Centre for Music and a board member of the European Federation of National Youth Orchestras.

Carol has also served on the boards of the Association of British Orchestras, Voluntary Arts Scotland, Traditional Music Forum and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, of which she was a director for almost 20 years. She is a past Chair of bot Enterprise Music Scotland and Hebrides Ensemble. Carol also works as a freelance journalist, mainly as founding Classical Music Editor of The List and music critic for The Scotsman.

Photographs © Robbie McFadzean